Google Chrome was first released back in 2008, and it would later become the most popular web browser in the world. Does the first version of the world’s most popular desktop web browser still hold up, though?
The first non-beta version of Chrome was released on December 11, 2008, supporting both Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista — there was no official Mac, Linux, or mobile version yet. There weren’t many features yet, but it was fast and reliable enough to warrant giving it a shot. A review from ComputerWorld at the time called it, “stripped-down, fast and functional, with very few bells and whistles,” while Ars Technica described it as “surprisingly polished and has an assortment of highly promising capabilities.” Chrome’s name points to its simple, streamlined origins.
So, how does the first version of Chrome hold up almost 15 years later? I installed it to find out.
A Trip Back in Time
The first step to running Chrome 1.0 is finding Chrome 1.0, which is easier said than done. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like you can get it directly from Google anymore, or even from archived versions of…
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