Google Chrome Browser and 61 more gifts from Google

Google Chrome and the other apps, services and “things” Google gives away for free are like money in your bank account.

Some people don’t realize this because they confuse the word “free” with the words “no cost” or “no value’.

The phrase “A penny saved is a penny earned” clarifies that issue.

Here’s a quick list of things Google has given away free or charged a reasonable price to deliver. The list is incomplete. If your favorite is not listed, add it in a comment.

Display environment for your web app: Chrome

Platform/Server to run your web apps: Google app engine/Google’s cloud

Faster/easier app development: Google Web Toolkit

Add social network features to your application/web page: Friend Connect

Add functionality to your application/web page: Gadgets

Leverage your development efforts: Open Social

Run your web apps like they are desktop apps: Gears

Desktop like startup page: iGoogle

Tools for daily use:

1. Google Search
2. Google Apps
3. YouTube
4. Google Docs Template Gallery
5. Google Groups
6. Gmail
7. Google Chat
8. Lively
9. Picasa
10. Google Calendar
11. Google Reader
12. Google Maps/Google Earth/Street View
13. Knol expert articles
14. Google News
15. Google Finance
16. Google Desktop
17. Google Gadgets
18. Google SketchUp
19. Google Video
20. Google Health
21. Google Sites
22. Google Translation
23. Blogger

Business Related Apps

1. Google Apps Premier Edition
2. Salesforce for Google Apps
3. Google Video for Business
4. Google Search Appliance enterprise search solution
5. Google Site Search
6. Google Webmaster Tools
7. Google Analytics
8. Google Website Optimizer
9. Google Trends

Tools for promoting your business and generating revenue

1. Adwords
2. Adsense
3. TV/Radio Ads

Mobile Platform

1. Android
2. Chrome and all other Google Apps

Developer Education

1. Google Developer Days
2. Campfires
3. Google I/O
4. Scholarships
5. Computer Science Summer Institute
6. Open Source and API development

Initiatives

1. Cloud computing
2. Open standards and open source
3. Google Grants
4. Initiative to Scan Public Domain books
5. Wireless Satellite
6. High Speed Connectivity
7. Renewable Energy
8. Virgle  (human settlement on Mars)
9. Google for Non-profits
10. (Too many more to mention)

Google’s Chrome Browser + Google Web Toolkit = Matching Pieces of the Puzzle

Another piece of the puzzle about Google’s Chrome browser fell into place for me as I was doing the research on a development project.

Chrome was built to be run web applications very quickly. During the announcement they mentioned how it was designed to run Javascript quickly.

With this in mind, I started thinking about fast and easy ways to develop great Javascript applications. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I decided to see how Google approaches Javascript development.

Funny thing happens when you search on “google javascript”. Google’s first listing is the Google Web Toolkit aka GWT.

Wikipedia says GWT “is a general set of tools for building any sort of high-performance client-side JavaScript functionality”.

Interesting huh?

Now if I only had a “server” to host, deploy and scale my web apps…

Wait, can you say “Google App Engine” which was released this past spring?

So we now have a great web app development environment, a server to run the web apps and Chrome to display the user interface on the customers computer; what’s not to like?

All good news for a browser like Chrome built specifically to run Javascript well.

PS – Yes, Google App Engine only supports Python for now, “with other languages to come,” but I’m betting in the not to distant future, we’ll see an announcement of a connection between GWT and the Google App Engine platform.