Google Chrome 26.0.1410.64

Just like Apple does with their Safari browser, Chrome builds upon the open source project Webkit to perform the HTML rendering. Webkit is known for its high performance and standards compatibility and also powers most mobile browsers. In contrast to Safari, though, Chrome uses the V8 JavaScript engine which was developed at Google and has set a new standard in high speed JavaScript execution. This is not surprising since JavaScript performance is crucial to complex web applications such as Google's own GMail and Google Docs. Chrome itself is also an open source project.

Chrome has also introduced new paradigms in user interface design that have since been copied by the other players in the browser space. Among them is the space-saving layout of the tabs at the top, above the address bar. A separate menu bar does not exist, maximizing the space available for the display of the web page itself. A separate search field is also missing from Chrome, because you can enter queries into the address bar as well. Chrome can automatically detect if the entered string is a search query or an address.

Security

Google has put a lot of thought into security and has developed a new concept of preventing browser crashes. Each tab runs in its own process, preventing a single crashed tab from taking down the whole browser. When a tab crashes, it can be closed and you can continue to use the other tabs.

Chrome makes it very easy for the user to surf the web without leaving traces on the local machine. You simply open up a new incognito tab and all private information such as web browsing history will not be saved when the tab is closed.

Google gathers a lot of information about the nature of a specific web site through its search engine crawlers. This is used in Chrome to warn users about web sites that contain malicious content such as viruses.

User profiles

Another feature specific to Chrome is its ability to add several user profiles to the browser in order to use a single web application through different user accounts. For example, you can open two tabs and manage different email accounts at the same provider. This has been a complicated task to perform in the past using other browsers. Chrome identifies the separate user profiles through avatar icons you can choose for each profile.

Chrome lets you synchronize settings between different computers and mobile devices, so e.g. you can add a bookmark to your desktop browser and have it immediately available on your smartphone as well.

Of course you can personalize Chrome through a huge number of extensions and themes. Developers will love the extensive built-in tools that simplify the development of web applications.

Summary

Google Chrome is one of the fastest and most innovative browsers on the market. Its clean, efficient look and its extensibility make it attractive for power users as well as novices who will like its good usability. Those using the web through more than one device will love the built-in synchronization features.