- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
- Date added: January 25, 2010
- Total Downloads: 1,475,168
- Downloads last week: 40,096
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 1209 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on January 25, 2010
In slightly more than a year, Google Chrome has surprised users and critics alike by leapfrogging to more than 4 percent of the browser market share. That attention and heavy usage is not undeserved. Chrome 4 is blazingly fast, more stable than previous versions, and introduces support for extensions, bookmark syncing, and some HTML5 innovations.
Based on Webkit, the same open-source engine that powers Apple Safari, Google's Android mobile platform, and several other Web-browsing tools, but with a different JavaScript engine, Chrome's interface is a drastic departure from other browsers. Instead of the traditional toolbar, Chrome puts its tabs on top. Moreover, the tabs are detachable: "tabs" and "windows" are interchangeable here. Detached tabs can be dragged and dropped into the browser, and tabs can be rearranged at any time. By isolating each tab's processes, when one site crashes, the other tabs do not.
The search box and the address bar have been fused into a hybrid "Omnibox," which includes suggestions for URLs culled from your browser's history and search suggestions from your search engine. It remembers site-specific search engine results. There's also Application Shortcuts, a feature that lets you create desktop icons for Web-only applications, such as Gmail. The stealth mode, Incognito, lets you surf without the history-recording cookies.
Despite all that's good and new in the browser from Google, it is still a work in development and users are not universally enthralled with Chrome's sheen. Complaints ranging from secure log-in issues to occasional site rendering hang-ups to support for PDFs and some media players. Problems aside, Chrome is more than a surface polish and is well worth using.
Publisher's description
From Google :Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the Web faster, safer, and easier. Use one box for everything--type in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and Web pages. Thumbnails of your top sites let you access your favorite pages instantly with lightning speed from any new tab. Desktop shortcuts allow you to launch your favorite Web apps straight from your desktop.
What's new in this version:
The stable channel has been updated to 4.0.249.78 for Windows, and includes the following features and security fixes (since 3.0):
- Extensions
- Bookmark sync
- Enhanced developer tools
- HTML5: Notifications, Web Database, Local Storage, WebSockets, Ruby support
- v8 performance improvements
- Skia performance improvements
- Full ACID3 pass, due to re-enabled remote font support (with added defense against bugs in operating system font l... see all new features
More popular Web Browsers downloads
- 90,675 downloads 1. Mozilla Firefox
- 54,266 downloads 2. Internet Explorer
- 40,096 downloads 3. Google Chrome
- 38,769 downloads 4. Avant Browser
- 14,401 downloads 5. Opera
- See all Web Browsers downloads
User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.8 stars out of 1209 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 5 of 136 user reviewsSee all 136 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Chrome 4.0.249.78
"excellent, fast, compatibility problems"
Pros: Very fast, like real "tabs", is not "flaky" on sites it does work (unlike Firefox)
Cons: Not compatible with some Mafia Wars functions, no dropdown "history" menu
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Chrome 4.0.249.78
"Blazing fast browser, a must for PCs over a yr old!!"
Pros: Works great on fast and slower pcs, cut load times for larger websites by 75% over IE.
Cons: Occasional rendering issues.
-
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Chrome 4.0.249.78
Pros: uncertain how to use chrome
Cons: uncertain how to use chrome
Summary: Still trying to become familiar with chrome edition
-
Version: Google Chrome 4.0.249.78
Pros: Looks good.
Is fast, unless you want to add anythingCons: Using Extensions is like throwing an anchor off the side.
Cannot add toolbars.
lots of bugs
occasionally changes or stops your homepageSummary: Ok, I realise this is new, and that one day all the bugs will be ironed out, but for the moment this isn't all its cracked up to be.
I just want to use a browser, I don't want to take a degree in computer speak, I don't care what platform it us... read more >> -
Version: Google Chrome 4.0.249.78
"google chrome was and still the best in browsing speed"
Pros: it is will organized, in the mean time it is fast and easy if compared with other products (i.e window explorers,.safari,and opera)
Cons: opening page language (Arabic instead of English)..although i am Egyptian i find ,it is easy to type in English (generally Latin letters)..in my point of view English is the best for seaching any topic..
Summary: well,one of the most advantages of Google chrome is the multiple browsing.i can get many sites in just one page, in addition ,it is very powerful in searching..and very stable if we compare it with Firefox..it is very safe..but , i find some difficu... read more >>
- See all 136 user reviews Write review
Submit your review
- See more CNET content tagged:
- Google Chrome,
- Google Inc.,
- Web browser,
- open source,
- tab
Previous Versions:
