When Bad Decisions Emasculate the Browser Experience
Rumors say that Google’s pipeline for the Chrome browser might involve the removal of the address bar from the Chrome interface, currently used by over 120 million users, saying the URL bar occupies too much space. The search bar, mashed into the address bar in Chrome’s current Omnibox setup, would be separated into its own space to the right of the navigation buttons in Google’s proposed “compact” view, reports PCMag. While a user would still be able to use this field to query sites and load up Web addresses, essentially performing similar actions to Chrome’s current Omnibox, the main URL of a site would disappear once loaded into a Chrome tab. The greatest threat is users’ ability to protect themselves against phising threats that could be managed easier with a visible URL bar.
It would be a shame for Google to follow out the removal of the address bar given that the latest updates for the browser prove to be successful. Users of Google Chrome can now search directions and routes via the Mini Google Maps feature without opening new websites. Last week as well, Google released the Chrome 10 beta version with improved JavaScript speed and new password sync options.
Improvements have been sought after by competitors as well, such as Cyberspace, Internet Explorer and Mozilla. Cyberspace 1.2, the iPhone/iPad browser, can now share the current web page between two iOS devices and import bookmarks from a desktop browser via iTunes File Sharing and export them to more services, including Evernote and Posterous, as PCWorld notes.
Mozilla keeps its Firefox for mobile browser updated and during the MWC 2011 announced the release of the version 4 beta 5 for Android 2.0 and higher devices as well as Nokia’s Maemo running N900 in a few weeks time. The new version increases the speed while operating and uses less RAM.
Microsoft is also committed to improving the web browser experience and with the release of the Internet Explorer 9.0, it has added a series of notable features: pinned sites, new tab page and address bar search box. Just like Mozilla’s Firefox, IE 9.0 is addressing the RAM use issue in mobile devices.
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