Now, I stand on the cusp of a decision. Do I stay with Google Chrome or do I go back to using FireFox.
Let's weigh the options.
Speed
Both opening and browsing speed is just a tiny bit quicker on Google Chrome. Although Firefox isn't far behind, and I'm not doing a scientific speed test here, I feel that Chrome is just a little more light weight and easy to use.
Winner: Google Chrome
Installing and Updating
One browser requires you to restart every time you download an update (Chrome). One browser does not (Firefox). Both do a decent job of importing bookmarks and different features. When I moved over to Chrome, my toolbar with all my bookmarks moved over exactly as it had been. I really didn't have to set anything up again. However, I know Firefox does the same, albeit, a little more awkwardly.
Chrome has installing down to an art though. It's really a one click process, you never even have to click save as or run, once you click to install it closes Firefox, installs in minutes, and then opens up Chrome.
Winner: Google Chrome
Add-Ons / Extensions
Both Google Chrome and Firefox have great extensions. Google Chrome definitely does the better job of installing and updating, no browser restarts required! Firefox installs and updates Add-Ons fine, but they usually require you to fully restart the browser before they take effect.
However, while installing and ease of use are important, where it really matters is choice. How many options does each have? A quick look at both sites tells me that Firefox has over 5000 different extensions available while Google Chrome has far fewer.
This is mostly because Firefox has a far wider user base and has been running for many years while Chrome has a lower user base and has not been around as long.
Winner: Firefox
Graphical User Interface
Although both browsers look good, Firefox has stuck with a very traditional look. Although you can modify the look, it basically functions around the conventions browsers are built on. Toolbars, Back, Refresh, and Home buttons, and a URL bar that you can type directly into to search.
Google Chrome has done something radically different by going very minimalistic. Instead of having the normal buttons up top, the whole top of the browser is the tabs themselves. This gives you more screen more to work and play in. All your options are minisized and the toolbar is moved to a single button on the right hand side of the screen. I love this inventive and inovative look and feel. I never missed any of the bigger buttons or old layouts.
Winner: Google Chrome
Open Source Community
Both Firefox and Google Chrome have a deep open source community. Overall, Firefox is more of an open source project as it was built from the group up by the open source non profit community. There are is a wealth of information and developers available who are constantly creating new ad-ons and even finding bugs and enhancing the very code Firefox runs on.
Google Chrome was created by Google, a for profit organization and the base was coded by employees. Although it has since been released as an open source project, it didn't have the same beginning as Firefox.
However, what Chrome losses from being from a non-profit and having less developers, it makes up with Code.Google.com. Google Code is an incredible service that provides a backbone and framework from within which developers can create and grow projects. Now that Android App developers are also using Google Code, the community will only continue to thrive.
Winner: Toss Up
Overall Functionality
All of the other categories were nice, and especially for this project, the open source community is extremely important, but for me, what really matters is how it functions in day-to-day use.
For most things, Google Chrome performs just as well as Firefox. You can browse and read email and look at photos all day, but there are times for me, and other Google Chrome users I've talked to, when you are faced with a weird glitch or problem and have to say, "Well, let's try it in Firefox."
I've discovered that I have to type most of my blogger posts in Firefox, or I will get weird button or formatting issues, as well as on elearning.emporia.edu. Sites that rely heavily on flash or video sometimes glitch out, as do some streaming services.
Winner: Firefox
And the Decision Goes To:
Drumroll please. Who will it be? The old and reliable or the young and vibrant with a few personality flaws?
Firefox.
I can't stop using it. Although Chrome does a great job, I hate those moments when I have to close down Chrome and use Firefox instead. Why go through that pain and trouble? Firefox, although I tried to quit you I just can't.
Chrome, I'll be back. You're getting better all time time.
Here's looking at you kid.
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