Google Chrome 3 narrows speed gap with Safari
updated 02:20 pm EDT, Tue September 15, 2009
Google Chrome 3 stable release
Google at midday put out a stable version of Chrome 3, its third revision of the browser in just a year. The release takes significant steps to compete with Safari in sheer performance, particularly in its JavaScript engine. Web apps and other intensive code should run about 25 percent faster than in earlier versions of Chrome, the developer boasts.
The release also signals some of the first more conspicuous visual changes to Chrome, including support for themes, a more customizable home screen that allows drag-and-drop reordering of sites, and clearer differences between online and bookmark search results in the address bar.
HTML 5 support is also new and, among other changes, brings HTTP audio and video streaming without needing plugins.
The release is available now for Windows users. Google has previously pledged Linux- and Mac-native versions of Chrome and has a rough Mac developer version but doesn't expect more polished releases of these for the next few months.
comment title
09/15, 02:42pm reply
catching up to safari? In windows chrome is already faster than safari.
archer75
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Joined: Aug 2006
no thanks
09/15, 02:47pm reply
Sorry, but Apple, Firefox and Opera are much more diligent when it comes to updating their Mac versions. With Google Chrome it's Windows first and foremost ... andeveryonelesewheneverwegettoit.
That ain't the way to do it anymore. No thank you.
joecab
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Joined: Apr 2004
the ugly stick
09/15, 02:50pm (1 reply) reply
I know the article is about speed and so forth, and kudos to the Google engineers, but all I can think of is "man that's ugly!" Even without the silly stars, it just looks ridiculous.
If they got rid of the menu bar and made the icons smaller it might actually look professional but so far every screenshot I've seen of a Chrome browser just looks like junk to me.
It's just not good to be selling a product that engenders "eww!" type reactions in the audience no matter how great the underlying technology is.
Gazoobee
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Joined: Feb 2009
Re: no thanks
09/15, 04:52pm reply
Sorry, but Apple, Firefox and Opera are much more diligent when it comes to updating their Mac versions
Well, since Google doesn't have a Mac version, it would be safe to say MS is about as diligent as Google in keeping their browser updated.
And why should they push for Mac support? You focus on the big market and then pick up the stragglers later. If they can't succeed on Windows, there's no point making a Mac version...
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
Re: the ugly stick
09/15, 04:55pm reply
Just goes to show you how expectations drive perception. It never once dawned on me that the screenshot above was a 'real' screen shot. I just assumed it was some damn drawing someone made that looked really bad.
And you'd have thought they would have learned from Apple's 'translucent menu bar with stars background' faux pas with Leopard. You don't make translucent windows/menus with bright dots behind it. Makes reading a bear.
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
jesus are you people new?
09/16, 03:25pm reply
Read the article... one of the new "features" is theme support.
Now look at the screen shot again and think real hard... did the light bulb go off yet?
In case its not obvious, that is not how Google Chrome looks in a default state from Google. Whoever wrote the article applied a theme to the browser and then took a screen shot of it. Yes the individual could have picked a far better theme because it looks like c***, but that is not what you will see when you load up the new Chrome browser. lol
Chrome 3 actually looks about the same as Chrome2 on my machine, UI wise in its stock sate.
DeezNutts
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Joined: Apr 2008