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!