I’ve been a staunch Firefox supporter over the last 3 years and this week I swallowed my pride and thought I’d give Google Chrome a shot. The addition of extensions for Chrome’s mac version was the push I finally needed to make the switch.
First Thoughts
- This is snappy
- I like the way tabs open next to the tab you’re on
- Chrome doesn’t open an additional window for downloads, that’s nice!
- This is VERY snappy
Pros of Google Chrome
- Unmatched speed with video streaming, having multiple tabs open, and music streaming
- A more creative and broader extension support platform
Cons of Google Chrome
- Firebug extension isn’t as functional as Firefox
- Not as many options for add-ons… but I imagine most developers are creating extensions for Chrome and Firefox now
Conclusion
I will have to continue to use Firefox for websites I am developing because of the limited functionality of Chrome’s Firebug extension. That is all. The moment that Firebug works as well in Chrome as it does in Firefox, I will not have a need to use the browser.
I can see why it is the fastest growing browser. It is the most intuitive and the quickest browser out today. It also helps that they saved a nice piece of real estate on Google’s home page to attract additional users.
Overall, I enjoy the everyday usability of Chrome over Firefox; you are completely correct, though, when you mention Firefox’s functionality with Firebug is far better than Chrome’s. My biggest annoyance with Chrome is that it isn’t available form Macs with a PowerPC processor. I am jumping back and forth from 3 computers all day and the only one that can’t handle Chrome is my personal computer. Maybe this is just Google pushing me to upgrade to a new Mac.