As they promised yesterday, Google have now released a beta of their new browser, Chrome, though so far it can only be run on Windows XP and Vista. I haven't actually installed it yet, but I can't wait to do so. Part of me wonders what it's going to look like as traditionally Google haven't been very good at designing although their products always seem pretty solid.
Link: Google Chrome
UPDATE: I've now installed it and tried it. I'm actually pleasantly suprised. The interface in Vista has a similar feel to IE7, with the majority of the little used features being out the way accessible on 2 menu's that are openable from two icons. The address bar is context sensitive and will of course help auto-complete any Google services, and anything from your history or bookmarks. It's also borrowed a feature from IE8 / Firefox where it's easier to see what server your on by it putting emphasis on the styling of the domain name. Another pleasant suprise is that this site didn't need any tweaks to get it working either which is actually quite good news as it might mean that if you know your site works okay in Firefox and IE then it's going to work in Chrome. There's also an "Incognito Window" which is a mode where no cookies, history, or temporary internet files will be stored - so it's basically the same as the new mode in IE8.
Another feature also lends itself from Fluid on the Mac. "Create application link" will create a link that runs a site as a separate application with it's own customisable icon. Right clicking on the title bar will give you a task manager where you can see information on the usage of each tab and process Google Chrome is running. There is also a handy button, "Stats for nerds" that provides even more information. There are also some cool developer tools built in to it to help with debugging.
I may try and use it as my primary browser for a few weeks to see how I get on with it, hopefully I won't find any annoyances too quickly.
It passes the Acid2 test okay, and does a very quick job of it. However, the Acid3 test runs very slowly - probably from the thousands of people rushing to test the browser themselves to see how it conforms. When it does finally run though it manages to get as far as 63% and fails on the LINKTEST. Apparently someone else I know tried the test and they got as far as 76% on Windows XP (I'm using Windows Vista 64bit). I've also heard a few reports of that some sites aren't quite looking right in it - so I guess I got lucky.
