As previously mentioned, the new Google Extensions for Chrome gallery opened to the public today. Even though you still can’t technically use them without installing the developer version of the software, it hasn’t stopped thousands of people descending on the site to download the new addons and to have a look at how Google really plans to develop its new product.

Upon first arrival, it’s easy to notice the lists of most popular and featured extensions. Each of them offers something different to the end-user, so let’s take a quick look at the first Top 5 Chrome Extensions and see what is included!

Google Mail Checker

Google’s own email notifier finds itself as the most used Chrome Extension, probably because people have been able to download it for the last nine months instead of the last nine hours like its competitors. Whatever the reason for it sitting atop the league table, it is a useful and simple addon which anyone with a Gmail account must have.

Google Translate

Another ‘in house’ product, Google Translate adds a button to the browser which allows the user to translate the page that they are on into a number of different languages (based on Google’s translation service). It is useful for people who wish to translate whole pages of information, and when the service improves more and more it will be very valuable for international users.

RSS subscription Extension

Another of the originals, the RSS subscription extension simply adds a small orange button into the omnibar which then allows you to subscribe to the site’s RSS feed easily.

AdThwart

One of the newer Chrome extensions, AdThwart blocks adverts on websites. It looks like a slick package (we will be doing a more in-depth review later), but one thing to note is that it uses a listing to find adverts (so with some work it should work automatically and not require you to note where the ads are yourself).

Xmarks for Chrome Beta

Xmarks is one of the most popular Firefox extensions which has now found its way onto Chrome. It is a cross-browser service which allows access to your bookmarks from any browser. It doesn’t take long to set up, and once there it allows fast synchronization between any browser with the extension installed. Look for this one to climb the charts quickly!

That’s all for now, as the Developer’s gallery has just opened, expect for big changes in these lists in the coming few days. We’ll keep you up to date with any changes here on Chrome Extensions!

After the announcement that the Google Chrome browser extensions gallery was open to developers last week, today saw the launch to the public of the ability to download the addons that it has been filling its site with.

The first impression of the gallery is that it is certainly easy to navigate, with lists of ‘Today’s Top Picks’ (which seem to be editorial choices by the Google team), a list of the Most Popular extensions (by number of users) and then ‘Featured plugins’. Interestingly there are no ‘category’ pages, but there is of course access to Google’s search box if you can’t find what you’re looking for.

The extensions are very easy to download and install (nothing has changed with the process, but there is no sign-in needed for your Google account), and you can comment on each of the extensions and also rate them on a scale of 1-5 stars. These ratings contribute towards the ‘top rated’ list, and so it’s important to each extension that they build a loyal fanbase quickly.

Most of the ‘Google favourite’ extensions are currently placed in the top five in popularity, however many more unheard of extensions are now being featured on the site and are quickly making their way up the charts. It’ll be very interesting to find whether any newcomers to the addons and plugins market are born with this new page in the Chrome browser evolution.

The Chrome extension gallery is currently, like many products related to the big G, in ‘beta’, so expect to see small tweaks and changes over the next few weeks! You can go to the Google Chrome browser extension gallery by clicking here -> https://chrome.google.com/extensions

It has been widely reported that the official Google Chrome extensions gallery will be opened next week, just in time for Add-on-Con 09, a conference about…well…browser addons and plugins. Google is a ‘gold sponsor’ of this event and therefore has a big interest in showing off some of its new wares instead of the developer upload screen which is currently in place.

What can we, as users of Chrome, expect from this launch? What impact will it have on the browser scene? Well we can be sure of at least three things:

Google Chrome extensions gallery

1) Ease of use
Google has tried in the past to make ease of use and practicality one of the key features of all of its products. This will be the same for Google Chrome extensions. For those who have already given a test drive to these addons and plugins, you will know how easy it is to install them (one click), that you don’t need to restart your browser and that the speed of startup and running doesn’t seem to be affected. This should continue by having a one-stop-shop for free browser plugins.

2) Careful explanations
In the Developer application process, Google tried to make sure that Developers presented clearly what their addon was and what functionality it would bring to the user. They also mentioned having Youtube videos from the Devs, explaining their products. Whether they have had enough time to put these together or not, the results should be interesting to see.

3) Hardly any change for end user
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Even if the Developer’s gallery is opened and is stuffed full of amazing extensions and free download, most people will not know or care about it, as the build of Chrome which is currently in the ‘normal’ user’s possession does not possess the ability to run the extensions. We can not expect that Google will be pushing the date forward of their next build (which may or may not include native support for the extensions), so we should assume that they will still only be the plaything of the most tech-savvy beta testers.

The wait is almost over – by next week we will see what Google’s strategy is, and how they plan to implement it. We are sure that at the Add-on-Con 09 event there will be a large number of announcements regarding the subject, as well as perhaps some of Google’s own Chrome extensions that they’ve been developing of late. We wait with baited breath!