Google has released their own web browser, Chrome – and everyone is talking about it this week. It certainly does have fewer buttons, and apparently doesn’t crash nearly as often as Firefox does. (Wish wish, hope hope!)

Have you tried it yet? Will you?

If you have, what do you think? If you haven’t, why not?

Chrome is a very clean and fresh approach to the browser. They haven’t released their API for extensions yet so I won’t be using it as a daily browser until then.  I rely on 20+ extensions for firefox for various web development enhancements and blogging utilities. Definitely some good features but all of them are currently available as an add-on to Firefox. FF3 is also incredibly fast, I used to be a big proponent of Opera but Firefox finally got it together with 3 and I haven’t looked back yet.

Now if we could just stop IE 8 from coming out, that would be awesome. Or, if IE could adopt one of the existing open source rendering kits like EVERYONE else. That would make developers lifes 10x easier, and give me back more of my own life. That would be great.

Nick Hammond

No.  There is no Mac version.

David Hibbs

I think a lot of people will be cheesed that there is no Mac version of the browser available. Then again, no one writes anything for Macs, so they should be used to that. ;)

Anyway, I’ve tried it and I like it - I’ll like it more when all of my Firefox extensions and add-ons are available for it as well.

Eric Reid

I have tried it. I am a little disappointed that they did not release a Mac and Linux version simultaneously, but it shows promise. While there is little that you cannot do from Firefox, The fact that it places each tab in it’s own CPU thread to prevent one poorly coded web page from bringing down the whole browser is neat. This is much like modern operating systems like Windows and Mac OS do with whole applications to prevent a single application from crashing the whole computer.

With that said, I do not think that Google should go down this path. I think that now that they have created the proof of concept they should work with Apple, Mozilla, and Microsoft (GASP!!) to get add these features to the other more dominant browsers on the market, rather than fragmenting the market further (can you call something that is given away for free “a market”?).

However, this could be a Trojan Horse on Google’s part to get the ball rolling on the long rumored “Google OS”. With the fact that their Google Gears framework is built into the browser, they could essentially build an entire OS around the browser with pseudo-web-based, offline applications on top of an existing OS.

Right now it does not show much use to other than being fast, but I will be following it’s development closely going forward.

Justin Wilson 

Well, first, there is no Mac version which is going to keep quite a few people away from Chrome. Even Sergey when interviewed about Chrome earlier this week said it was embarrassing that they couldn’t get a Mac version launched yet.

In any event, Google needs to be careful. What once started as just a search engine has turned tentacled out into television, radio, print advertising - content production - mobile phone operating systems, mapping, social networking and on and on. What hasn’t really significantly improved? Search.

Second, I don’t feel it is Google’s place to get into the web browser game. It smacks of “Microsoft” to me and blurs the lines even further between those two companies imo. Its been theorized now for about a year (maybe more) that Google was working on 1) a browser and 2) an operating system. They already are trying to develop their own office applications to undercut Microsoft Office. Full disclaimer: I do rather like Google docs.

William Smith

No Mac version.  Worthless.  Less than worthless, actually.  I’ll give it a shot when it exists, but until that time it’s vaporware to me.

From what I’ve read there’s little there I can’t get with Firefox and the right plugins, and the last thing we need is another browser with its own quirks to code against.  For what it’s worth, my Firefox crashes have decreased by a solid 95% since I switched to 3.0 and blocked all Flash of any kind.

Joseph Jaramillo

Even if they had a Mac version I wouldn’t try it. I understand that they are trying to position themselves against Internet Explorer but with few options at this time, and with reviews that say it’s slower than FireFox and Safari, there’s  just no point.

Roger Hurni

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

By the way, if you are a golffing fan, and you’re interested in keeping up with the Notah Begay III Challenge going on in Verona, New York, you can follow the updates being posted on both Twitter and Brightkite.

Notah Begay III, four-time PGA TOUR winner, is hosting the tournament. It’s a first-of-its-kind, designed to raise awareness and funding for the improved health and wellness of Native American youth on Indian reservations nationwide.

The tournament is today, and both posts and pictures of what’s going on hole by hole are up on Brightkite now.

@nb3challenge

Want to know who Barack Obama’s running mate is? Well, you could wait for the breaking news on CNN. Or set up an RSS feed from one of the major papers’ websites. You could even sign up to receive an email update directly from the Obama campaign.

But if you REALLY want to be the first to know, don’t look for a press conference. Look for a text message.

That’s right — the Obama camp has taken on mobile marketing in a big way, forgoing the traditional media for an approach more reminiscent of American Idol than traditional American democracy by sending a text message to supporters, party leaders and the press with his VP pick. If you want to get in on the action, you can sign up on Obama’s site — or just text VP to 62262.

Reactions to the news have run the gamut here at OMA. Some are raving over the candidate’s close connection to his supporters, others are calling it a simple PR stunt. Personally, I think it’s a clever marketing strategy and a great integration of online, traditional and mobile tactics. Plus, it’s certainly one way to make a clear-as-day contrast between the youth-friendly, web-savvy Obama and his aging, scared-of-the-email rival John McCain. On the other hand, I also think it smacks a bit of trying too hard — something that tends to backfire amongst the youth market. Plus, I’m of the personal opinion that text messages are for making happy hour plans or sharing gossip, not releasing news you expect the public to take seriously.

As you can see, I’m a little conflicted about the whole thing. What do you think? Ingenious, annoying or something else entirely? And how will it effect the polls in November?

Text your vote to…um, never mind. Just leave a comment.

The search for my new phone continues. While I have since realized that an iPhone is indeed quite neat, it just wasn’t for me.

Now, the New York Times is reporting that phones using Google’s Android smart phone software will be available very soon - possibly in two months - of the long anticipated Google phone. Reports say it will be available from T-mobile, and addresses the problem many have stated about iPhone’s virtual keyboard being difficult to use. (Basically, it’s tough to dial on, especially if you have big, manly hands like I do.)

The new phone will have a keyboard, which is a bit of a mixed blessing. If you’ve ever tried typing on a blackberry, you know what I mean. (Basically, it’s tough to dial on, especially if you have big, manly hands like I do.)

The new keyboard doesn’t look that difficult, however. This may be a video of the HTC Dream, though it hasn’t been officially verified.

I got the call from Ellen at about 10:30, seeing if I was going to want coffee later, and if so would I want to hit the Dunkin Donuts that was re-opening today?

Well I always need coffee - it’s one of the few vices you get to keep as you approach middle age.

Besides, I had to see what the new Dunkin Donuts would be like. They shut everything down months ago, shrouded in secrecy. They announced they would be back, in some new incarnation…. some day. It was all very weird. I had a strange feeling I’d show up and there would be masonic symbols on the walls and all of the employees would be wearing special rings and perhaps they’d try to get me to take their personality test…

Instead, what we saw was largely a mimic of several other successful American food brands.

For starters, like Kentucky Fried-in-so-much-damned-grease-you-won’t-believe-that-crap-is-really Chicken, you can see them trying to switch over to an acronym (”DD”) rather than actually saying, “Dunkin Donuts.” So instead of a name that makes people think of donuts, “DD” is going to make them think of large breasts.

Along that same vein, like McDonald’s, they are including items in their menu that have never been associated with donuts and coffee. “DD” now also sells fancy sandwiches, and they have a real coffee station - not just the metal tin of coffee, brewed in 5 gallon at a time vats like they used to be. I myself got a large iced coffee. I was actually asked how I wanted it - a rarity these days, as you are forced to take it like they make it - and had it with cream.

Finally, they are definitely shooting for the coffee house market, and do a lot of what Starbuck’s does: Arty murals, the aforementioned barista station… I thought it was weird that they didn’t put in the comfy couches, as I thought that would have been a natural for chasing Starbuck’s. Perhaps that just wasn’t done at the location I went to. It will be interesting to find out if they put in free wi-fi - if so, they stand a good chance of becoming the popular hotspot they’re hoping to.

They do still have donuts, mind you. I got a dozen for the office, telling the girl, “give me one of everything that’s actually a donut.” That way, I don’t get muffins, I get a wide selection, and I don’t stand there for an hour and a half saying “uh” between every donut choice. Because with their grand opening, there was a LONG LINE.

And anyone who has the audacity to order a dozen of anything, and take their time despite all the people behind them, really, truly, needs to be killed.

Anyway, give them a look and tell me what you think. It may be a bit of a generic look, perhaps not as “bold” as shutting down for several months to rebrand would suggest, but it is definitely an interesting direction they’re taking.

Though I will always think of the 1970s Dunkin Donuts as the way they should be. Dennis Leary and me will probably be the only ones who feel this way, but there it is.

[I should point out there's swearing in the above Dennis Leary clip, but we're all grown-ups, right?]