Google’s Chrome browser is due for a new Bookmark Manager similar to the one that was found in the Firefox 2 series or at least in it’s current form and function. For those Chrome users who are receiving their updates to the “Official” Chrome browser beta (currently at version 0.4.154.9) from the regular update channel haven’t seen this new manager yet but for those who have taken advantage of the Google Chrome Channel Chooser tool and switched their update channel to the “Dev Channel” have already been updated to Chrome version 0.4.154.18 which has the new Bookmark Manager in place.
For any long time Firefox user or Opera user for that matter, will easily recognize the two column layout of the new manager with your bookmark folders on the left side and the contents on the right. As with the older versions of Firefox, Chrome’s Bookmark Manager is a basic no-frills manager in the classic two column layout ala the classic Windows Explorer look.
Unlike Firefox 3.0 and the up and coming 3.1, there’s no tagging/labeling of individual bookmarks yet, only simple editing of the name and the URL are currently offered but that may easily change as development continues. I was pleased to see a bookmark importer and exporter included in the new manager. For Firefox users it won’t be hard to find as these two options live under the same type of Tools menu located at the top left of the bookmark manager right about where the Tools menu is located in the Bookmark Organizer in Firefox. Currently it offers import and export of bookmarks in an HTML format only much like Firefox’s equivalent function as you’ll see in the next paragraph.
For all I can tell by comparing the two export files in Notepad++, one from Chrome and one from Firefox 3.1pre (using the original bookmark exporter that was carried over from previous versions), Chrome’s new bookmark exporter exports the exact same type of bookmark ‘.html’ file that Firefox exports so importing shouldn’t be a problem with one minor exception. Where Firefox automatically labels an exported bookmark file; “bookmarks.html”, in Chrome the user has to actually name the export file themselves making sure they include the ‘.html’ extension otherwise the file won’t be recognized by a browsers importer. I find this a bit inconsistent in that during an import of bookmarks, Chrome’s import dialog box is specifically looking for an ‘.html’ file.
Minor differences aside this is just what chrome needs to get users to start seriously considering Google’s new browser as a possible alternative. There’s two reasons why I say this:
- Even at beta 2, IE 8.0 still has no usable bookmark manager. What is (currently?) offered under the guise of “Organize Favorites” is nothing more than the same barely usable organizer that plagued IE 7.0 and IE 6.0 and so far I have seen nothing on the horizon for IE 8.0 that makes me believe that this is going to change (but I’ll keep looking, you never know).
- There are many around who still remember when Firefox was a light, lean, fast browser and, for whatever reasons, simply do not appreciate all the extra features and functions that have been shown up since Firefox 3.0 hit the streets. Chrome, within the next few updates I’d say, will offer up that light, lean, fast browsing experience once again for those who just want a solid fast browser.
I’m not kicking Firefox in the shins here at all in fact 3.1 should be as fast as Chrome when all is said and done and any minor differences (we’re talking a few 10ths of a microsecond here) in speed will certainly not be noticed by the user. Still, there’s a lot to be said for light fast and solid without all the bells and whistles that comes with the 2 main stream browsers today. And with the coming of a bookmarks manager in Chrome, IE 7.0 and it’s successor, IE 8.0 with all it’s bloat, laggardly performance and added features that most users aren’t likely to use anyway, is the browser that needs to start looking over it’s virtual shoulder because Google’s new browser is going to be headed it’s way.
