Now I now browsers aren't usually cause for celebrations, but
I've been giving the Chrome Beta on OSX a bit of a workout since it's release late last year, and I have to say, it's rocking my world.I'd had the development version installed since it was made available mid way though last year, and while it was fine for testing sites with, I'd stuck with Firefox as my everyday browser due to Chrome's tendency to crash and lack of userscripts. Having said that, I have found the beta release very solid and reliable, and am now using it for everyday browsing.
After running it through it's paces, I've been really impressed with not only Chrome's speed and stability, but also some great UX touches. The smoothness of the animations when opening and closing the tabs is a sharp contrast to that of Safari and Firefox, both which seem jarring by comparison. The way in which the remaining tabs slide out to fill the space left by a closed tab is also a great touch.
The most noticeable aspect of the tabs though is that Google have decided to place the tabs above the search bar, as opposed to below it. I hadn't really been a fan of it when I first tried it out in the Safari 4 beta (which must have been universal, as it was dropped for the final release), but after using in Chrome, I am now annoyed with how much extra space is taken up in Safari and Firefox with tabs sitting below the search bar, especially if the bookmark bar is visible. Again, it is also visually jarring moving to two tabs if you have 'Always show the tab bar' option deactivated. An issue that is avoided the Chrome model.
The bookmark bar was one of the things that initially annoyed me about Chrome. Unlike the other browsers, Chrome ads a little favicon next to the bookmark, or folder icon to indicate when there is a folder of bookmarks there instead of just an individual bookmark. I good idea in theory, except having a number of bookmarks or folders in your bookmark bar means that there are number of these icons taking up prime real estate, resulting in not all of your bookmarks being visible. Annoying. I also found that visually these folders and favicons are a little intrusive.
Now I say initially annoyed me, as it wasn't until I turned off the bookmark bar that one of Chromes most subtle, but useful, UX features revealed itself. After the bookmark bar is deactivated, the bar detaches from the navigation at the top of the browser and becomes a floating element only visible on the home page. Amazing. Having the extra vertical space in my browser window while still having easy access to my bookmarks is one of the many little things that makes Chrome a joy to use.
The address bar and status bar include other subtle little UX features that really add to the Chrome experience. The URLs in the address bar have been broken up by colour in order to highlight the domain name (which is in black), or show that you are using a secure site by changing the HTTPS to green. Although the usual padlock icon is also still used to signify this, it's nice to see a little more thought and detail have gone into the browser, without impeding the browsing experience. The status bar also achieves this by only appearing when you hover over a link or when a page is loading. It also moves out of the way if you wish to access a link that it is covering. Like the bookmark bar, it's there when you need it an not when you don't.
The last main UX change that I wanted to touch on were the downloads in Chrome. The issue of having a separate window to show downloads is something that I find annoying in all applications.
Cyberduck is a serious offender. Firefox made a small move towards removing the window with the downloading icon in the status bar, but this still opened up the downloads window each time you clicked on it. Chrome moves away from a separate window entirely by showing the current downloads in a strip along the bottom of the browser window. For a more detailed view, a new tab is opened listing the entire download history. This window integration (similar to how Safari treats the bookmark manager) helps to keep the browser much more contained and reduces visual clutter. Chrome also manages extensions in the same manner.
There are a few UX element in Chrome that are still lacking behind that of Firefox, and even Safari. One of these, although minor, is moving between folders in the bookmark bar. WIth both Safari and Chrome this requires deselecting a folder/drop down before being able to move onto another, as opposed to simply moving between them. Safari though, at least gives you access to the other folders in the bookmark when one is selected, as opposed to Chrome which obscures other folders with the list of sites in the selected folder. The other area for consideration with bookmarks is the bookmark manager. It would be great to see this treated the same and the history and extensions pages.
I've spent a good couple of months with Chrome now, and overall, I'd say it's off to a strong start. The browser is robust and powerful, while still feeling nimble and responsive. Ironically, I'd say that Chromes greatest strength is in it's lack of chrome. Google have managed to design a browser that gets out of the way and lets you browse the web with as little interference and clutter as possible, which is what great design is about.
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