While the Windows users are enjoying the fourth release of Chrome, and Linux users were happy with extensions support, the Mac users on the beta channel had to be patient, but that is changing now, at least if you dare to use betas.

With Chrome 4.0 for Windows out of the door, it made sense for Google to upgrade all release to version 5.0, even while the Linux and Mac builds haven't seen their 4.0 release. How so? Because Google is still actively working on both releases to get them on par feature wise with the Windows release.

This time the Linux and Mac releases are first, after a beta of Chrome 4.0 there is now a beta of Chrome 5.0, which is basically a step further in maturing it for a final release (for the first time). This release especially puts the Mac platform in the spotlight as most was already available on Linux. First of all the one feature to get excited about is support for extensions. Now you can use the same Windows (and Linux) extensions on your Mac, to enhance your browsing experience, if you want to. Best of all is Google's security architecture, meaning extensions are sand boxed as well as running in separate processes. This in combination with the limitations in the API should prevent malware extensions, which plague Firefox. Another big feature is the bookmarks manager. I know it sounds basic, but it was lagging from 4.0 and has now seen an implementation on the Mac. Oddness is that it's not the same as the Windows version, but native? Other changes include bookmarks sync as well as the task manager and cookie manager.

Site preferences are missing from the Mac release, so you won't be able to tell which sites are allowed to run scripts like the Windows release, but surely this will be picked up at some point in time. My biggest concern is the use of Keychain Access by Chrome though (see issue 35351). This password manager, which is part of Mac OS X, is used by Safari and other applications to store user names and passwords. In Safari this means that after remembering it, the username and password will be automatically pre-filled in forms that match, but in Chrome it does not work like that. On the Mac you'll need to type the entire user name before Chrome fills in the password, and well, sometimes I have different user names, and typing it completely can be a pain. On Windows this problem does not exist and considering Safari just works flawlessly I hope the Chrome developers fix this for the Mac platform.

Other than that, the release feels solid as before, be sure to check it out if you're using a Mac and want something different than Safari, while using the WebKit engine.

Well, if you though last week's Firefox 3.6 from Mozilla was exciting think again. Today the fine folks at Google released Chrome 4.0 in stable release channel, bringing a whole load of new features and improvements to the normal end user.

First of all you should take notice that we're talking about the Windows release. Linux users who are using builds from the Chrome beta channel have access to most, if not all of the new features. Mac users on the other hand will have to wait a little while longer, although a lot of features are available in the unstable dev channel for the time being. That being said, Google is honestly working on getting all three versions up to speed.

Extensions, extensions, extensions!
So what's so new and great about this release that should get you all excited. Well, you have access to 1500 new features. Yes access, because for the first time Chrome supports extensions. And in the Chrome architecture way, each extension runs as a separate process, increasing stability, security and memory management. Often heard complaints with Firefox that extensions would slow everything down or eat memory can now be monitored from Chrome's task manager (right click in the tab bar). Oh and the nicest thing about them, you don't need to restart, they install in one click and work right away. Of course the extensions range from good to bad, from mature to immature, but just think about it, they've only been available in the dev and beta channels, so a lot of work needs to be done to get those extensions polished. Several extensions to block ads, social networks (Facebook, Twitter) and mail (Gmail, Wave) are available for adoption.

Bookmark synchronization, and alternatives
So is that all, well if it would, it would be one hell of a huge feature to allow features, but there's more! If you have a Gmail account (or Google account if you insist), you can now synchronize your bookmarks. This way you can access them from any computer as long as you use Chrome. The bookmarks are part of your Google Docs account, so you can also access them from there. Of course the support for extensions also allows you to use Xmarks (previously Foxmarks) to synchronize bookmarks between different browsers.

Our beloved others
But what would Chrome be without V8? And so the famous JavaScript engine that ignited with Safari's Nitro the performance war was updated to be even more on the top. Mozilla's Dromeao DOM Core tests by increased 42% in performance over the last stable release and 400% since the first stable release last year.

Support for web standards remains important, and WebKit is leading the way with in HTML 5: notifications, web database, local storage, WebSockets, Ruby support and more. And last but not least full ACID3 pass, due to re-enabled remote font support (with added defense against bugs in operating system font libraries).

Other changes include: enhanced developer tools, Skia performance improvements, HTTP byte range support, "Strict Transport Security" support, and an experimental new anti-reflected-XSS feature called "XSS Auditor".

Conclusion
Google shows that Chrome does not only fly in performance when rendering HTML or executing JavaScript. They litterally throw out new and exciting releases on a regular base using a streamlined process. I believe this release marks the turning point where it can fully compete with the rest of the markt. Mozilla surely will have a tougher opponent now that Chrome support extensions, and for IE, well, that should be a piece of cake. If Google and liverage its own popularity to diminish IE used by the average Joe and Jane, by all means! Of course we all should help open the web and support Google in our own ways. My prediction for this year? Chrome with a (near) 10% market share!

All Windows users will be automatically updated by Chrome (or can go to Tools > About) as all updates are streamed to the end users. Non-Chrome users can switch, of course, easily by downloading the installer.

Google may be the biggest competitor to Microsoft on a whole scale of non traditional ways, but one thing is definitely true, they are pushing new technologies where they can.

Where Apple dominated the new wave of touch-screen mobile devices, Android is opening up the market by exposing a similar OS albeit with multi-tasking and customization. In the same approach not pleased with the slow development of Firefox (hey where is that new update approach coming from Mozilla, and why?) they introduced a new way of browsing the web with the fastest JS performance and multi-processes.

Today is the day that they push technology in another way, though with a sharp edge to it. We already know that HTML 5 comes with the video-tag and that there have been arguments about whether support for the different encoders should be part of the specification. Currently encoders don't play a role, and Google opted for the most superior encoder out there, but with a cost.

H.264 is the new standard to be used for Google's latest HTML 5 experiment for YouTube, but the thing is only Chrome (Frame) and Safari support it. H.264 requires that you pay a certain sum, and although Mozilla must have the money (from the Google search deal), they do not support it, heck they only support the open-source OGG format.

Anyway, if you have Chrome (Frame) or Safari, you can now enjoy the HTML 5 video-tag without the need for Flash, and with perhaps better quality at the new YouTube page. You can opt-in here if you have a supported browser.

Next year marks the year that we'll see the final version of Google Chrome 4.0. On at least Windows and Linux this means a lot, it will be the first time that support for extensions is included. Can Firefox withstand the tide of Chrome?

Currently the Mac version of Chrome is lacking behind in several key areas: extensions support and managing bookmarks. Whether Google will release 4.0 with extensions support remains to be seen, but without it may not yet be up to a fight with Firefox on the Mac, it can however take on Safari.

But we're talking about Firefox as well. Currently it is seen as the world's most used browser (if counting version numbers and not the total of usage per browser). Some small fires have been reported in the past between Mozilla and Google, of which recently Asa Dotzler, a community manager at Mozilla, suggested to use Bing instead of Google due to privacy concerns. Some of the key developers behind Chrome, such as Ben Goodger, were key in the creation of Firefox (and in fact the UI and extensions support).

Why Chrome is getting stronger
So what does Chrome have that might threaten Firefox? Well, first of all it has a strong backing. It cannot be ignored that Google is big, the revenue they generate is a nice injection into Chrome. Chrome itself allows Google to be a portal, not just towards its search engine, but also its services (now and in the future).

Another big plus is that Chrome is new and fresh. Long ago Apple decided to create WebKit, based on KHTML and not on Gecko. Apple, and its core developers, believed that choosing KHTML and adapting it for their own purposes (and merging it back) would be more favorable. Especially since KHTML was much faster, smaller and easier to understand (due to the programming language and architecture). Chrome adopted WebKit as well, but added V8 as a separate JavaScript engine, as Google wanted to push effort in JavaScript powered web applications. Both WebKit and V8 surpass Gecko and TraceMonkey (Firefox' JavaScript engine). But it doesn't stop there, the security model, which involves sand boxing thanks to its multi-process architecture makes Chrome so unique, no other browser fully matches yet.

That is why I think the final and last major feature (next to bookmarks sync) to Chrome, which is extensions support might be the killer blow. Although Chrome's extensions may be limited due to the security model, the most popular one for Firefox to block ads has seen several incarnations already. Whether the more limited model will hamper adoption remains to be seen, at least the developer community seems very active. Chrome already surpassed Opera without extensions support, but if my guess is correct, their market share will be much, much higher once 4.0 launches.

Near future
Currently Firefox can be seen as following the footsteps of Chrome. It was only in 3.5 that, after much delay, private browsing was introduced, something Chrome, IE8 and Safari already had. With Chrome's support for extensions and making it clear that it too has a stricter security model also led to Firefox 3.6's adapting it's extensions' security. And of course TraceMonkey, it is less speedy than V8 and was mostly triggered by the existence of V8 (and Safari's Nitro). Just looking at the mock-ups for Firefox 4.0 (which partially were intended for 3.7 next year), and the per-process effort known as Electrolysis, Mozilla keeps being inspired by Chrome, instead of taking the lead.

While Firefox is currently at a safe distance from Chrome in usage, you shouldn't underestimate how quickly people can switch, especially when it's free and easy. And easy it is, Chrome can import almost anything from any browser. Of course it begs the question if this would be a good development. Mozilla is a more neutral and open party than Google, which knows tons about you through their search engine already, and is of course commercial of essence. Surely you can trust a company which has a mantra to do no evil? Another thing is the diversity of engines, Opera cannot do it alone to be another alternative to IE's Trident or Chrome and Safari's WebKit, they are just too small for that. Gecko may be harder to work with, but it's far from even being a bad rendering engine.

What Mozilla must do is drive releases, quickly, just like Google. Focus on features that matter and don't be afraid to bring new stuff in the game. For the time being the standard feature set of Chrome is very simple, much like its services (what is there is executed nicely). Perhaps integrate some essential extensions, such as Firebug, an ad blocker, or just hold a vote to fill it in. Abandon Thunderbird development (unless someone wants to work on it freely), ICC profile v4 support, put all effort on the new Firefox 4.0 looks, perhaps even abandon Firefox 3.7 development in favor of 4.0 (which must be released next year).

Mozilla can survive Google, Firefox can survive Chrome. Their paths are crossing right now, but that doesn't mean it needs to be. Of course the joined effort for an open web (against the IE lock-in) is the most import thing, but the casual Joe doesn't care, he wants features, and hopefully both can bring that on a reliable (security) and safe (privacy) way.

The news has already spread across the globe through the means of the internet, but the first beta release of Chrome, which is also right away version 4.0, has been released for Linux and Mac.

Up till now all Chrome releases were for the most popular platform on the planet: Windows. But today marks a new day, one that shows that Google and its engineers are committed to bringing Chrome to the other platforms, mainly Linux and Mac. Of course Linux is quite important for Google as it is the basis of it's upcoming new Chrome OS as well.

However Linux and Mac users should still be realistic. It's an early beta and it lacks a lot of features. For instance the Mac release comes without extensions, while both platforms lack a bookmarks manager, the latest bookmarks sync (through Google Docs) feature, and more. Of course the folks at Google are working hard to make the non-Windows platforms equal in features, but it also means they need time, and a lot of it.

On the bright side it feels solid and does include the well known new architecture in Chrome, using multiple processes for tabbed/windowed browsing as well as the sandbox principle. Of course V8 is included and shows that it is one of the world's fastest JavaScript engines out there.

You can try Google Chrome 4.0 Beta for yourself, while Windows beta users can indulge themselves in the recently opened extensions website.

Google has released Chrome 4.0 to the beta channel of their popular web browser. Unfortunately, like before, the release is only for Windows. Both the Mac and Linux versions are highly anticipated, but have still not reached enough maturity to be exposed for real to the end users.

So what's truly new in this release, especially since it's only a short while since 3.0. The biggest improvement is the addition of bookmarks sync. This allows you to use your Google account (everyone has one, right?) to synchronize your bookmarks across Chrome's over the internet. In fact it seems to use Google Docs to store it. Previously such a feature would only be available in Opera through Opera Link (which is still multi-platform, including Opera Mini on mobiles).

For the time being Extensions support has been disabled until the final API arrives, hopefully this will be joined with a multi-platform release to make it all the more exciting.

If you're running Windows, be sure to give Google some feedback on your adventurous endeavor!

Google compared to Microsoft seems to be the young fella, the one that dares to do things. With a seemingly large group of magical developers they present Google Chrome Frame, their brave new attempt to drag grandpa Internet Explorer into the future.

Google Chrome Frame, as the name suggests, is based on the core of the Chrome web browser (and operating system). And simply put, Chrome Frame brings those technologies to the IE world, enabling ultra-fast JS through V8 as well as support for new HTML5 technologies (eg. <canvas> tag).

So how does it work? Well Google Frame is an early stage, open-source, plug-in for Internet Explorer, that injects all the Chrome core technologies into IE. Why would you want to do that? Well, if you can drag IE into the future, you also drag the largest portion of web citizens along (who haven't switched yet to a proper web browser).

To support Chrome Frame, adding a simple tag will trigger its functionality when visiting an enabled web site. Optionally you can redirect the user to install the Chrome Frame plug-in. Of course it's still in an early phase and has some known issues (no printing support in Chrome Frame, nor UI feedback on downloads), but I'm sure it will be completed in time.

This new Google technology sounds interesting to me. Of course we all want everyone to switch to Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari. But sometimes you need to do it all with baby steps, one at a time.

Slightly a year after Chrome's first birthday, the folks at Google released the third version on the stable channel, meaning the normal mortals can now enjoy an array of new features from the search giant.

Google's entrance in the browser market hasn't gone unnoticed. As a second strong backer of the WebKit project originally created by Apple, the project behind Chrome and Safari's rendering engine has been the star of late. Featuring the latest HTML5 additions as well as being the only open-source alternative (and possible best technology) out there for embedded and desktop markets. But what is most important is that Google unleashed Chrome as a JavaScript devouring beast, and ever since many JavaScript benchmarks were created to indicate performance supremacy, not only with Chrome's V8, but also Safari's Nitro and Firefox' TraceMonkey.

With the third release Google made Chrome more mature. Although from the start you should be aware that while extensions are still not supported, they are working hard on it, in fact it's enabled by default in the development channel for Chrome 4. So what's new in this release? Well, JavaScript performance is still important and therefor V8 is simply even faster than ever, both in V8's benchmark suite as well as SunSpider. A new tab page was introduced that allows more customization. The Omnibox now displays icons in front of results, making it easier to identify if a found item is a Google search, history and bookmarks. The <video> tag has been introduced in Chrome as well, following Firefox 3.5 it allows support for embedded video on web pages without the need for plug-ins (do note that Chrome supports Theora encoding like Firefox, and the not-so-free H.264). And last but not least, Chrome now support basic themes, which should be a good competitor to Firefox' persona's (but not the full fledged themes).

All in all Chrome 3 is surely a solid and polished release of which many Chrome fans will be fond of. With even more speed with rendering pages and executing web sites, and excellent UI responsiveness (partially due to the multi-process architecture), continued stability and security track record it is a strong competitor in the market. Surely Chrome can handle Safari on Windows, and Opera (which has a smaller presence on the market). Competition with Firefox will remain difficult without extensions and stable cross platform releases.