google chrome 14:Profiles – Add Icons and More Functionality

 One of the new feature was Multiple Profiles in Chrome. The Google Chrome Profile switcher allowed users to create multiple profiles using different Google accounts. While that feature was in it’s infancy earlier on, it has grown to a full fledged profile manager in the latest development and canary builds of Google Chrome.

One of the new additions to Google Chrome profile manager is the ability to choose different icons for different profiles you create as seen in the screenshot above. This is similar to what you would see in an operating system like Windows 7, Ubuntu, Mac OS X and now Google Chrome OS too.

The newer profile switcher now resides in the left-hand corner of the browser and provides options to switch icons for your profile, customize it, delete it and also create new Google Chrome profiles.

However, this is not just it. Both the Development and Canary versions of Google Chrome now contain a better profile which allows you to easily create new profiles. The Canary build also contains newer icons which are not seen in the development build. This is similar to what I have seen in Windows Vista and Windows 7. However, I would also like to see an option to specify custom images for different profiles in the upcoming builds.

As I told you earlier, Google Chrome dev and canary versions also have a revamped version for the

profile manager which looks and feels like a regular operating system. However, one thing I found problematic with the new profile creator is that users have to use the "Customize your profile" option to add a Google account for synching data manually. It would have been better if Google implemented a wizard where they would allow users to create as well as customize the entire Google Chrome profile in one go.

Another good thing about the new feature is that switching between multiple profiles is instant and very fast. This can be very helpful when you want to quickly switch between your home and work profiles without delay. Think of it as a "Boss Key" .

Overall, I found that the new Google Chrome profiles are cheekier than before and have been simplified. There is still more work to be done. I will wait and watch how it eventually pans out.

[via google-chrome-browser.com]