Today Google released the first Beta of Google Chrome and after using it for a few hours I think it is pretty good. I can safely say it is easily as good as all the other browsers currently available. I predominantly use Safari on my Mac, although because of my work on web design I also use IE7, Firefox, Opera and up until recently I sometimes checked things in IE6 (never again, see previous post, death to IE6!), so I have a wide view of what the various browsers are like and which ones tend to be the most usable in terms of user friendliness, speed and general browsing. At first Glance, I would say Google Chrome is right up there and knowing Google and their plethora of knowledge and data when it comes to all things web, may slowly but surely take over where all have been before.

On the down side there isn’t anything really innovative about the browser, although it is still early days. They have taken the best from the rest, tabbed browsing (tabs in the title bar, good move!), Incognito Mode (Privacy mode in Safari), but apart from that it will all come down to speed and security unless a major innovation is introduced. I think Google are positioned the best out of all the other browser companies to be first with innovation in this market. They have the largest share of visitors and users by far so they can analyse how users behave and implement changes to their browser before anyone else. I think this would of been one of the main reasons the browser went into development, to capatilise on what they knowt, not to mention the upcoming release of their mobile OS, Android which will obviously need a web browser too.

So 2007 was the year of the Smartphone (replace smart with i if you want), I think 2009 will be the year that internet browsers went to war, and I think Google’s entrance into the battle will only take it to the next level. Internet Explorer 8 is in development and Firefox 3 is gaining market share everyday but Microsoft and Mozilla will be watching closely and if they are not careful they could become casualties.

If you have survived the dramatic intro paragraph let me tell you about a global movement that you should know about and get involved with, SaveTheDevelopers.org. Together with facebook groups like Internet Explorer 6 Uninstall Day, SaveTheDevelopers.org have one purpose and one purpose only, to educate users still using IE6 that it is a terrible browser that is out of date and should be uninstalled immediately and replaced with one of the many free, faster, more secure browsers easily available to anyone.

“I use internet explorer 6, and it works great”

WRONG, it doesn’t work great, it might appear to you to work great but you are misguided, not only are you potentially sharing you private information with people you really don’t want to, but you are also standing in the way of progress. The web needs to progress for the good of all mankind (a bit dramatic I know), by using this stupid browser you are shifting the focus of designers and developers from innovating by taking their precious time up with irrelevant considerations like how to make sure things work ok in an archaic browser.

Do something good today, uninstall or upgrade Internet Explorer 6! You will be taking part in a global movement and actively helping the internet progress quicker. Don’t accept buggy, unsecure, slow browsers, stand up and do something about it, Uninstall IE6 today and make the World Wide Web a better place.