Many of you have received a ghastly amount emails and news posts about Google’s new beta browser, Chrome. And, if you’re like me, you thought “Here we go again.” Does the world need another browser? First, we received news about Flock, and now we hear about Chrome. What is the “piece de resistance” that will outshine the likes of Internet Explorer (IE) or Firefox? Is this site going to be a heavy contender for the latest and greatest battle of the beta browser?

I’ve never been one to partake in the legendary browser wars of the last five to ten years. To me, it’s just a BROWSER. If it works, is easy to use and is on my computer- great! Most common Internet users feel the same way. If you’re not a designer, programmer or tech-geek (and I say this with great affection), how much does your browser choice affect your life? I would dare to guess not that much.

Well, my fellow readers, I was quite surprised when I made it my default browser.

When I downloaded the open source beta Chrome, it conveniently auto added all of my bookmarks from IE. After doing a few test searches, I was able to see how the speed dial feature works. Below is a snapshot that shows some of my favorite sites that were saved to my homepage as “Most Visited:”

My first thought was, “That’s helpful,” then followed with, “Well, maybe I don’t want the person sitting next to me to see all of my business.” Many people consider their bookmarks and most recently viewed sites as personal information. However, Chrome thought of that already. Problem solved! Since Chrome is so easy to use, I was able to figure out how to customize my experience without even needing a user manual. The more time I spent using it, the more I warmed up to the idea of expanding my browser horizons.

At first glance, Chrome seems to have all of the major features users will look for- tabbed browsing, a clean look, ease of use, customizable interface, speed dial and bookmarks, password captures, and history privacy options. One of my favorite features is the integrated address and search bar.

It will be interesting to see the impact Chrome has over the next six to 12 months on the browser market share. Will you add a little Chrome to your daily routine?

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