Chrome browser for iOS - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

99semaj · 2012-06-29, 05:23 PM

Has anybody else installed this yet? Nice, clean browser. Seems faster than Safari and has voice searching. Time to do some tests!

notsure · 2012-06-29, 08:00 PM

Oh, I didn't realize it was out yet.

I'll give it a try now.

nic78 · 2012-06-29, 09:17 PM

It's nice. Way better than safari.

DSgamby · 2012-06-29, 10:13 PM

How do you import bookmarks from Safari?

jshel101 · 2012-07-03, 03:43 PM

I have been using since it was released. I prefer this way more than Safari. The one thing I don't like is the delay when clicking the number to open up your tabs.

PaulB · 2012-07-09, 01:29 PM

Chrome for iOS isn't truely Chrome. It's just a wrapper / skin for the same WebKit browsing engine that Safari uses. Apple doesn't allow any other browser engine to be used, so the best Google could do is build a new UI for it.

That being said, if you use Chrome on your PC, being able to sync bookmarks onto your iOS device makes it more useful than Safari.

More info on ars technica Chrome for iOS review: syncing is great, but still just an iOS WebKit wrapper

99semaj · 2012-07-09, 07:56 PM

Sure, but any version of Chrome is based on WebKit, no?

avengine · 2012-07-09, 10:22 PM

the voice control is powerful but not 100% yet, I test it in different language than english and it is good, but I hope they can put more AI into it. but I don't know is there bookmark bar that I can add in this one or not?
thanks.

audacity · 2012-07-09, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99semaj

Sure, but any version of Chrome is based on WebKit, no?

Yeah, but Webkit is only the HTML/CSS renderer. Chrome has a very different Javascript interpreter (V8) along with many other additions. Sure, Safari and Chrome share bits of each other, but the fact that Google can't deploy their own browser engine to iOS is a real negative IMO.

More importantly, when Chrome runs Safari's web frame on iOS, it's using a gimped version of Safari's Javascript runtime, so it will always be slower than Safari.

MarcP · 2012-07-10, 12:32 AM

I played with it a bit and I really like that my bookmarks are sync'd between my devices. Not only that, but my saved logins are also sync'd. Quite handy. Almost turns me into a convert.

However, whenever another app wants to open a page for you, Safari is used. When opening a link in an email, Safari is opened. So Chrome is limited to the times I want to surf. Not when an app directs me to a web site. That really limits its use. If this is an iOS restriction, this smells of the Microsoft vs. Netscape case where the DOJ had to intervene. I wish I could switch to Chrome entirely, but I can't.

audacity · 2012-07-10, 12:43 AM

Quote:

If this is an iOS restriction, this smells of the Microsoft vs. Netscape case where the DOJ had to intervene.

I'm pretty sure there was never a time in Windows where you couldn't switch your default browser to something other than Internet Explorer. The DOJ was pissed that IE was included in Windows which gave it a unfair advantage to other browsers.

So, in a sense, what Apple is doing with iOS is much worse than anything Microsoft did. What got Microsoft in trouble however was that they had a operating system monopoly at the time. If you consider tablets a separate market from PCs, one could argue that Apple has a monopoly. But if tablets are just another type of PC then Apple is nowhere near monopoly territory.

So, don't hold your breath for real browser choice on iOS. On iOS the only browser rendering engine that you (or any app) can use is Safari and the default browser application can not be changed from Safari. Downloadable browser apps are just shells built around Safari (the rendering engine), and they will always be second class citizens next to Safari (the app).

MarcP · 2012-07-10, 12:48 AM

I didn't say it was an exact replica of the case. Just that it smells like it. As much as it pushes me away from the iOS platform, I don't know if the situation is any better of the other tablet platforms. I don't own an Android tablet, but I can assume Chrome is the reigning king and therefore fills my sense of wonder, but what if something better comes around? Can the default browser be changed on Android?

audacity · 2012-07-10, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Can the default browser be changed on Android?

Yes it can.

MarcP · 2012-07-10, 12:53 AM

Then Chrome on iOS doesn't bring anything special compared the other competing tablets. I have an iPad now, but I don't think I'll stay with iOS next time I upgrade (unless Apple does something drastic).

Just my opinion. I like Chrome on iOS and I wish I could use it more, but I can't.

DSgamby · 2012-07-11, 07:04 PM

It has crashed on me at least a half dozen times. At least it has a restore session button when it happens.

2012-06-29, 05:23 PM	#1
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,667	Chrome browser for iOS Has anybody else installed this yet? Nice, clean browser. Seems faster than Safari and has voice searching. Time to do some tests!

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2012-06-29, 08:00 PM	#2
notsure Veteran Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ottawa, ON; OTA, XBMC, ATV Posts: 1,602	Oh, I didn't realize it was out yet. I'll give it a try now.

2012-06-29, 09:17 PM	#3
nic78 Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 223	It's nice. Way better than safari.

2012-06-29, 10:13 PM	#4
DSgamby Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario Posts: 3,896	How do you import bookmarks from Safari?

2012-07-03, 03:43 PM	#5
jshel101 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,712	I have been using since it was released. I prefer this way more than Safari. The one thing I don't like is the delay when clicking the number to open up your tabs.

2012-07-09, 01:29 PM	#6
PaulB Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: North Vancouver, BC Posts: 128	Chrome for iOS isn't truely Chrome. It's just a wrapper / skin for the same WebKit browsing engine that Safari uses. Apple doesn't allow any other browser engine to be used, so the best Google could do is build a new UI for it. That being said, if you use Chrome on your PC, being able to sync bookmarks onto your iOS device makes it more useful than Safari. More info on ars technica Chrome for iOS review: syncing is great, but still just an iOS WebKit wrapper

2012-07-09, 07:56 PM	#7
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,667	Sure, but any version of Chrome is based on WebKit, no?

2012-07-09, 10:22 PM	#8
avengine Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 45	the voice control is powerful but not 100% yet, I test it in different language than english and it is good, but I hope they can put more AI into it. but I don't know is there bookmark bar that I can add in this one or not? thanks.

2012-07-10, 12:32 AM	#10
MarcP Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Airdrie, AB Posts: 3,822	I played with it a bit and I really like that my bookmarks are sync'd between my devices. Not only that, but my saved logins are also sync'd. Quite handy. Almost turns me into a convert. However, whenever another app wants to open a page for you, Safari is used. When opening a link in an email, Safari is opened. So Chrome is limited to the times I want to surf. Not when an app directs me to a web site. That really limits its use. If this is an iOS restriction, this smells of the Microsoft vs. Netscape case where the DOJ had to intervene. I wish I could switch to Chrome entirely, but I can't.

2012-07-10, 12:48 AM	#12
MarcP Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Airdrie, AB Posts: 3,822	I didn't say it was an exact replica of the case. Just that it smells like it. As much as it pushes me away from the iOS platform, I don't know if the situation is any better of the other tablet platforms. I don't own an Android tablet, but I can assume Chrome is the reigning king and therefore fills my sense of wonder, but what if something better comes around? Can the default browser be changed on Android?

2012-07-10, 12:53 AM	#14
MarcP Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Airdrie, AB Posts: 3,822	Then Chrome on iOS doesn't bring anything special compared the other competing tablets. I have an iPad now, but I don't think I'll stay with iOS next time I upgrade (unless Apple does something drastic). Just my opinion. I like Chrome on iOS and I wish I could use it more, but I can't.

2012-07-11, 07:04 PM	#15
DSgamby Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario Posts: 3,896	It has crashed on me at least a half dozen times. At least it has a restore session button when it happens.