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I Switched Browsers to Google Chrome
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April 5, 2010
It is very very hard to get me to switch browsers. It has taken a while, I have even uninstalled chrome on every machine, only to reinstall it. It is not something I want to admit, its hard to say goodbye to Firefox and the best browser that worked on all platforms. But I admit it, Chrome is superior and it has made me switch away from Firefox, and in the case of the Mac I have switched away from Safari (Firefox is still so much slower than Safari on the mac, especially my aging MacBook).
The biggest and most important part of the browser to me, is security. Yes Security, why? Because the browser has become your window to everything on the web, as such it is also your front line of defense against it. Firefox had done its job as far as security goes, but Chrome, has created a position for itself as the most secure browser, I think in large part due to the Sand boxing it does. Chrome has been the winner of many hackathons lately Read for yourself if you are skeptical.
Still security is one thing, sometimes we can put aside some of our security concerns for certain plugins.
This is where I was on the fence about Chrome, I needed my favorite plugins on Firefox that both IE and Safari still don't have. Chrome didn't have them either. That is until you go and check the Chrome extensions site. There you will realize that everything you need, Chrome has waiting for you to click install.
Below are a few of the plugins I can't live without or I have found really great in Chrome, most of which I used in Firefox.
Invisible Hand
Invisible hand will save you money, It has for me. Shows cheapest prices on goods you may be viewing.
Goo.gl URL Shortener
A very quick and easy URL shortener right in the browser, and it has a nifty name!
AdBlock
AdBlock is one of the best plugins for Firefox, Chrome has it as well, it will make for a more enjoyable surfing experience, keeping those advertisements out of your way.
Clip to Evernote
I am new to Evernote, but it has been invaluable as a note tool, It has replaced my ssh >vi notes > paste rinse repeat daily tasks to keep my notes and snippets in one place. It also removes the need for bookmarks.
IE Tab
If your a developer you need to see what your site looks like in IE, it isn't fun, but its a necessary evil. I used this one in Firefox, now its easy to check out your site in IE without ever leaving Chrome.
As a web developer you have certain things you need such as Firebug, now however you won't be needing Firebug, Chrome features its own set of inspection tools that work just as good or better.
Last but not least, since I use at least 3 different platforms for desktop, Mac/Windows/Linux I need a browser that works across the board, until now that was Firefox because I just can't get into Opera. Chrome offers a Linux client that works surprisingly well.
And Chrome on Windows 7 is just a must, especially when working in build environments like Eclipse where I need the browser to load fast. Chrome is fast. Test it out, you will notice a difference.
Related tags: Chrome, Development, Firefox
I've made the switch as well. My biggest hurdle was the xmarks addon. I know Chrome syncs their Bookmarks to your gmail account, but I haven't moved over 100%. I like to have the same browser bookmarks inbetween all my PC's. .. and when I saw that xmarks had their plugin for Chrome, I dove right in and have zero regrets. FF is a gigantic memory hog and incredibly slow in comparison to Chrome. Chrome runs each tab as it's own process too, that helps in the occasion where you run into any rogue webpage that has a script that locks shiz up.