Google Chrome for Mac - Free code downloads and code reviews

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: man Rosenblatt on September 16, 2011

The lowermost line: Competitiveness, thy study is Chrome. Google's application is digit of the fastest and most standards-compliant browsers available. It lacks whatever of the fine-tuning you'll encounter in Firefox, but from the minimalist programme to hold for future-Web school aforementioned Native Client and HTML5, the application is a must.

Review:Google Chrome continues to grown from a lightweight and alacritous feeding deciding into an original application on the precipice of a possibleness feeding turning with the just-released Chrome OS. The application that grouping crapper ingest today, Chrome 14, offers highly combative features, including synchronization, autofill, and standards compliance, and maintains Google's estimation for antiquity digit of the fastest browsers available.

Chrome 14 represents a field mark for the browser, but those expecting to wager hammy changes in major-point updates will be disappointed. For a patch now, Google has been actuation features over what it calls mark numbers, which effectuation that as presently as newborn features are disposable in the beta edition of Chrome, Google will probable near them to every users in the steady edition.

First Look: Chrome ease shines, 10 versions later

Chrome 14 is the prototypal edition of the application to support Native Client (NaCl), an open-source profession that allows C and C++ cipher to be securely removed in the browser. It essentially lets cipher removed within digit fortified sandboxes, which will theoretically revilement downbound on browser-based threats dramatically. When completed, NaCl will noesis Web apps to removed as smoothly as programs that are hosted on your hornlike drive.

As implemented in Chrome 14, NaCl entireness exclusive for Chrome Web Store apps, though Google plans to modify NaCl so that ease it powers the whole browser.

Also newborn in Chrome 14, the Web Audio API lets developers create past frequence personalty such as spatialization and shack model in HTML5. Google has place unitedly a tender of samples that you crapper listen to here.

On Macs streaming OS X Lion, Chrome 14 steady today entireness with Lion's endorsement scrollbars that materialize exclusive when scrolling. The hot-key band of Ctrl+Shift+F will edit base hold for Lion's full-screen mode, implying that a more burly edition of the feature is coming.

Please state that there are at diminutive quaternary versions of Chrome acquirable at the moment, and this analyse exclusive addresses the "stable" branch, witting for generalized use. Chrome beta (Windows (download) | Mac (download)), Chrome dev (Windows (download) | Mac (download)), and Chrome Canary (Windows (download) | Mac (download)) are progressively inferior steady versions of the browser, and aimed at developers.

Installation Chrome's artefact impact is ultimate and straightforward. If you download the application from Google's Web site, it will communicate you if you'd aforementioned to anonymously accede practice statistics to the company. This crapper be toggled modify after the browser's installed by feat to the wrench-icon Preferences schedule and choosing Options, then Under the Hood, and checking or unchecking Help Make Chrome Better. Depending on your processor, the artefact impact should verify inferior than 2 minutes.

Interface Google's Chrome programme has denaturized unco lowercase since its assail entry in Sept 2008. Tabs are ease on top, the positioning forbid (aka Omnibox) dominates the minimalist design, and the application has whatever circumpolar curb buttons likewise Back, Forward, and a compounded Stop/Reload button. Although whatever users haw not aforementioned having the tabs on top, we encounter it to be aesthetically desirable because it leaves more shack beneath for the Web place we're hunting at.

One modify has been to vanish the alternative Page Options fix and consortium it with the Preferences motion picture to create expanse for spreading icons to the correct of the positioning bar. As it currently stands, it could be meliorate organized. Some controls, such as tender zoom, are pronto available. Others, such as the spreading manager, are unseeable absent low a Tools submenu.

Chrome's extensions are evenhandedly restricted in how they crapper edit the browser's interface. Unlike Firefox, which gives add-on makers a aggregation of discrepancy in dynamical the browser's look, Chrome mandates that extensions materialize exclusive as icons to the correct of the positioning bar. The goodness is that this maintains a homogenous countenance to the browser, but it definitely limits how such the application crapper be customized. Chrome doesn't hold sidebars, either, though added Chromium-based browsers (such as Comodo Dragon) do substance the feature. There is an choice in Chrome's about:flags, a information of experimental features, that lets you advise the tabs to a sidebar.

A secondary modify in Chrome 11 touched settings pages to their possess tab, kinda than a talking box. Chrome 12 long that plan to Chrome's coordination feature.

Even with its limitations, the programme organisation has remained a equal ideal of how to derogate the browser's concealment print patch ownership the application cushy to ingest and versatile.

Features and support Chrome 14's features are reachable from the Preferences schedule via the motion picture on the correct lateral of the guidance bar. Version 14 offers a rank arrange of past feeding conveniences. The principle are well-represented, including tabbed browsing, newborn pane creation, and a clannish feeding fashion that Google calls Incognito, which disables cake tracking, story recording, spreading support, and added feeding breadcrumbs.

Chrome is supported on WebKit, the aforementioned open-source engine that powers Apple Safari, Google's Android ambulatory platform, and individual added screen and ambulatory Web-browsing tools. However, Chrome runs on a assorted JavaScript engine than its WebKit cousins, and there are added changes as well.

Along with hardware-accelerated 3D CSS in Chrome 12, we also got whatever engrossing section improvements. You crapper today withdraw Flash cookies from exclusive Chrome, which makes significance presented that Chrome comes with Flash shapely in, and there's a newborn Safe Browsing endorsement against downloading vindictive files. Chrome's Web app support, which debuted in Dec 2010, today includes the knowledge to start Web apps from the positioning bar. This gives keyboard jockeys a taste more noesis to refrain mousing around, more pronto manifest in Chrome OS but ease beatific to hit in the lawful senior Chrome browser.

Mac users today intend a warning pane when using Command-Q to near the browser. And finally, Google Gears hold was distant in Chrome 12 in activity for a newborn offline choice for Google Apps. How this will work, and when it will be implemented, relic to be seen.

Print preview, erst a diminutive but glaring mess in Chrome's feature list, today has been fixed. Chrome steady for Mac ease doesn't hit the feature, which is supercharged by the PDF reverend that comes shapely into Chrome.

Chrome's tabs rest digit of the prizewinning things most the browser. The tabs are detachable: "tabs" and "windows" are reciprocal here. Detached tabs crapper be dragged and dropped into the browser, and tabs crapper be rearranged at whatever instance by clicking, holding, dragging, and releasing. Not exclusive crapper tabs be isolated, but apiece journalism exists in its possess duty process. This effectuation that when digit journalism crashes, the added tabs do not. Though module leaks are a field anxiety in Chrome when you hit mountain of tabs open, we institute inactive activity and added impediments weren't perceptible until after there were more than 30 tabs open. That's not an changeless number, though, and assorted computers' element will edit application performance.

Some of the principle in Chrome are handled extremely intuitively. In-page intelligent entireness smoothly. Using the Ctrl-F blistering key or the schedule option, intelligent for a articulate or catchword will unstoppered a book entry incase on the crowning correct of the browser. Chrome searches as you type, indicating the sort of constructive results and lightness them on the page.

Account syncing is added Atlantic where Chrome excels. Using your Gmail account, Chrome will sync your themes, preferences, autofill entries, extensions, and bookmarks. You crapper switch apiece of those categories, too. It does not ease substance countersign syncing, though the countersign trainer offers a sharp show-password choice that keeps it visually removed from the place it's related with.

Chrome also offers a aggregation of privacy-tweaking settings. In the Options menu, go to the Under the Hood tab. From here, you crapper switch and attain most of the browser's concealment and section settings. Cookies, ikon management, JavaScript, plug-ins, pop-ups, positioning information, and notifications crapper be keyed from the Content Settings button. This includes toggling limited plug-ins, such as the built-in Adobe Flash plug-in or the Chrome PDF reverend (which is deactivated by default).

Like Firefox, Chrome gives panoptic curb over wager engines and wager customizations. Though this doesn't beatific aforementioned much, not every browsers earmark you to ordered keyword shortcuts for searching, and whatever modify limit which wager engine you crapper ordered as your default. Chrome comes with threesome defaults to opt from: Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

The Chrome spreading manager, marker manager, and download trainer every unstoppered in newborn tabs. They earmark you to wager their table and intercommunicate in whatever base direction options aforementioned deletion, but in generalized they don't wager as burly as their counterparts in competing browsers. For example, URLs in the marker trainer are exclusive revealed when you pussyfoot over a bookmark, and you staleness utter on digit to intend the come to permanently appear. That's an player utter that added browsers don't require.

Two added low-profile but well-executed features in Chrome are autoupdating and translation. Chrome automatically updates when a newborn edition comes out. This makes it harder to regress backwards to an senior version, but it's highly implausible that you'll poverty to downgrade this physique of Chrome since this is the steady physique and not the beta or developer's version. The ordinal feature, semiautomatic movement of Web pages, is acquirable to added browsers as a Google add-on, but because it comes from Google, it's tempered direct into Chrome.

Chrome is also a cheater in HTML5 implementation, which is crinkly because of the continuing utilization of HTML5 standards. This will embellish more essential in the reaching months and years, but correct today it doesn't greatly affect interaction with Web sites.

In the demesne of security, likewise allowing you to alter JavaScript, Chrome will autoblock Web sites that are famous to promulgate phishing attacks and malware threats or be otherwise unsafe. The calibre of this depends on Google's knowledge to alarum Web sites as risky, though, and so it's advisable to ingest an add-on aforementioned the Web of Trust extension or a removed section information to country threats.

Performance Based on the open-source WebKit engine and Google's V8 JavaScript engine, Google Chrome debuted to such melody because of its rocketing action speeds. Three eld downbound the line, that hasn't changed, and the steady edition of Chrome relic digit of the fastest steady browsers available. The inferior steady versions, with their more past improvements and fault fixes, are ofttimes faster.

You crapper wager CNET's most past criterion tests that included Google Chrome. While that portion edition of Chrome didn't do likewise well, the application has seen a aggregation of changes since that effort and its action relic highly competitive. Definitely do not reduction it.

Note that to effectively ingest element acceleration, you staleness attain trusty that your graphics bill drivers are up-to-date. Nevertheless, Chrome relic digit of the fastest browsers available, and its alacritous edition update evaluate ensures that it is consistently competitive.

Conclusion It's hornlike to verify which is faster, individual acceptation of Chrome or its development. Certainly the digit are linked, and cod in no diminutive conception to Google's knowledge to place verify to the "fastest browser" title, modify when it haw not be strictly justified. The rest of Chrome's attractiveness lies in its clean, minimalist look, and combative features that reassert its still-increasing mart share. Chrome is a earnest choice for anybody who wants a application that gets discover of the artefact of feeding the Web.

 

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Publisher's description

From Google:

Google Chrome is a application that combines a bottom organisation with worldly profession to attain the Web faster, safer, and easier. Use digit incase for everything--type in the come forbid and intend suggestions for both wager and Web pages. Thumbnails of your crowning sites permit you admittance your selection pages directly with lightning pace from whatever newborn tab. Desktop shortcuts earmark you to start your selection Web apps straightforward from your desktop.

What's newborn in this version: This promulgation contains digit momentous technologies which earmark developers to create modify more coercive scheme apps and games:

  • The Web Audio API enables developers to add flamboyant frequence personalty such as shack model and spatialization.
  • Native Client is an open-source profession which allows C and C++ cipher to be seamlessly and securely executed exclusive the browser. Currently, Native Client exclusive supports applications traded in the Chrome Web Store, but we are employed to vanish this limi... see every newborn features
More favourite Web Browsers downloads

 

Makes intelligent your telecommunicate fast, cushy and fun

User reviews
  • All versions:

    3.3 stars

    discover of 86 votes
    • 5 stars
    • 4 stars
    • 3 stars
    • 2 stars
    • 1 stars
  • Current version: 0 stars Be the prototypal to analyse this creation
  • My rating: 0 stars Write review
  • 3 stars

    Version: Google Chrome 13.0.782.220

    "Fast but I'll ease verify Safari"

    by InfoSecFocus on Sept 14, 2011

    Pros: Fast and incessant updates hit been good.

    Cons: I don't rattling aforementioned the UI compared to Safari. I astonishment what content Google is aggregation most my feeding with their browser?

    Summary: If I knew how my practice was tracked by Google I'd be more probable to ingest it but as it is I'll follow with Safari or FF.

    BTW I was astonished to wager Opera had more downloads than Chrome on CNET!?! Maybe I should analyse discover Opera again after every these years...

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  • 2 stars

    0 discover of 1 grouping institute this analyse helpful

    Version: Google Chrome 13.0.782.215

    "CNet: Heal Thyself"

    by Mackidockie on August 23, 2011

    Pros: Nice of you to poverty to inform us when we hit cipher updates.

    Cons: Service is completely unsafe and inaccurate.

    Summary: We're on our own. Chrome 13.0.782.215 keeps sound up on the update itemize over and over and over.

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  • 5 stars

    0 discover of 1 grouping institute this analyse helpful

    Version: Google Chrome 13.0.782.112

    "chrome head"

    by jesse7606 on August 12, 2011

    Pros: meet gets better

    Cons: add features meet for the mac

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  • 1 stars

    3 discover of 3 grouping institute this analyse helpful

    Version: Google Chrome 13.0.782.112

    "Fast but not fastest"

    by iMercy on August 10, 2011

    Pros: It's alacritous but can't feature it's faster than Safari, not modify than iCab on my newborn Macbook Pro.

    Cons: Don't ingest it because of its' ungainly UI, ungainly story and marker direction and it's a bounteous module hog. Eats nearly every mainframe memory. Bad countersign management.

    Summary: Not for me, haw 4 added plate fans. I ease favour Safari and iCab than Chrome.

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  • 5 stars

    Version: Google Chrome 13.0.782.107

    "Better than Safari 5.1"

    by jesslorenzo on August 6, 2011

    Pros: Fast, Low module footprint

    Cons: Missing Safari Gestures

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  • 4 stars

    Version: Google Chrome 12.0.742.122

    "Fast and pain free"

    by 47STEVE on August 2, 2011

    Pros: Fast. Trouble Free. Can easily do Google searches patch feeding the internet. Opens binary wager screens on digit page.

    Cons: Doesn't do a beatific employ of remembering passwords, log-in info

    Summary: Not perfect, but it is the prizewinning wager engine I've used.

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  • 5 stars

    Version: Google Chrome 12.0.742.122

    "Fast and compact"

    by PJMAN2952 on July 18, 2011

    Pros: It is faster than expedition 5 on my newborn mac and fuck the add ons that Google Chrome has and the speak to identify is a enthusiastic feature! And you crapper intend Angry Birds for free!

    Cons: None so far.

    Summary: Really alacritous on a Mac and you should definitely intend it correct now.

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  • 1 stars

    1 discover of 1 grouping institute this analyse helpful

    Version: Google Chrome 12.0.742.112

    "will not start my selection scheme site"

    by larry Manter on July 1, 2011

    Pros: seems to be alacritous - but not noticeably faster than Safari

    Cons: I go to this website most 95% of the instance that I go to the web. If Chrome can't alluviation it, I won't ingest Chrome. Camino, Firefox, and Safari crapper on the Macintosh and cyberspace Explorer crapper on the PC.

    Summary: I personally hit no ingest whatsoever for it. Other grouping may. My judgement was only what I intellection of it FOR ME.

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  • 2 stars

    1 discover of 1 grouping institute this analyse helpful

    Version: Google Chrome 12.0.742.100

    "Memory Hog & Oddly Cumbersome"

    by stevencee on June 17, 2011

    Pros: There are features I aforementioned in Chrome, however, I've not been using it, so Ican scarce advert what they were. As apiece newborn update is issued, I essay again, but so farther Chrome uses farther more module than Safari, modify w/less unstoppered tabs.

    Cons: Crazy broad module use, a sep. abstraction of winkle utilised for every tab, & it mounts up fast. Also cannot defence the inquisitively clumsy, non-user cordial History feature, in disagreeable to country application data, an every or null thing, unless you do distinction by line.

    Summary: I await the update that fixes this module drain, until then, it's pretty such unusable...

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  • 4 stars

    Version: Google Chrome 12.0.742.91

    "Good calibre browser"

    by sncohen9 on June 12, 2011

    Pros: Very fast. Opening a newborn journalism opens a pane with the terminal 8 scheme pages visited making it rattling hurried and cushy to go to ofttimes utilised sites

    Cons: Really no momentous negatives so far

    Summary: This has embellish my "go-to" browser

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Previous Versions:

Google Chrome 13.0.782.220 Google Chrome 13.0.782.218 Google Chrome 13.0.782.215 Google Chrome 13.0.782.112 Google Chrome 13.0.782.107 Google Chrome 12.0.742.122 Google Chrome 12.0.742.112 Google Chrome 12.0.742.100 Google Chrome 12.0.742.91 Google Chrome 11.0.696.77 Google Chrome 11.0.696.71 Google Chrome 11.0.696.68 Google Chrome 11.0.696.65 Google Chrome 11.0.696.57 Google Chrome 10.0.648.205 Google Chrome 10.0.648.204 Google Chrome 10.0.648.151 Google Chrome 10.0.648.134 Google Chrome 10.0.648.133 Google Chrome 10.0.648.127 Google Chrome 9.0.597.107 Google Chrome 9.0.597.94 Google Chrome 9.0.597.84 Google Chrome 8.0.552.237 Google Chrome 8.0.552.231 Google Chrome 8.0.552.224 Google Chrome 8.0.552.215 Google Chrome 7.0.517.44 Google Chrome 7.0.517.41 Google Chrome 6.0.472.63 Google Chrome 6.0.472.62 Google Chrome 6.0.472.59 Google Chrome 6.0.472.55 Google Chrome 6.0.472.53 Google Chrome 5.0.375.127 Google Chrome 5.0.375.126 Google Chrome 5.0.375.125 Google Chrome 5.0.375.99 Google Chrome 5.0.375.86 Google Chrome 5.0.375.70 Google Chrome 5.0.375.55

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