Crisp, clean, but lacking a few features
Unlike the bloated option panels of Internet Explorer or Firefox, Chrome's options are as simple as it gets. It offers just three tabs, and a selection of options that will apply to most users.
That clean-theme flows throughout the browser, and the entire interface is without clutter and easy to navigate. Despite the easy-on-the-eye appearance, Chrome offers more advanced tools beneath its shiny exterior. A competent JavaScript console is available for developers in the form of Chrome Inspector - a tool very similar to Firefox's DOM inspector.
Having spent just hours with the browser, our first impressions are that Google has ticked most of the right boxes, and there's precious little for the everyday user to fault. It's a remarkable first attempt, but this beta isn't without its problems.
The most obvious issue, is that Google Chrome appears to offer no built-in support for RSS feeds. Granted, Google may prefer users to take advantage of its web-based Google Reader, but we'd expect RSS functionality to be provided with any modern browser.
Furthermore, Chrome offers no bookmark manager. Bookmarks can be easily created and deleted, but keeping them organised won't prove to be a joyful experience. Last but not least, there's the severe lack of third-party plug-ins. The brand-new browser doesn't yet have an arsenal of add-ons, as say Firefox, but this is a problem that should rectify itself with time.
The beta, then, is by no means perfect, and we're certain users will discover additional bugs in the coming days. In the meantime, let's take a look at the all-important performance figures.