Need help migrating to Chrome

[A.Nonymous]

So I got tired of FireFox eating up all my resources on my computer and decided to try Chrome. Between Gmail and Android, Google already owns a ton of my life anyway. So far I'm digging it, but there are two problems I'm having that are making me want to come back to FireFox. They're probably easy to resolve, but I honestly don't know the answer. Basically, what I'm trying to do is replace the functionality of this.

1. On the left hand side I can click the drop down and get a list of the last 8-10 sites I visit the most. Chrome doesn't seem to have that functionality. Or I'm missing it one. I know I can click the plus, open a new tab and see the same kind of thing, but I can't get there from the page I'm on. Or can I and I'm missing it?

2. On the right hand side is the search box. I can search any of a dozen or so search engines I've set up. I don't have to enter my search term multiple times to do this. This is the feature I love the most. For example, let's say I'm doing a paper on King Henry VIII. I can change the search engine with just one click to Wikipedia and get a brief overview of His Majesty. Let's say I don't get all the info I want. I can change that dropdown to Google and it'll run my search on Google without having to re-type my terms. If my Google search returns a good book on King Henry VIII, I can change the dropdown box and click search again on Amazon. Or, if I find a movie on the subject I want to see, I can run my search on PirateBay. I never have to re-type my search terms. I just change the engine I'm searching with a click and click search again.

Can I do either of these things in Chrome? Are there extensions I have to install to do this?

It also doesn't seem to have awesome bar capabilities.

 

[Member138406]

1. chromes "home screen" is your most visited sites.

2. maybe there is an extension, but it is something you might have to live without.

Chrome is probally worth the move. I like it more then firefox. Opera is my favorite tho =)

 

[A.Nonymous]

How do I get to that home screen then? I set it up so that when I click my home button I get the same home pages I got in FF.

 

[momoceio]

Just open a new tab...it'll show you the most commonly visited sites. Also...Firefox is actually the LEAST resource hungry browser and Chrome is one of the heaviest hitters. Just wanted to clarify that, chrome starts a process for every tab that is open and extension running. Add up all the RAM usage of all the chrome.exe processes and it jumps up quick. I still love Chrome though, it's so quick.

As far as choosing your search engine goes, chrome uses keywords to choose what search engine to use.

For example...in the address bar type "en.wikipedia.org abraham lincoln" and you'll see it change to "Search Wikipedia(en): Abraham Lincoln". You can manage your search engines and the keywords to activate them in the Chrome options.

Manage search engine options - Google Chrome Help

Also, check out Chrome to Phone extension and Android app...very handy!

 

[ElasticNinja]

In Opera, I type a prefix (eg "Y" to search Yahoo) in the address bar to chage search engine
I was also able to this in FF
Cant remember bout Chrome tho, maybe there is an extension

 

[A.Nonymous]

Just open a new tab...it'll show you the most commonly visited sites. Also...Firefox is actually the LEAST resource hungry browser and Chrome is one of the heaviest hitters. Just wanted to clarify that, chrome starts a process for every tab that is open and extension running. Add up all the RAM usage of all the chrome.exe processes and it jumps up quick. I still love Chrome though, it's so quick.

As far as choosing your search engine goes, chrome uses keywords to choose what search engine to use.

For example...in the address bar type "en.wikipedia.org abraham lincoln" and you'll see it change to "Search Wikipedia(en): Abraham Lincoln". You can manage your search engines and the keywords to activate them in the Chrome options.

Manage search engine options - Google Chrome Help

Also, check out Chrome to Phone extension and Android app...very handy!

I hadn't noticed that about Chrome. What I've noticed about Firefox is that over time the resource usage just goes up and up and up. It'll run low on resources when I first open it. If I have the browser still up 6-8 hours later no matter how many tabs I close it goes way, way up in resource usage. I've had it use over a gb of memory which seems insane by any definition. Needless to say it slows my whole computer down until I close it and re-open it. Then everything is fine again.

I'm finding I miss the awesome bar feature. I use that way, way more than I thought I did.