A twitter group I belong to was having problems commenting on our favorite football games. We had only 25 characters left out of 140 after all of our names were listed. So we thought about trying G+. Again, a Google product fills a need I was struggling with, with a different product.
One of these friends mentioned they had heard good things about Chrome. I shared my experience. I am a strange mix of an “early adopter” who also understands that new bells and whistles can’t balance either stability or a lack of support down the road. In the early days of personal computing, I used and taught WordPerfect. A far superior (at the time) word processing software. When it was clear WordPerfect’s marketshare would continue down, I realized that the 200 of us that enjoyed all of it’s advantages would eventually have to find a new word processor when computers changed and WordPerfect couldn’t afford the resources to adapt. I had our entire company switch to Microsoft Word and indeed, in time WordPerfect’s capabilities were quickly outdated.
My son the Software Architect had been trying to get me on Firefox and Chrome since 2007. He bought computer components off the web and assembled them despite some being run out of the basement in Berlin so I passed. I new Microsoft would never go out of business so I stuck with Internet Explorer faithfully. Frustratingly faithfully.
Then around 2008 I bought a smartphone that used mobile Opera. Eventually I tried the desktop version and could not believe the difference in speed of the two browsers. I tried to migrate full time to Opera but so many websites didn’t support it that I found myself reluctantly returning to the massah – IE. It had all of my passwords memorized, 7 years or more of bookmarks and an auto fill setup that frankly made it way to easy to buy on impulse.
My tipping point however was one day when IE locked up just as I was searching for critical information on a business call. I download Chrome later that day and frankly, didn’t boot up Microsoft Internet Explorer again until about 2 years later, when I went to help someone else who was using it. Just last week again, I was forced to boot it from some software install or something – and in 2 minutes I had the same feeling I did 30 seconds after a very (very) bad blind date from my ‘30’s. Or angst felt when having to that overly pompous and annoying family member at Thanksgiving.
In any case speed turned out to be the only an aperitif to the smorgasbord of apps, extensions and user friendliness in my chromed browsing experience. Here is a list of many of the features and Plugins I use – simply copied and commented on from my Chrome Extension list (which I could never THINK of doing in IE, btw.)
| Here is my Extension page. Go all the way to bottom for notes. I've commented on each too: Developer mode: Load unpacked extension... Pack extension... Update extensions now | | AdBlock - Version: 2.4.28 MUST HAVE to block ads MOST POPULAR one The most popular Chrome extension, with over 2 million users! Blocks ads all over the web.
| | | Add to Amazon Wish List - Version: 1.0.0.7 If you have an Amazon account, this will automatically pull items for sale on a site you are on - search Amazon for a price - and allow you to save in your "wish list" Add products from any website to your Amazon Wish List
| | | AddThis - Share & Bookmark (new) - Version: 2.9 ONE OF 3 SHARING ICONS ON MY CHROME BAR. Share to Facebook, Twitter and over 300 other services with the most popular sharing tool in the world.
| | | bitly | a simple URL shortener - Version: 1.2.1.28 MY #! TWITTER SHARE APP. IT AUTO SHORTENS URL AND PULLS A TITLE INTO AN EDIT BOX - AND ALLOWS ME TO SELECT FACEBOOK, MULTIPLE TWITTER ACCOUNTS ALL IN ONE SEND. AWESOME APP. Shorten, share, and track your links, right from your browser, instantly
| | | Blog This! - Version: 0.2 Adds a BlogThis! button to the browser toolbar, which lets you post to your Blogger blog from any webpage with just one click.
| | | Chrome Toolbox (by Google) - Version: 1.0.28 (Disabled) MUST HAVE - READ BELOW A quick access tool that allows you to put your favorite browser commands in one drop down menu, save unsubmitted form data, magnify images, view videos in standalone windows, and define shortcuts to open all links in any bookmark folder.
| | | Chromey Calculator - Version: 4.1.1.1 (Disabled) A shockingly versatile scrolling calculator for Chrome. Results are generated using Google and Wolfram|Alpha.
| | | Clip to Evernote - Version: 5.1.17.5511 IF YOU USE EVERNOTE - A MUST HAVE. (I love Evernote) Use the Evernote extension to save things you see on the web into your Evernote account. It even lets you search through your notes.
| | | Cloudy Calculator Enhancer - Version: 2.7.18.28 (Disabled) Not very happy with any of the calculators. Find myself using Windows Calc which I have in my bottom Quicklaunch Windows toolbar
This extension adds features to Cloudy Calculator when installed along side it. (Formerly Chromey Calculator Enhancer)
| | | Current Commodities - Version: 1.0 Serviceable quick check on all world commodity prices. Quick Current Commodities Data
| | | Extended Share for Google Plus - Version: 1.9.3 JUST OK – SURPLUS (BELOW) IS BETTER. Extends Google+ to share to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and many more.
| | | Facebook for Chrome - Version: 2.0.9 IF YOU ARE ON FB - MUST HAVE. Officially the best Facebook Extension for Chrome! Get notifications, post, share, comment, and like right from the extension
| | | Freemake Video Converter - Version: 1.0.0 REPLACES REALPLAYER VIDEO DOWNLOADER TO DOWNLOAD VIDEOS AUTOMATICALLY TO DISK - ONES YOU WANT TO SAVE and not just Bookmark. ONLY works with sites below (not RealClearPolitics and others). Download video free from YouTube, Hulu, Facebook, MTV, ComedyCentral, Dailymotion, Megavideo, Metacafe, Vimeo, Break, 40+ sites with our Free Video Downloader
| | | Google Dictionary (by Google) - Version: 3.0.6 SO DAMN COOL!! JUST HIGHLIGHT ANY WORD ON A WEB PAGE AND IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY LOOK IT UP FOR. AMAZING! View definitions easily as you browse the web.
| | | Google Plus - Version: 1.1 JUST OK. TO GIVE A +1 On a SITE YOU ARE ON. Go to Google+
| | | Google Share Button - Version: 1.1.0.10 PRETTY MUCH SAME AS "ADDTHIS" DONT NEED BOTH PROBABLY. Use the Share extension to share webpages via your social networks, email and blogs.
| | | Google Voice (by Google) - Version: 2.2.3.5 IF YOU USE GOOGLE VOICE - THIS IS A MUST HAVE TO SHOW INCOMING CALLS AND TO TEXT ANY CELLPHONE FROM YOUR CHROME BAR. (IF you don't have VOICE you should get a number! It's great!) Make calls, send SMS, preview Inbox, and get notified of new messages. (US only)
| | | Klout (beta) - Version: 1.3 AUTOMATICALLY PUTS A KLOUT SCORE ON EVERY TWEET IN CHROME TWITTER.COM Adds Klout to your Twitter.com timeline.
| | | Mail Checker Plus for Google Mail™ - Version: 1.2.3.7 SHOWS OUTSTANDING MESSAGE COUNT AND QUICK READ OF MOST RECENT FROM TOOLBAR WITHOUT HAVING TO GO INTO GMAIL Displays the number of unread messages in your Gmail and Google Apps inbox. Preview mail, read, delete, archive and mark as spam!
| | | Pixlr Grabber - Screen capture/image grabbing - Version: 0.85 CAPTURE JPGs OF TWEETS OR ANYTHING THAT IS NOT FLASH ON A SCREEN. (I have a Windows Operating System one I use also for ones Pixlr Can Not Grab) IT GIVES YOU ONLINE PHOTOSHOP, SHARE TO WEB (with automatic short url link to your pic) OR SAVE. GREAT GREAT GREAT Edit, Save or Share screen grabs and images
| | | Plus One (+1) Button - Version: 1.0 MEH Google +1 button for all websites. Especially those who doesn't have one installed.
| | | Search Center - Version: 3.7.0 (Disabled) Quickly Search & re-search multiple sites without having to type your search terms again and again
| | | Send from Gmail (by Google) - Version: 1.12 PROBABLY DONT NEED THIS WITH ADDTHIS ALREADY - BUT THIS IS A DEDICATED GMAIL SHARE for ANY WEBSITE I'M ON. ONE CLICK AND SCROLL SHORTER THAN THE OTHERS IF IM JUST SENDING A LINK BY GMAIL. Makes Gmail your default email application and provides a button to compose a Gmail message to quickly share a link via email
| | | Share+ Social Buttons for Google Plus - Version: 2.8.2 EMBEDS SHARE ON MANY PAGES Share+ will add a context-link icon below your Google+ post in order to share your post to some well-known social platforms.
| | | Shareaholic for Google Chrome™ - Version: 4.3.0 ESSENTIALLY SAME AS ADDTHIS. FORGOT WHY I HAVE TWO INSTALLED... LOL The easiest way to share interesting webpages using Facebook, Twitter, Email, Gmail, Buzz, Reader, Bookmarks, and more...
| | | Silver Bird - Version: 1.9.8.3 (Disabled) Silver Bird is a Twitter extension that allows you to follow your timelines and interact with your Twitter account.
| | | Spool - Version: 0.3.36.0 (Disabled) Send text, images, and video from Chrome to your phone. Automatically converts and downloads flash videos to play on your phone ID: pfbomfffcjjedmakmnbmcpgfikifjbhn Inspect active views: · To inspect a popup, right-click the page or browser action's icon and choose Inspect popup. Enable - Uninstall | | | Surplus - Version: 4.0.1 A MUST MUST MUST G+ APP that KEN BROWN ALERTED ME TO. KIND OF LIKE THE GMAIL EXTENSION IT GIVES YOU 1 CLICK CHECK OF G+ NOTIFICATIONS AND CHATS. AWESOME. Google Plus Integration for Chrome
| | | TidyRead - Version: 1.4 (Disabled) I USE THE BOOKMARKLET VERSION OF THIS SO THAT EVERY PAGE DOESNT AUTOMATICALLY CLEAN - BUT WHAT THIS DOES IS GET RID OF ALL FORMATTING ON A PAGE EXCEPT THE ARTICLE. ON MANY PAGES LIKE NYT, REDSTATE ETC - IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO READ AN ARTICLE. EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD FOR PRINTING. TidyRead Turns Your Web Reading into a Fast, Smooth, No-fringe Experience.
| | | Tweet Better - Version: 1.1.5 A MUST TWITTER EXTENSTION FOR TWITTER.COM ON CHROME!! Enables single click 'Quote' and 'Email' functionality on Twitter.com.
| | | TweetDeck - Version: 0.9.8 (Disabled) Your personal browser for staying in touch with what's happening now
| | | Tweetings for Twitter - Version: 2.0.0.1 (Disabled) Tweetings for Google Chrome is a Twitter client extension that allows you to follow your timelines and post Tweets. ID: hmjgiljbchaijjckmejcedlebigkolpm
| | | Xmarks Bookmark Sync - Version: 1.0.16 (Disabled) NOT A BAD EXETNSTION BUT JUST DIDNT USE MUCH. TO BACKUP YOUR BOOKMARKS Backup and sync your bookmarks, passwords and open tabs across computers and browsers. Xmarks is also available for Firefox, Safari and IE. ID: ajpgkpeckebdhofmmjfgcjjiiejpodla Inspect active views: · To inspect a popup, right-click the page or browser action's icon and choose Inspect popup. Enable - Uninstall | THIS IS MY CHROME DASHBOARD: You just pull the website you are on into the toolbar and it becomes a VISUAL bookmark so i don't have to type the address - or go all the way to REGULAR bookmarks. TIDY URL and SHARE TO G+ are bookmarklets (google it) that automate features just like extensions - but in the bookmark bar. The rest are just bookmarks I use all the time like TVGuide.com's TV LISTING - MY BLOG DASHBOARD, etc. 
|
Anyway, I am THRILLED with Chrome. I am beginning to have the same mindless robot feeling I did when everyone followed Apple because it was cool – or Microsoft, and despise the politics of the guys that own Google. But they sure do make great products.
Enjoy and add your own comments about your Chrome, Firefox, Opera experience below!
1 comments:
I am definitely a Chrome lover, as well. There are many plugins and extensions to help me with my daily SEO Philippines tasks. There are even popular games available for free, too.
Post a Comment