Use Google Chrome in Internet Explorer

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Use Google Chrome in Internet Explorer

If you can't install Google Chrome and you must use Internet Explorer, there's a way to use Google Chrome's rendering engine inside IE: Google Chrome Frame. After installing the plug-in, you can test it by adding cf: in front of any URL from the address bar.

Google Chrome Frame is an interesting option for the developers that write web applications and use HTML or CSS features that are available in any modern browser except IE. They can add a meta tag at the top of a web page and enable the Google Chrome plug-in:

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="chrome=1">

Google also provides some JavaScript code that prompts users to install the plug-in. It's not very pleasant to ask users to install a plug-in if they want to use your applications, but it's easier than asking them to change their browser.

Google Chrome Frame is an early-stage open source plug-in that seamlessly brings Google Chrome's open web technologies and speedy JavaScript engine to Internet Explorer. With Google Chrome Frame, you can:

* Start using open web technologies - like the HTML5 canvas tag - right away, even technologies that aren't yet supported in Internet Explorer 6, 7, or 8.

* Take advantage of JavaScript performance improvements to make your apps faster and more responsive.

Tip: After installing the plug-in, bookmark cf:http://mail.google.com/mail/ to speed up Gmail in Internet Explorer. You should also try to use the applications from the Chrome Experiments page.

Labels: Google Chrome

10 comments ( Post a comment )

Zachary said on September 22, 2009 12:20 PM PDT:

Cool! Using the Neptune extension, you can do the opposite: use Internet Explorer's rendering engine in Google Chrome.

EndUnknown said on September 22, 2009 12:24 PM PDT:

anyway to make this default on pages? also, gmail breaks using this.

Sheldon said on September 22, 2009 1:23 PM PDT:

I love this part of the post:
"HTML or CSS features that are available in any modern browser, except IE"
Excellent

ahab said on September 22, 2009 3:35 PM PDT:

The Chrome plugin and Neptune plugin would make it almost possible to create a 'universal' browser. Where the 'browser' is just a framework as one likes it and the plugins do the rendering.

This development also will allow Google to start concentrating developing its web apps for Chrome (plugin) as the reference browser, this may finally speed up development of applications like Google Docs.

If this type of development takes off it may be one of the major changes that will allow browser unification (from a user's point of view).

Pisi said on September 23, 2009 2:57 AM PDT:

Wow that's great. I've just made my website to support Internet Explorer in a minute... :)

@Sheldon: I love that part too ;D

web design and development tipperary said on September 23, 2009 4:04 AM PDT:

i know google tend to very much think 'inside the browser', but this is perhaps too far...a browser in a browser!!

sarchi said on September 25, 2009 8:45 AM PDT:

would certainly like to use the os with crunchpad
but I have an old compaq 1246 laying around which
should disposed of.. and as there is only a 4gygabyt
hard drive may then be given to the next door children
to play with..

would it be possible to get on a cd?

r4 nintendo ds said on September 26, 2009 5:18 AM PDT:

I am very thankful to you for sharing this. It is really a good experience, And i will always Google chrome with Internet explorer.

roof insulation said on September 26, 2009 9:44 PM PDT:

Google provide pne another facility to us. But If Google provides this kinda same plugins with opera or Mozilla then it will be great.

Teknik Servis said on October 3, 2009 2:49 AM PDT:

Google Chrome not is a completely web browser.
you Have big problems sometimes.
It's need more growing, so if you use ie, you shoukd use classical ie.

What do you think?