Google launches Chrome browser

Google is to enter the browser war with the launch of Chrome, a new open source browser set to compete with Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Google Chrome beta: a first look

Google Chrome: reactions

The new lightweight and fast browser launches today in 100 countries including the UK, as a beta for computers running Windows. A Mac and Linux version will follow later.

Writing in the official Google blog, Sundar Pichai, an engineering director at Google explained the search giant’s reason for entering the browser market.

"We believe we can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the web," Pichai wrote.

"What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build," he added.

Google will use the new browser to push its suite of web applications which include Google Docs, Picasa and Google Maps.

John Lilly, chief executive officer of Mozilla, which runs the open source browser Firefox said the browser world was buzzing with developments at the moment.

Last week Microsoft launched a beta version of Internet Explorer 8 to critical appraisal and earlier this year Mozilla set a world record with most downloads in one day of Firefox 3.

Lily said it had come as no surprise that Google had launched a browser.

"Their business is the web, and they’ve got clear opinions on how things should be, and smart people thinking about how to make things better," Lily added.

Google's Chrome faces tough competition. Microsoft dominates the browser market with a worldwide share of around 72 per cent. Firefox claims around 20 per cent with Safari and Opera taking up most of the remaining share.

Will you be using Google's Chrome to surf the net? Let us know in the Web User forums.

Google Chrome browser download: www.google.com/chrome