Google Chrome vs. Internet Explorer 8

First of all I want to mention that this post is not a exhausting test. I just used these browsers for a while and detected some issues as a typical (or should I say novice?) user.

(And of course I don’t forget both browsers are in a beta version)

Chrome just works

Sounds natural.

How about Internet Explorer? Not exactly. The first time I tried to run IE8 I saw the following message, despite the fact I never installed anything to any prior version of the browser.

If you don’t disable the add-on you ‘ll never you use your browser.

Chrome is smart

That doesn’t mean IE8 is stupid. Not at all. I am just trying to say that Chrome makes our life easier.

My cache is empty, my history clear and I start typing the URL of A List Apart. As you can see, Chrome detects the website and makes some suggestions. I can visit the site or look for the term I begun to type.

(Click to enlarge)

IE8 doesn’t get it.

The position of the Refresh button

In all browsers the Refresh button is placed near or next to the Back and Next buttons. It sounds normal.

Chrome follows the convention which is good, because we are actually talking about usability. On the other hand, IE8 keeps the button next to the address bar, a “feature” introduced by the previous version of the browser. So, users have to move their mouse (and their hand) a relatively long distance in case they want to refresh the page. Not good.

One tab

Chrome changes the way we perceive tabs. This is the first time that when a user closes the only tab she closes the browser as well.

Internet Explorer 8 doesn’t let you close the last tab. Similar approach has been detected in all browsers so far.

According to Chrome when a user wants to close the last tab, she doesn’t need the browser anymore. Too simplistic? I think not. I like it this way.

Compatibility view

This a new feature of IE8. This button aims to help users view a website correctly even if it has been developed according old standards or techniques which are not supported anymore.

There are many things to consider here. The first thing is that a typical user doesn’t care about the button. She only wants to see the website.

The second one is that it is very difficult to see whether the button has been pushed or not.

Finally, I ‘d like to mention the button doesn’t work the way it should. I tried to test it in a bunch of websites which I know they have been properly developed and the compatibility view of IE8 just didn’t work the way it promised. I can think of a million reasons about the existence of this button but I ‘ll try not to talk about it.

Chrome doesn’t care for such details.

Browsers and system resources

Last but not least, I need to say that Chrome requires less memory. IE8 should perform better as a child of Microsoft.

So Google Chrome (beta) seems to be a better browser than Internet Explorer 8 (beta). But I didn’t write all this post to say just that. I think that one of my posts about Internet Explorer 7 still counts.

Above all, IE8’s most important mission is to kill the version 6 of the browser family. The sooner the better.