Google officially launched the first non-Microsoft browser for Windows 8 on Monday, June 11, as a test release. The interesting part is that Google did not follow any of the Metro design conventions, as opposed to Internet Explorer. Chrome fans, however, may not care at all about such conventions.
Google released its first attempt at a Metro style-enabled desktop browser for Windows 8 on Monday afternoon, as an automatic update on the Dev channel. Users can unlock the Metro style browser by running the Windows 8 Release Preview and setting Google's Chrome as the default browser, which will change the Chrome icon on the Start screen.
Ignoring Metro Guidelines & Conventions
Google's first stab at Windows 8 makes it obvious that the search giant did not care much for the Metro design guidelines, and has ignored them successfully. The Metro version of Chrome 21.0.1171.0 virtually ignores all Metro style conventions. Right-clicking or pressing Windows key + Z, for instance, should display the App bar at the bottom of the screen, where app-specific commands are housed. Google, however, has decided to do it its own way and replicated its browser menu in the Metro container instead. Meanwhile, right-clicking elsewhere on a Web page will open more context menus, which also represents a deviation from the Metro design guidelines.
The new code does, however, bring some resemblance to Microsoft's Internet Explorer in an important aspect: Google's new Chrome supports Flash playback. Flash Player 11.3.31.109 is available using the built-in Flash code integrated with Chrome, and Flash playback in Chrome does not have IE 10's limitation to sites that are on a managed whitelist. All Flash content, including that in ads, will play back from any site on Chrome.
Hybrid App
Because this is not a pure Metro app, Google is not obliged to deliver it through the Windows Store, where Microsoft could trump it for design deviations if it wanted to. It is a hybrid app, which means the code is delivered through external channels, leaving Microsoft with no veto right.
On the other hand, Chrome fans might not care about guidelines and Metro conventions, but Google's deviation from what a Metro app should be will likely bug some Windows 8 designers. For consumers, however, the new Chrome may be a hit precisely because it is not Metro standard, and its multi-tabbed interface and appearance resemble the desktop version.
