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Google’s new Chrome browser aims to be a cuckoo in Windows 8

by Mark Tyson on 7 October 2013, 11:15

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The current primetime release of the Chrome browser for Windows 8 contains no real surprises; it’s a tabbed browser and offers desktop and Modern UI modes. However it looks like some very big changes are on the way - if indications from the Chrome developer channel are a clear reflection of what will be coming next to end users.

Recently Google showed off its Chrome Apps initiative which extends the Chrome browser into something more like a platform, as it will be enabled to launch apps that exist outside the browser. The latest developer version of Chrome for Windows 8 goes a big step further as when launched it presents the user with much more than a full screen browser window – you get the whole Chrome OS. The Verge reports that “the UI and functionality is identical to Chrome OS”. I’ll have to take their word for that as I have never used a ChromeBook/Box.

Chrome1

Looking at the screenshots of the developer version of Chrome for Windows 8 you can clearly see the multi-window desktop interface that presents itself within Windows. The multiple windows environment is joined by a taskbar-like Chrome OS ‘shelf’ of app shortcuts including Google staples like Gmail and YouTube. Also the ChromeOS ‘start button’ lets you quickly get to other installed Chrome Apps. Some Google fans could easily spend the majority of their computer time in this cuckoo OS and Play Store.

Chrome2

The Verge reports that Microsoft has enabled a special mode in Windows 8 for browsers that allows browser apps to mimic Windows 8 apps; being listed in the Windows app store and supporting features such as snapping. The Verge describes this new Google Chrome software as a “true Trojan horse,” in the Windows environment. To further its aims Google is also said to be improving touch support in Chrome, something that will be increasingly important as more Windows tablets are sold.

New affordable touchscreen Chromebook on the way from Acer

In other ChromeOS related news it looks like the pricey Chromebook Pixel isn’t going to be the only touch-enabled Chromebook on the block any more. GigaOM reports that an upcoming Acer C720 Chromebook will be listed with a touchscreen option when bought and configured. It will also be purchasable with various RAM and fixed storage configurations.

HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Posted by scaryjim - Mon 07 Oct 2013 11:20
A little surprised they've bothered with this tbh, as the Win8 Google Search app does a pretty good job of being a one-stop google app anyway.

But I've messed with Chromium OS a couple of times and figured it was actually a pretty reasonable OS for general computing (after all, it's really just Chrome in a wrapper), so if you can combine it with a full Windows machine for doing legacy stuff and playing games, I can see some mileage in it…
Posted by cjs150 - Mon 07 Oct 2013 13:30
“it will be enabled to launch apps that exist outside the browser”

Is it just me or is that a security disaster waiting to happen?
Posted by wasabi - Mon 07 Oct 2013 20:19
cjs150
“it will be enabled to launch apps that exist outside the browser”

Is it just me or is that a security disaster waiting to happen?

Maybe, but unlike, say, Java or ActiveX, Chrome has a pretty good rep for sandboxing. Waiting to be proved wrong…
Posted by iamlorro - Tue 08 Oct 2013 22:51
has anyone here tested/ played on a chromebox/book?

Tempted, due to low price - all my wife does is documents, youtube, music and browsing = all easily possible!
Posted by scaryjim - Tue 08 Oct 2013 23:25
iamlorro
has anyone here tested/ played on a chromebox/book?

scaryjim
… I've messed with Chromium OS a couple of times and figured it was actually a pretty reasonable OS for general computing …

Chromium OS is the open source version of Chrome OS. The only major difference, afaict, is that it's a pain in the rear to get flash working in Chromium OS, so you can't use any flash-based apps. It works well as long as everything you want to do can be implemented in a browser: so if you already use gmail/calendar/drive/g+ etc. it's a decent experience.

Although if they're making that experience available on Win 8 then Chromebooks/boxes seem a bit moot to me unless the price is really good, or you particularly want a tightly controlled environment (as I've said before, I could see a lot of mileage in google pushing google services + chrome OS as a corporate computing environment).