The team at Google recently announced a 64-bit version of the popular Chrome browser, now available for download in a Canary or Developer version. Although currently in beta testing, the latest version has shown promising signs of an increase in speed, stability, and updated security capabilities. The browser has been reported as stable and is aiming to be made available to the masses in the near future.
Chrome has always been a major player in the browser market, and it managed to surpass Internet Explorer in market share back in 2012. Although Microsoft"s browser is still very much used today, Chrome has attracted many new faces with its clean and quick interface. Perhaps this could be put to the teams core principles when designing the software.
Google is all about incredibly sophisticated technology, but wrapped in a simple user experience. We do everything we can to optimize user interactions. The foremost way in which we"ve done this is by removing distractions from the browser itself, and letting page content speak for itself. "Content, not Chrome" is our mantra.
The beta version of the browser can be downloaded without hassle, and Google encourage users to "give it a spin" if they have a 64-bit system. If you decide to make the switch, we would recommend considering which version you pick as Canary differs slightly from the Developer edition.
Canary, referred to as "the bleeding edge of the web" features almost daily updates, and is by no means designed to be stable. You do however get an insight into what Google is creating, and if you want to help the company out, automated bug reports allow you to do so. It"s worth noting that you can run Canary alongside a stable edition of the browser with no issues.
The Developer version is designed for those who want to see what"s happening in the world of Google, yet don"t want to be hassled with complete instability. You can still expect to encounter bugs, but not nearly as much as the Canary build. Amidst the developer version is also a toolkit comprising of a JavaScript console, Task manager, among other features.
Browsers have typically lagged behind in native 64-bit support, so it"s good to see Google challenging todays standards. We"re not sure how long the beta-testing process will take, and whether a Mac version will be made available is unknown.
Source: Chromium | Image via Google