ChromePlus: Faster & Secure Chromium Browser
Enhance Your Browsing Experience with ChromePlus
For those who appreciate the functionality of Google Chrome but desire additional features, ChromePlus offers a compelling solution. It allows users to continue enjoying the benefits of Chrome while incorporating a range of enhancements.
What additional capabilities does ChromePlus provide? These include the ability to close tabs with a double-click, customizable mouse gestures, a Super drag function for quick tab and text searches, an integrated IE Tab, and expanded download tool support directly within the context menu.
Installation Process
Setting up ChromePlus is straightforward, mirroring the installation process of Iron Browser by installing directly into the Program Files directory. The installation path on Windows XP is shown below.
For installations on Windows Vista, the default path is typically: “C:\Users\Asian Angel\AppData\Roaming\ChromePlus”.
However, you can easily modify the installation directory in Vista to: “C:\Program Files\ChromePlus”.
Important Note: During installation, ensure you select the option to create a “Start Menu” shortcut, as the “Desktop” shortcut is selected by default.
Upon completion of the installation, ChromePlus presents a window allowing you to customize imported information and designate it as your default browser.
Visually, ChromePlus is nearly identical to Chrome, distinguished only by the ChromePlus icons. The “Home Button” is displayed by default.
Observe the ChromePlus icon positioned at the end of the “Address Bar”.
To determine the installed version, access the “About Window”, which displays the Chromium build and the ChromePlus version number. This information can be useful for troubleshooting or updates.
Exploring the Menus
Similar to Chrome, ChromePlus features two accessible menus located in the upper-right corner of the browser. The “Page Menu” remains identical to its Chrome counterpart.
However, the “Tools Menu” introduces some key differences! Two new commands are present: “New IE Tab” and “Check update”. The “Sync my bookmarks…” option, available in Chrome, is also included in ChromePlus.
Customizing Options
Upon opening the “Options Window”, you’ll notice a new tab area dedicated to ChromePlus settings. The “Basics Tab” retains the same options as Chrome.
The “Personal Stuff Tab” area also mirrors the Chrome configuration.
Within the “Under the Hood Tab”, you may choose to enable or disable the first three options under “Privacy” based on your individual preferences.
The remainder of the “Under the Hood Tab” area is displayed below.
The “ChromePlus Options Tab” allows you to configure double-click tab closing, customize “Super drag & Mouse Gesture” behavior, enable automatic updates, and create a custom URL list for the IE Tab feature.
Configuring mouse gesture actions is simplified through intuitive drop-down menus, enabling personalized gesture sets.
To build a custom URL list, simply type or paste the URL and click “Add”.
Note: The “scrunched up” button functions as the Delete Button, though it may not display correctly on all systems.
Utilizing the IE Tab
To open a new IE Tab, utilize the Tab Right-Click Menu.
Alternatively, open the current page within an IE Tab by clicking the ChromePlus Icon.
The presence of the Internet Explorer icon at the end of the “Address Bar” clearly indicates an IE Tab is open.
Right-clicking within a webpage reveals the familiar context menu.
The Download Tool support provides access to additional services, requiring their installation for full functionality within the “Context Menu”.
Menu Photo Credit: chromeplus.org
Final Thoughts
If you are a dedicated Google Chrome user seeking IE Tab integration and other advanced features, ChromePlus may be the ideal browser for your needs.
Resources
Download ChromePlus (version 1.2.4.0)
Compatible With: Windows XP – 7
Tested On: Windows XP (32 bit), Service Pack 3