Browsers

Overheard: Chrome is a do-over

In the coming era of cloud computing, the Web will be much more than just a means of delivering content — it will be a platform in its own right. Steven Levy, Inside Chrome: The Secret Project to Crush IE and Remake the Web

I highly recommend Steven Levy’s article on Chrome. He provides a good overview of the project’s cultural and technical background. It was only a matter of time until someone had to re-invent the browser from the ground up. (After all, how many plug-ins can one piece of software have?) It was nice to learn that there was some concern over at Google about Chrome’s affect on Firefox – and that Chrome will remain open source.

And if you wondered where the name came from, here you go:

A less weighty issue was what to dub the product. After considering some ridiculous codenames (Upson says they were so awful that he took the un-Googly step of a top-down veto), the project borrowed its moniker from the term used to describe the frame, toolbars, and menus bordering a browser window: chrome.

Overheard: Chrome is the foundation for a cloud OS

Chrome is effectively a Cloud Operating Environment in the same way that early releases of Windows were GUIs for DOS. All we need to do now is load it on to a free operating system like Linux and wire it up to cloud storage (a la Mozilla Weave for preferences and user files) and we have a full blown Cloud Operating System! Sam Johnston, Google Chrome

Overheard: Goodbye Netscape

In the unlikely event that you know someone who is still using Netscape, this would be a good time to point him or her towards Firefox, Safari, Opera, OmniWeb, or Internet Explorer 7, depending on the OS. And as you surf the ‘Net on March 1, stop and observe a moment of silence for the passing of what was once a hallowed name on the Internet. Eric Bangeman, AOL ending all support for Netscape on March 1

Even though users can still download Netscape 9, AOL will no longer provide any support at all for the browser. That includes security patches and bug fixes, too. AOL recommends fans of Netscape turn to Firefox, and if they’re especially nostalgic for the Netscape look and feel, install the Netscape theme and extensions for the popular open-source browser.

Overheard: Social news model not for everyone

“Netscape abandoning the social news model could be looked at as 1) the first signs of the format’s demise, or more likely 2) a return to less risk-taking at AOL as it struggles to define itself under new management.” Adario Strange, Netscape Ends Digg-Clone Social News Experiment