Google Developing A Chrome Metro Version For Windows 8
The two user interfaces that Windows 8 ships with make it more time and development intensive for developers to provide a working software version for both interfaces. Microsoft for instance plans to offer two versions of the Internet Explorer 10 browser when the operating system launches.
First the classic Internet Explorer for the desktop that ships with all the bells and whistles included, and then the Metro UI Internet Explorer that is more bare-bones. This particular version of Internet Explorer does away with plug-ins, starts in full screen and makes use of a minimalist interface.
Third party browser developers like Mozilla, Google, Opera or Safari are getting into a predicament. They can continue to provide their user base with a desktop version of the browser, but that would mean that their users would have to use Internet Explorer 10 in Metro.
The other option is to use development resources to build a special Metro version of the browser, to make it available in the Metro UI as well.
We already mentioned that Mozilla is currently developing a Metro version of Firefox for the Windows 8 operating system. The organizations aim to have a proof-of-concept version ready with Firefox 14.
Windows 8 News is now reporting that Google is also working on a Metro UI version of the Chrome web browser. Google's planning to bring the desktop version of the Chrome browser to Microsoft's Metro user interface. We do not now the development status or a first release date for the version, nor how the new Metro version of Chrome will be distributed to the Windows 8 user base.
It is likely that the version will share - which means synchronize - information which other versions of the browser that are installed on the system. We already know that this is possible as Microsoft is doing the same with the Metro and desktop versions of Internet Explorer.
It is always good to have choice when it comes to applications. As it stands now, Windows 8 users will have options to use Firefox or Chrome instead of Internet Explorer in the operating system's start page. No word yet whether we will see Metro versions of Opera or Safari as well.
Do you welcome additional browser options for the Metro interface? Lets discuss in the comments.
Update: You can check out the first preview version of Chrome for Metro here.
I want to switch to win8 .run avant, chrome and some software very well in it
I haven’t installed win8 yet, but till now I still prefer chrome and firefox or even other browsers.Don’t like IE.
Hope more and more browser will come to win8,such as maxthon avant browser which has many a build-in features. I like use them with chrome or firefox.
It is still early to talk about windows 8, will not be in the market until june 2012 but lots of app developers already getting ready for it :)
Any changes to the Metro UI, and there will be many,
will be incorporated in Internet Explorer first and all
other browsers later giving it a clear advantage.
Internet Explorer 10 should have a decided advantage
as far as the implementation of the Metro UI which
will keep pace with all Windows 8 updates
real time and not be playing catch-up.
Not sure how this will all shake out over time
but perhaps using IE 10 for the Metro UI is
the best way to go and use another
browser for Internet surfing.
That’s an interesting observation. It really depends on how this is implemented, and how many controls the developers have over the updating process. If updates have to pass Microsoft certification or evaluation, this might really be the case.
Internet Explorer 10 won’t have any advantage (except for more security holes) just like
Internet Explorer 9 is trailing Firefox and Chrome on Windows 7.
p.s Opera in also considering a Metro version.
That’s nice. Would be interesting to see how much development time the teams need to devote to the Metro version.