Ask HN: Is there any reason not to install (and use) Google chrome on my mac?

[plg]

I'm in general nervous about google siphoning my information and profiling me... is a default install of chrome (without any google account login) any worse for me than just using safari or firefox?

[orionblastar]

Oddly enough on my blog I get a lot of Mac OSX users using Chrome based on my statistics.

There is an alternative web browser based on Chromium named Iron that claims to have taken out the Google spyware: http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron_download.php

The Mac OSX version if way behind the Windows version and way behind what Google Chrome is at.

http://www.srware.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8102

http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron_chrome_vs_iron...

I think they need help working on the Mac OSX and Linux versions.

[stephenr]

Maybe a better question to ask yourself would be "Is there something I want to do in a browser that I can't do with Safari"

[plg → stephenr]

every now and then: flash

(because I don't want to install flash system-wide)

[stephenr → plg]

I used to do this - I'd install Chrome but use Safari for regular browsing an only switch to Chrome if I really wanted to see it.

Now I find Develop > User Agent > Safari (iPad) gives me a usable page on most flash-dependent sites.

Those that don't, I simply don't use.