Google Chrome Now Available for Download

The browser landscape sure is getting crowded! The first beta version of Google Chrome was released this afternoon and I've had a few hours to get familiar with it. For the most part, my initial impressions are positive. Based on the WebKit rendering engine (just like Safari), Chrome seems to be loading even the most intense websites rather quickly. I have seen some odd behavior and experienced a couple of crashes, but keep in mind this is an early beta release. "This is just the beginning -- Google Chrome is far from done," said Sundar Pichai and Linus Upson on Google's blog. "We're releasing this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible." Mac and Linux versions are currently in the works.

Be sure to check out the Chrome preview to see what all the hubbub is about. XP and Vista users can download Chrome from Google's official site.