So, I’ve had Google Chrome for all of 20 minutes, and I’ve put it through its first paces. So far I’m impressed by some features while others have left a question mark. My first click-through I guess you could call it has left me feeling like this is Firefox, minus some features, while adding others. Anyway, here is my first impressions of Google Chrome.

Interface: The interface of Google Chrome will leave a pretty big divide of love/hate between internet users. I’m falling on the side of love so far. I’m a person that likes things kept simple, and Google Chrome has ’simplicity’ in spades. The title bar is completely bare of text. The only thing you’ll at the top of your browser is the tabs for the web pages you have open. I really love this as it keeps the focus of the browser window on the actual content.

I like the main page that opens when you first open Google Chrome, and I’ll probably be keeping it as my home page. The main page isn’t a website at all, but is basically a page that houses all of your bookmarks and has an image based gallery of sites you’ve recently visited. It really looks like it will be a useful tool for getting where you need to go when you first load up Google Chrome. People who use a computer with multiple users might be turned off, because of privacy issues. You can always change the main page though, so it’s an easy problem to fix.

The last part of the interface that really stood out was how the downloads are presented on the browser. Instead of bringing up a whole new window, Google Chrome will list your downloads at the bottom of the browser. Again, I’m a fan of simplicity so the less windows the better. The only minor annoyance is you have to go into the “Show All Downloads” page to remove previous installs.

Score: 8.5/10

Performance & Quality: At the moment, performance and browser quality is kind of hard to judge as I haven’t had a large amount of time to put it through its paces. Right now I have about 15 tabs running, and it does seem to run smoother than IE or Firefox. Google Chrome has boasted that the way they handle mutliple tabs will help performance, and so far it shows.

The Tab Bar Is One Of My Favorite Features of Chrome

Page loading times seem to load a bit faster than on Firefox. There really isn’t a large, noticeable difference. I tested page loads on about 18 sites, and 14 of them I could notice a small difference. I will say that Google Chrome loaded more java script laden sites much faster than the Firefox effort.

Performance & Quality: 7/10 (This could change with time though)

Features & Small Things: To me this is where Google Chrome has really shined so far. All of the little nuances I’ve been able to find in Google Chrome really are impressive, and look to make for a better browsing experience.My favorite little feature is the tab bar at the top of the browser.In Firefox, when you move tabs around the screen, there’s a little space you have to find between the tabs to put them in the right place. The tabs in Google Chrome slide perfectly in stride from left to right and really make tab navigation much easier.

I’m kind of disappointed with the lack of options that Google Chrome has. When you go under the options menu you won’t find alot of features most people have come to love with IE, or Firefox. There isn’t a section for Security, which is the big no show I’ve found so far. Of course as I put Google Chrome through its paces more, I might find these options in a different location.

Score: 7.5/10

Overall: In my first 30 minutes or so with Google Chrome, I’ve come away pretty impressed. The interface is what I like most, but like other things some will love it while some will hate it. The simplicity of the layout, and more of a focus on the actual web page is what really stands out.

The tab menu at the top of browser is a god send for me, along with the addition of the downloads at the bottom of the browser.Some little things have left question marks. Like the ability of keeping your browsing history private without having to change your home page. Also, the lack of security options leaves me puzzled.

For the most part though, Google Chrome performs very well.If you like to try new things, then Google Chrome is definitely worth a look. I would highly recommend this for people looking for a simple browser layout. Or if you load pages that require a good amount of javascript loading.

Score: 8/10

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