A comic book describing Google’s attempt to reinvent the web browser was accidentally sent to a blogger, who spread the word. A trial version of the browser will now be released on 2 September (Image: Google)
UPDATE: Windows users can now try Chrome for themselves by .
Search and advertising giant Google will today launch a trial version of its own web browser in a clear attempt to break Microsoft’s dominance over the way people access the web.
Google say their software, called Chrome, is designed to handle the latest web services such as video-rich pages and online office document editing faster and more securely.
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A rethink of the browser is needed, says the firm, because existing programs have their roots in an age when the web offered only text and images.
Google confirmed its browser’s existence in a after it .
Comic error
A 38-page comic book sent to the blog – – described Chrome and its creators’ hopes for the product.
A trial version of Chrome for Windows users will be available . Versions for Apple Mac and Linux users are planned.
Chrome’s launch coincides with the introduction last month of Internet Explorer 8 by arch-rival Microsoft last month.
Roughly 75% of all web users access the web using a Microsoft browser, around 18% using the open source and 6% browsers.
Open source
Google’s engineers have used open-source code from a variety of projects including Apple’s Web Kit used in Safari, and Firefox.
Chrome’s code will itself be open source – available for other developers to enhance and expand.
Google says that Chrome will load pages faster and more securely than rival browsers. It also has a purpose-built engine for loading the interactive code behind many of the advanced features of current websites. This is designed to Chrome run the next generation of yet-to-be-invented web applications.
Google stands to benefit from people using the new software. Google’s already collects information about the pages visited by users, which helps the company tune its search and advertising services. Chrome could collect information in a similar way.
‘Porn mode’
Another feature is a privacy mode that lets users create an “incognito” window where “nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged on your computer”.
A similar feature, dubbed “porn mode” by bloggers, for Internet Explorer 8. Apple’s Safari already features a private browsing mode.
John Lilly, chief executive of the non-profit company Mozilla Corp that promotes Firefox, said Google had recently renewed its arrangement to be the largest financial backer of his company until 2011.
Mozilla recently introduced its own upgraded browser, Firefox 3, and has collaborated with Google on technical issues in the past, such as how to make browsers more secure.
Lilly that Mozilla and Google would continue to collaborate where it made sense for both organisations.
But he acknowledges things have changed: “With [Explorer], Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc – there’s been competition for a while now, and this increases that.”
