Google's new Chrome beta gets bookmark control

Google Chrome now comes with a bookmark manager.

(Credit: CNET News)

Google is speeding up the Google Chrome beta release cycle, offering a new version 0.4.154.25 Monday night with a new bookmark manager.

The bookmark manager appeared in Chrome 0.4.154.18, a less tested developer-oriented version released less than two weeks ago. Other new features include consolidated settings for privacy options, a rejiggered pop-up blocker, and security features, according to Program Manager Mark Larson in an e-mail announcement.

In addition, the built-in version of Gears, a collection of Google browser extensions for features such as offline browsing and geolocation, has been updated from 0.4.24.0 to version 0.5.4.0, and the V8 JavaScript engine has been updated from from 0.3.5.0 to 0.3.9.2, Larson said.

Google typically posts further details at its Chrome release notes page, though it's not yet updated for the latest version.

[assman]

The biggest feature Chrome is lacking is the ability to install add-ons (or 'extensions' ala firefox).<br /><br />Of course, I doubt Google will add this feature due to the likelihood that Adblock will be released for the browser and we all know Google doesn't want people blocking ads.

[Clarious]

Chromium is Open Source, so sooner or later someone will implement Ad Block anyway, Chrome is quite different from another browsers, so that is why I like it, though it is not good enough for daily use.

[BIGELLOW]

You seem to be programmed. If you look at the issue list for Chrome (Chromium), you will see that the developers are already working on an add-on system.<br /><br />If Google is so "controlling" and would prevent ad-blockers, why did they so heavily promote Firefox which is notorious for having an add-on system, especially with ad-blockers?<br /><br />Open up your eyes already.

[actualtiger]

Wow, a bookmarks manager, yet another outstanding Kroam innovation from Gargle, although I seem to recall that Mosaic 1.0 had something similar.

[magvine]

Where in the world is the home button? Can someone explain to me why google is trying to reinvent the wheel, and why they are missing the basics?

[BIGELLOW]

They're not trying to reinvent the wheel. They're doing the equivalent of inventing the electric car by a world dominated by fuel-based cars.<br /><br />Chrome is designed to have as little GUI as possible (which has, so far, been accomplished)... this is to eliminate the bloat of most web browsers. You see, when you visit Gmail in Chrome, it feels like you are running an application. When you visit Gmail in Firefox or IE, it feels like you are running an application within a web browser. The reason is that there is so much user interface taken up by the browser itself, that you end up with clutter. "Should I star the email, or bookmark the page?" "Should I click the back button on the page, or the back button in the browser?" Google is attempting to remove this notion by removing the web browser. Instead, Chrome will be simply an interface to running web applications. This is why its Javascript engine is one of the fastest ones available, its interface has very few options and keeps a lot of these options out of the way, etc, etc... So the fact that they are just now "catching up" to the standards of most other browsers is a misconception. In reality, they are just "caving in" to those who insist that Chrome needs to be like all other browsers. I have noticed, however, that when they "cave in"... it is usually a feature which can remain mostly hidden. They have essentially made an update that you would never notice unless you actually used that function of the browser. So, the GUI is still clean.<br /><br />They still have a lot of work to do when it comes to performance of Flash-based applications... and to resolve some issues with their own services like Google Docs... but I exclusively use Chrome now. Not because I am trying to be "brand loyal"... but because I usually try to turn off as many features in most browsers that I don't use. Unfortunately, some of these features cannot be turned off. I cannot remove the "bookmark star" from IE, even though I want to, for instance. Firefox takes forever to load (even when compared to IE)... Chrome loads almost as quickly as notepad or the calculator on my machine. This is a huge bonus.

[generalfranksavage]

You can enable the home button by opening the options box and under basics tab select the box "Show Home button on the toolbar" in the Home Page area.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Fisher-Price at it`s iPhone best. Appeals to the Apple crowd.

[mjconver]

No Adblock == No Chrome

[paladintom]

I can appreciate the limited feature set and can kind of see where Google was going, but Chrome should, at the very least, integrate tightly with all of their web apps. One of their services that not many people seem to know about is Google Bookmarks.<br /><br />Why doesn't Chrome connect to and manage your online Google Bookmarks? It seems like a no-brainer to me and I was stunned at its omission. Local bookmark storage is a thing of the past and Google should promote its own services through its browser.<br /><br />For now I'm sticking with FireFox and GMarks.

[cgramer]

I couldn't agree with you more, paladintom. I've been eagerly awaiting Google Bookmarks and/or Google Toolbar integration into Chrome since it was first released. Being able to access my bookmarks across all browser platforms would be incredibly handy.