On September 1, 2008 Google released its very own open source web browser. Called the Google Chrome, it combines elements from the top 3 web browsers. Here’s a quick list:

• A powerful address bar (Firefox)
• Tabbed browsing
• Starred items (Firefox)
• Saved passwords
• Maximized browsing interface (IE)
• Auto-dial with preview thumbnails (Opera)
• In-line resizable input fields (Safari)

In a stroke of creativity, Google even came up with a comic strip to explain why they created Chrome.

While Chrome’s feature set may be nothing short of revolutionary, what did catch my attention is its speed and memory utilization. Everything feels very snappy and responsive. One thing that caught my attention, though, is the memory utilization. Windows Task Manager reports five chrome.exe processes, and I only have three tabs open. The total memory utilization for all five processes amount to at least 108 Megabytes. I loaded these game tabs into Firefox 3 and it only consumed 60 Megabytes without any add-ons.

I guess I have yet to experience more of Google Chrome before I can come up with a fair verdict, but I can honestly say that I am enjoying the experience so far. I am already looking forward to future enhancements and developments of this browser.

At the end of the day, this browser does indeed pack a heavyweight punch while keeping everything slim and sexy.

Kudos to the Google Chrome team!

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