Google Chrome Extensions

This is the last thing that Google Chrome was missing to make it the only browser you will ever need. Google Chrome Extensions

Send me your comments. Joe

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Flocking Back to Chrome

This is the last post I will be making here from Flock, "The Award Winning Social Web Browser Powered by Mozilla." I committed late last week to giving it a test drive, and my plan was to give it a week before drawing any final conclusion. Well, it has been almost a week. Finally.

Let me say a few things about Flock. First, it is a very powerful web browser, certainly. It is absolutely loaded with features. I mean, it's packed so full of social media features that -- well, for me, that's part of the problem. It's overloaded.

I was a long time supporter and promoter of Firefox when Google rolled out their Chrome browser. I tested out Chrome for a while and found it lacking in some areas, bouncing back and forth between Firefox and Chrome for the longest time before finally settling on Chrome (I don't even think I wrote about that decision here) for it's superior speed, streamlined look, and ease of use.

It is for those same reasons that I simply cannot even begin to feel comfortable with Flock. I have been using it exclusively for several days now, and I have found no need to set up the many social media features it includes. In fact, I have found that taking the time necessary to set up such features is something I just don't, well, have time for.

In addition, Flock has on two occasions over the past several days frozen on me and required a restart -- something that has never happened with Chrome, thanks to Chrome's built-in Task Manager with Crash Control, which works beautifully any time a web page freezes up. In Chrome, it's as simple as opening Chrome's Task Manager and disabling the offending web page. No browser restart required.

Another shortcoming I have discovered with Flock is that it doesn't seem to adequately leave me logged in to sites I visit frequently, as both Chrome and Firefox seem to do. That, to me, is an annoyance, and it seems that a social media browser would be designed to keep one logged into social networking sites to provide easy access to those frequently used.

Overall, I would say that if I was still using Firefox primarily, I might be tempted to keep plowing along with Flock and might even some day switch over permanently. Flock and Firefox are both based on the Mozilla platform, and I think Flock can best be described as Firefox for social networkers. However, I only use Firefox as an occasional backup, and there are times when I will go for weeks without even using it at all.

Since I began using Tweetdeck for Twitter at about the same time I began my test drive with Flock, I find that Tweetdeck so fully meets my Twittering needs that there is no use (for me) for the social web features of Flock.

For me, Chrome and Tweetdeck fit the bill, with no added lag to my system, none of the clutter that is so nicely featured in Flock, and none of the browser crashing that requires frequent restarts.

Im sure Flock is exactly what some people are looking for. For me, I prefer the simplicity and reliability of the Chrome browser.

My other posts on Flock are available here and here.

Your comments?

Joe

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Google Chrome Final (for now) Observations

I've been using Google Chrome since the date of it's release [find prior posts here]. I originally committed to using it exclusively for seven days, to run it through the paces and see if I felt it could be a suitable replacement for Firefox.

I have found many useful features in Google Chrome. It is the fastest browser I have ever used. It loads quickly, loads pages quickly, and uses very little screen real estate, making every web page you visit more viewable. It integrates well with Google Gears (in fact, Google Gears is part of the installation of Google Chrome). And it has a cool application feature that will create a shortcut to any web page as if it were an application, and will then launch that web page in a version of Chrome that uses even less screen real estate.

There were several things I found that I didn't like about Google Chrome. No extensions, which is a hard thing to adapt to for a long time Firefox devotee. It renders RSS feeds terribly (not at all, really), and makes subscribing in Google Reader just a bit cumbersome. Recently I discovered that the link to create a Google Calendar event from within Gmail does not work at all -- Chrome's Pop Up Blocker kills the process. And I have never been able to get Flash Video (i.e. YouTube) to play reliably within Google Chrome.

With such poor integration between Google's Chrome web browser and their own online services, in addition to the sacrifices I have had to make to switch from Firefox to Chrome, I have switched back. That's right, I am now using Firefox again. Google Chrome is just not ready for prime time. Based on everything that Google does, I'm sure that Google Chrome will improve. But, for now, I just can't settle for the unreliability and sacrifices required to make the switch.

That isn't to say that I didn't learn a few things from my time with Google Chrome. The first thing I did upon returning to Firefox was to trim out unneeded extensions, thus speeding up program start up a bit. I also removed the unneeded toolbars (Google Toolbar, Bookmarks Toolbar) to save screen real estate. The Bookmarks are all accessible from Google Bookmarks, requiring only one button on the toolbar, and the Google Toolbar buttons I most use (including Google Bookmarks) have been easily moved into the top toolbar in Firefox, where they take up no additional screen real estate [screenshot below].


I have already found myself feeling more comfortable with my old favorite, Firefox, even though it is still just a bit slower than Google Chrome. But, Firefox promises to have that fixed soon.

Your comments?

Joe

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Google Chrome Observations #4 - Crash!

I experienced my first fatal issue with Google Chrome tonight. After signing into Digsby and clicking an email alert in Digsby, which launches the selected email message in a new window in Google Chrome, the famous new browser crashed.

Chrome disappeared and this alert box popped up. Whoa! Google Chrome has crashed. Restart now? The best I can figure, the problem was related to a setting in Google Chrome options that tells it to launch the last open windows every time I start the browser. When I last shut down Google Chrome, I was using my main Gmail account. The email notification I clicked that launched Google Chrome was for a Gmail account I use for work, causing the browser to launch and open two different Gmail accounts. it appears that trying to have both Gmail accounts signed in at the same time didn't make Google Chrome too happy.

Upon restarting Google Chrome, I received another error from within Chrome. We're sorry, but your Gmail account is currently experiencing errors. You won't be able to use your account while these errors last, but don't worry, your account data and messages are safe. Our engineers are working to resolve the issue. Please try accessing your account again in a few minutes. I immediately reloaded my main Gmail account with error.

Stay tuned for more in this series on Google Chrome.

Your comments?

Joe

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Google Chrome Observations #3

This time in my thoughts on Google Chrome, I want to share a comparison of some of the add-ons that I used so frequently in Firefox 3.0 with what I do (or don't do) to get around them in Google Chrome. For the sake of ease of reading (and writing) this article, I'll just go down the list (for the most part) alphabetically.

Adblock Plus and Adblock Filterset.G Updater: One thing I have always enjoyed about using Firefox 3.0 is the ability to kill most any web ad using Adblock Plus. Quite literally every ad you can imagine can be halted before ever loading in Firefox 3.0. There is so far no substitute for this add-on in Google Chrome, and many doubt that there ever will be, due to the fact that Google earns virtually all of it's income from advertising.

Another Firefox add-on that I have been unable to find a substitute for in Google Chrome is the DIGG This toolbar button. It's purpose is self-explanatory. I used it occasionally in Firefox but frankly don't feel I'm missing anything without it in Google Chrome. I'm not a big DIGG user.

Gmail Notifier in Firefox causes a pop-up notification to appear every time a new Gmail is received. More useful, however, is the fact that it allows you to check multiple Gmail accounts with one click without having to frequently sign in and out of Gmail. I have replaced Gmail Notifier in Google Chrome with Digsby, a self-proclaimed Instant Messaging / Email Notificaton / Social Networking solution that allows me to check multiple Gmail accounts and be signed into all of my Instant Messenger services, as well as read and post updates to Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and others, all from within one client.

Another add-on that is somewhat replaced by Digsby is Twitter Bar. While Digsby doesn't completely replace Twitter Bar, it has adequately filled my needs since switching to Google Chrome.

I must admit I am a bit disappointed at the lack of integration Google Chrome has with Google's own products, including Google Notebook. I have found no suitable replacement for the Google Notebook add-on other than to create a bookmark to Google Notebook.

The single most important add-on that I miss the most in Google Chrome is Google Toolbar. While Google Chrome includes some nice new features that I've mentioned in previous articles, there is just no substitute for the powerful search tools and other features found in Google Toolbar. I miss the ease of access I once had via Google Toolbar in Firefox.

Surprisingly enough, I found several times in Firefox 3.0 when video files wouldn't play, or even Amazon Associates Widgets couldn't be created without launching the page in Internet Explorer, which I did embedded in Firefox using IE Tab. I have not yet found any need to open any page in any other browser, as I have not yet stumbled upon a page that would not function or render properly in Google Chrome. Therefore, I have so far had no need for a replacement for IE Tab in Google Chrome.

With the many, many social networking sites I've joined, I find that shortening URLs for posting to social sites is critical. In Firefox I did so using Is.Gd. In Google Chrome, a simple Javascript Bookmark makes shortening URLs with Is.Gd just as simple.

Again thanks to social networking, and eBay, Reload Every was a very useful tool in Firefox. Having a specific page automatically reload at a preset interval can make keeping up with social networks easy, and can increase chances of outbidding those last minute bidders on eBay.

I am absolutely hooked on Remember The Milk. I use it for creating task lists for both business and personal use, and for sending me daily email reminders of those task lists. The Remember The Milk add-on for Firefox adds an easy to use interface to your Gmail Inbox for creating and updating tasks in Remember The Milk. Though I had the add-on installed in Firefox, I rarely used it. Instead, I almost always went directly to my Remember The Milk page, or even the Mobile version. In Google Chrome, I don't miss the add-on at all. In fact, I have discovered that I can just as easily update my Remember The Milk tasks from within Google Calendar.

That essentially covers the Firefox add-ons for me. There are more add-ons that I would probably have used if they didn't bog Firefox down so much. Those listed above are the ones that I found most critical to an enjoyable browsing experience.  For the most part, I'm getting along fine without them in Google Chrome. Google has promised that add-ons are in development for Google Chrome, and I'm sure the first thing they'll do is better integrate the rest of the Google properties into what is turning out to be a rather nice browser.

Up in this series, how I now use Google Gears and Google Desktop to enhance my browsing experience with Google Chrome.

Your comments?

Joe

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Google Chrome Observations #2

More on Google's new entry into the browser market, Google Chrome . I've been using Chrome since it's release date, and am trying to use it exclusively for the first week to give it a real chance. If I can run it through the gamut of a blogger / podcaster and come out satisfied, then I'll call it a winner.

In the last article in this series, I mentioned some of my favorite features of Google Chrome. Today, I'll share some of the downfalls I have noticed with Google Chrome. Through all of this, I remind myself that Google Chrome is currently in Beta release, and the purpose of even using it is to test it and help make it work better.

On a couple of occasions I have noticed that I have no audio while viewing Flash video such as YouTube videos in Google Chrome. This struck me as odd, since both YouTube and Google Chrome are Google products, and you would think they had thoroughly tested them together. Though I haven't been able to determine what the cause of the problem is, I have found a couple of ways to fix it. The simplest, of course, is to close the browser and restart it (I haven't yet tried to use Google Chrome's built-in Task Manager, which may have solved the problem without a complete restart of the browser). As I have Chrome set to launch with the same pages open that I closed with, this doesn't cause an issue for me of losing what I was viewing. Another method that has appeared to work is right clicking (this works on some Flash video, but not all) in the Flash window and selecting settings. I didn't actually have to change any settings, just the process of loading the settings window, clicking OK, and restarting the video has restored the sound for me (again, in some instances only).

RSS Reading is virtually impossible. In Firefox, you can click an RSS link and the page will load in a viewable format. Firefox does an excellent job of rendering RSS into a readable format. Google does nothing. Without using some other RSS Reader, such as Google Reader , it is impossible to make any sense of RSS Feeds in Chrome. The biggest problem with using Google Reader is that there is no easy way to subscribe to an RSS Feed (yet) in Google Chrome, other than copy and paste. This, I'm sure, will soon be fixed as well.

After resuming my laptop from sleep mode, it appears to take longer for Gmail to refresh the Inbox in Google Chrome than in other browsers. This is only a minor inconvenience and can easily be overcome by clicking the Inbox link.

It appears that when I installed Google Chrome, Google Gears was also installed. I don't recall being asked if I wanted to install Gears, and I don't believe I have installed it on the computer in the past. I will say that this only appears to be the case, until I run a test install on another computer. I don't know if this is a bad thing or not. Some might consider it a negative when software is installed on their computer without their knowledge (which, again, I am not sure is the case). I have started using Google Gears since this install, and will cover my experience with that in another installment in this series.

As a Firefox 3 user, I love the add-ons of Firefox. They don't (yet) exist in Google Chrome, but Google is said to be working on it. Since there are several add-ons I use in Firefox, I will cover that in the next installment in this series, including the work arounds I have found for several of them in Google Chrome.

So far, I'm basically please with Google Chrome. It has some work to do, and I have more to run it through. I'll be back soon with more on add-on work arounds and Google Gears, and whatever else I uncover in the mean time. Send me your feedback and thoughts using the email or comments links below.

Joe 
--


"Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy." -- Rudy Giuliani

Posted by email from Average Joe American (posterous)

Google Chrome Browser - First Thoughts

I've been using the new Google Chrome browser since it was released -- actually downloaded and installed it during the Google press conference announcing it. My goal is to use only Google Chrome for seven days. To put it through the ringer, so to speak, and see just what it can do.

I have long been a fan of Firefox, long ago abandoned Internet Explorer, and it won't be easy to take my loyalty from Firefox. Not easy, but not impossible.

So far I have found Google Chrome to be quite promising in many ways. Today I share some of my favorite features of Google Chrome (so far).

The Most Visited feature that loads when you open a new tab is sweet. I love the "automatic bookmarking" of the Most Visited feature. It's a quick way to get to the pages that I'm currently spending the most time at without having to take the time to bookmark them.

Google Chrome is definitely faster than any other browser I've used so far. So fast, in fact, that in the past I've had to use Gmail Mobile when connected via dial up from work, and with Chrome I can stay in the familiar Standard view that is so much easier to use.

Having the tabs at the top of the screen, with a very modest "Omnibox" (Google's name for the combined address bar/search box) and bookmark bar below it actually gives me over an inch more viewable web space on the vertical than Firefox 3.0.

So far, I have found many things that I really like about Google Chrome. Above are listed just a few. I have also found some areas where I feel that Google still has some work to do. Those I'll share in the next part of this series.

Your comments?

Joe

podsafe music network | ioda promonet | magnatune | airplay direct
ariel publicity | kennedy resource development | populuxe records | indie heaven
miles high productions | iris distribution | chavis records