Chrome (for iPhone)

I was genuinely surprised to read that the new Chrome (for iPhone) commanded a 1.5 percent browser market share among iPhone users within its first month. After all Chrome isn't "real" Chrome, it's just Safari wrapped in Chrome's minimalist interface with a few trademark Chrome features. But it's better designed than Safari, and, if you're (understandably) bored with Safari, it's a great alternative.

Fake Chrome
Wait, Chrome isn't "real" Chrome? A point that my colleague, lead mobile analyst Sascha Segan, has belabored since 2009 is that there's no such thing as an alternative mobile browser to Safari. Almost all of them are simply wrappers over the Safari engine, and Chrome is no exception. Opera Mini (3.5 stars, Free) comes closest to being an alternative browser?it compresses Web pages in its servers, but loading is still done through Safari.

Chrome for iOS isn't as lightning fast as Chrome on an Android device or a PC. Why? Technically Chrome for iOS doesn't have Chrome's speedy V8 JavaScript engine that makes page loading lightning fast. ?

As Fast (Or Slow) As Safari

I went surfing on an AT&T 3G connection and found that Chrome and Safari load times were about the same. Opera Mini was faster for loading search results (thanks to its compressed pages, no doubt), but slower for loading rich Web content.

A search for "cheap hotels Manhattan" took two seconds in Chrome, Safari, and Opera. On a strong AT&T connection, Opera Mini moved twice as fast in real-world testing. A rich page like Radioshack.com averaged 4 seconds to load the mobile version in Chrome, three in Safari, and five in Opera Mini.

Chrome Interface
Chrome for iPhone's key selling point is its slick, minimalist interface. If you're a desktop Chrome user, you're probably already familiar with Chrome's flagship features, such as Incognito browsing, autofilling, and the unified search/address bar (called omnibox). That's all in mobile Chrome too.

Most browsers (except for Safari) feature tabbing, but Chrome does it beautifully. A single tap on the tab icon next to your omnibox opens up a new tab. You can open a seemingly infinite number of tabs and swipe left/right to move from one to the next, or you can flip through them like a Rolodex.

Tabs in Chrome have a functional benefit as well, though that hasn't reached the mobile app yet. In desktop Chrome each tab has a separate rendering processes, which from an end user perspective means that if one tab crashes, or is breached, it doesn't affect any of your other open tabs.

Incognito browsing is another Chrome favorite. This merely lets you browse privately, without saving any pages to your search history or any having any cookies collected.

Under Settings you'll find a few more smart extras than distinguish Chrome from Safari. For instance, you can choose to automatically save passwords, block pop-ups, load desktop versions of websites, and find text within a page.

But for long-time Chrome users, perhaps the best part is Google sync. If you sign into your Chrome account you can see all the bookmarks, browsing history, and even open tabs from your Chrome on other platforms. Even if you have Chrome open on more than one device, this data syncs pretty quickly.

Limited Integration
Like other "alternative browsers" for iOS, Chrome is poorly integrated with other iOS features. You can't make Chrome your default browser, so any URL you click from within a text message or email is automatically opened in Safari. Furthermore the browser doesn't support geolocation features, and you won't find a Flash plug-in. ?

But, ultimately, Chrome for the iPhone is a polished alternative wrapper for long-time Safari users, with a few smart extras. If you use Chrome on a desktop regularly, it's worth a download so you can quickly sync your load all your bookmarks and Google away.

For more iPhone Software, see:
??? Chrome (for iPhone)
??? Wonderful Day (for iPhone)
??? Parker Planner (for iPhone)
??? AVG Family Safety (for iPhone)
??? Amazing Alex (for iPhone)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/am9XTojj_OE/0,2817,2407462,00.asp

Ramadan 2012 Michelle Jenneke News batman Colorado Shooting News joe paterno British Open