Yandex’s Chromium-based browser has serious potential,

A new Chromium-based web browser was launched yesterday by Russian search giant Yandex. Now available to download, the version 1.0 browser features a minimalist interface and competitive performance to the latest browsers from Microsoft and Google popular in the US.

Thanks to the Chromium base, the Yandex web browser can do just about everything that Google’s Chrome can do — with a few exceptions. There is HTML5 support, tabbed browsing with a separate process for each tab, built-in Adobe Flash, single input box for URLs and searches, Google Translate, WebGL, and a grid of most recently used sites. However, there is no Google Web Store and it does not support torrent magnet links.

Download and Installation

Yandex has made the browser available on its website, and the initial download weighs in at mere 321KB. The installation process is similar to Chrome’s automated installer.

The company has kept the installer options to a minimum to keep things simple. By default, it will create a shortcut and import bookmarks from Internet Explorer. It only takes a few seconds to complete and then it is ready to go.

Can it compete with Google and Microsoft?

The first time that the browser starts up, you are introduced to the Yandex button and SmartBox. The Yandex button is the first clue at the level of integration with the company’s search engine, because the button is a link to the Yandex search page where Yandex expects your internet home to be. The SmartBox is more interesting. It operates as a single input for searches and URLs. It will also bring up a drop-down overlay with icons for your eight most visited websites, and provides links to your bookmarks, history, downloads, and settings.

Yandex has kept the web browser’s interface to a minimum — even the forward button got the axe. Along the top are rectangular tabs with rounded corners, a small gear (settings) button, and your standard minimize, maximize, and close buttons. Below the tabs are a back button, Yandex button (see above), address bar, and bookmark button. And that’s it for the main UI!

Despite the lack of buttons, Yandex has not given up the functionality that we have all come to expect out of modern browsers — it is just hidden away in the SmartBox and Settings menu. Clicking on the gear at the top right of the browser brings up the same menu that is accessed by the button with three bars to the right of the URL button in Chrome. From there you can adjust zoom, change settings, save pages, and enter a private browsing mode (among other features).

It operates just like any number of modern browsers, except searches entered in the SmartBox go through Yandex’s search engine rather than Google or Bing by default. This setting can be changed, but no matter the search engine chosen the Yandex/home button will always go to Yandex. Multiple tabs are supported, but it does not represent each tab individually when hovering over the icon in the Windows taskbar like IE does.

In general, it’s a very intuitive interface that operates just like you would expect it to.