Google Launches First Beta Build of 64-Bit Chrome for Mac

[Reason077]

I have heard that according to the latest technological advancements, there is a possibility that 128 bit OS will be launched soon. Is it true?

Yes. 128-bit CPUs and OSes are surely just around the corner. Mobile devices too. In fact, I'd suggest not buying any new hardware for now. Current 64-bit hardware will be completely obsolete when the 128-bit revolution hits, fit only for the scrap heap.

Of course, there are those who argue that even 128-bit technology is just a stepping stone on the road to quantum computing. Within a quantum computer, each bit (known as a Qubit) operates in multiple dimensions making them exponentially more powerful, and making comparisons with traditional computing technology meaningless.

Personally, I wouldn't buy the iPhone 6. Wait for the first Quantum iPhone, it'll be worth it!!

 

[Sheza]

You know Safari and Firefox do all of this too, right?

(OK, not sure about syncing add-ons/extensions, but certainly all your bookmarks, passwords, and tabs will sync seamlessly across devices.)

I guess then it's because I'm used to Chrome now.

I just set up my brand new Mac Book. Logged into Chrome and boom, everything was exactly like it is on my PC. Even recent history, which is pretty much how I like to get to certain websites (typing the start or part of their name).

 

[JGRE]

2006/2007. Everything with a Core Duo and earlier does not support Intel 64-Bit instructions. For example:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/specs/mac_mini_cd_1.83-specs.html

I have a core duo iMac running 64 bit......
Hmmm, are is it a core duo 2?

Anyways, way would you want to run a 7 year or solder machine? It is like prehistoric in IT terms.

 

[Casstiel]

Forgive my ignorance, but... What are the challenges in converting a 32-bit app to 64-bit? What is it that makes this complicated?

 

[PsykX]

Chrome is only good on PC because Windows doesn't provide native APIs as good as on OS X, thus every browser works like crap on PC. That custom Chrome user interface, custom app system preferences, custom download window, and custom APIs such as their custom PDF reader and custom Print window are not for me on OS X.

Try it again, Google.

 

[JAT]

Will always be slower than browsers with adblock.

What if you use Chrome with Adblock?

 

[PocketSand11]

This should Apple's motto... it would fit perfectly! every year Apple announces and releases basic stuff that is "nice" to have, purely because Apple fans haven't had it the last 10 years while every other platform has... heck even dual screen in OSX is still totally iffy (yes also wonky in 10.10) compared to windows and linux.

Anyway, 64bit chrome is good, late or not.

I know what you mean and know that Apple does this sometimes (but never in OS X), but is the bolded statement a joke? No matter what OS you meant when you said "Linux"…

Anyway, maybe Chrome will finally be as fast as Safari. I'd consider this good short-term but bad long-term simply since Chrome is the most popular. It is always bad for one web browser to become too popular; the company will start deliberately messing with web standards. I've already encountered a few sites that are hostile to non-Chrome browsers, and we all know how it used to be with IE. "This site looks best in Internet Explorer."

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Chrome is only good on PC because Windows doesn't provide native APIs as good as on OS X, thus every browser works like crap on PC. That custom Chrome user interface, custom app system preferences, custom download window, and custom APIs such as their custom PDF reader and custom Print window are not for me on OS X.

Try it again, Google.

Yeah, this is the main reason I don't like Chrome on my Mac and the main reason I'd use Chrome in Windows or some non-Mac Unix branch.

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I have a core duo iMac running 64 bit......
Hmmm, are is it a core duo 2?

Anyways, way would you want to run a 7 year or solder machine? It is like prehistoric in IT terms.

It's Core Duo and Core 2 Duo. Core 2 Duo supports 64-bit, but Core Duo does not.

 

[Parasprite]

You know Safari and Firefox do all of this too, right?

(OK, not sure about syncing add-ons/extensions, but certainly all your bookmarks, passwords, and tabs will sync seamlessly across devices.)

Firefox doesn't have an iOS version and the same for Safari and Android/Windows*/Linux. Depending on your setup, Chrome may actually be one of the only options** (other than using 3rd party tools/services) to keep everything synced.

*You know, except that one time...but we don't like to talk about that.
**Also probably Opera, but I'm not as familiar with it.

 

[Parasprite]

I have a core duo iMac running 64 bit......
Hmmm, are is it a core duo 2?

Anyways, way would you want to run a 7 year or solder machine? It is like prehistoric in IT terms.

If it is working and does exactly what they need it to do, what would be a reason for someone to spend money on a new machine?

In ~2003-2005 I owned a Windows 95 laptop (4 MB RAM, if that says anything) which I used to keep track of story and dialog in a roleplaying game (D&D) that I was into at the time. Since I just needed it for text I ran it exclusively in DOS. I mean...sure I could have upgraded, but what for?

 

[JGRE]

If it is working and does exactly what they need it to do, what would be a reason for someone to spend money on a new machine?

In ~2003-2005 I owned a Windows 95 laptop (4 MB RAM, if that says anything) which I used to keep track of story and dialog in a roleplaying game (D&D) that I was into at the time. Since I just needed it for text I ran it exclusively in DOS. I mean...sure I could have upgraded, but what for?

Ok, but that is your choice, but you cannot expect developers keep maintaing software just for a handful of people. On the other hand, you would be surprised how much faster and better computers have got overtime, while prices only decreased.

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

 

[bumblebritches5]

Chrome has been x64 in the Dev channel for like 2 month now...

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Battery life still sucks with chrome.

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Forgive my ignorance, but... What are the challenges in converting a 32-bit app to 64-bit? What is it that makes this complicated?

No, it's not complicated at all, there were just a handful of bugs in x64 for the last 5 years that Google just ignored.

 

[bikejack]

My experience on my late 2009 I Mac comparing Google Canary and Google Chrome 64 bit versions is that Canary is appreciable faster in loading web pages. I also verified this with the AppTelemety extension. Safari is a lot slower in comparison to both of those in loading pages.

 

[Lunettes]

Is it snappy?

 

[Parasprite]

Ok, but that is your choice, but you cannot expect developers keep maintaing software just for a handful of people.

Of course not, but I'm not sure anyone here was implying that.

All in all, I can at least say that most people haven't really clung on as hard to their 32-bit intel Macs as they did with their PPC ones.

 

[Parasprite]

Chrome has been x64 in the Dev channel for like 2 month now...

Yes, Macrumors made a post on this a couple weeks ago. This is about the beta channel though. Thing is you never know if a major change will make it past Canary, but if it manages to get into the beta, it's really just a matter when it will hit stable.

 

[benthewraith]

I refuse to support the company that does this (google analytics) in any way.

Do you have any idea how valuable Google Analytics are to web developers, marketers, small business owners, etc? If you did, I imagine you wouldn't be saying that.

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That custom Chrome user interface, custom app system preferences, custom download window, and custom APIs such as their custom PDF reader and custom Print window are not for me on OS X.

Try it again, Google.

Regarding the Chrome user interface, it's a browser window with a place for tabs and a url bar and a forward/back button. Also, user interfaces are like brands, You open Google Chrome and it looks like Google Chrome on Windows as it does Mac and Linux. They've gone out of the way to make sure people can use their product across a spectrum of devices and computers. I would say Firefox is the weirdest, it took some elements of OS X and added them with their own UI in a hosh posh mess. Their "custom app system preferences" are identical to it on Windows, and Chrome's download window is hands down far better than Safari's download manager.

 

[Antoni Nygaard]

Just noticed in the new beta new used the fabric linen, which is not used in OS X anymore. WHY?

 

[JoEw]

Safari for mac/ios
Chrome for windows, ubuntu

 

[the8thark]

Do you have any idea how valuable Google Analytics are to web developers, marketers, small business owners, etc? If you did, I imagine you wouldn't be saying that.

Necessary evil it is. It does good but that good comes with bad.

 

[JAT]

In Windows PCs? Nobody has yet, I suppose someone should start sometime....

 

[pickaxe]

That's the internet. All websites have advertising/trackers like google analytics. These will observe your behavior more than any browser and they're nearly impossible to avoid.

You're misinformed. It is very possible to avoid tracking beacons with a script blocker, like Chrome's HTTP Switchboard or Safari's JavaScript Blocker.

That said, backdoors that are implemented at the software level are an entirely different thing, which is the problem with Chrome (and probably Safari as well)

 

[subsonix]

Do you have any idea how valuable Google Analytics are to web developers, marketers, small business owners, etc? If you did, I imagine you wouldn't be saying that.

Who cares? Do you know how valuable synthetic food additives are to the fast food industry? If you did you wouldn't complain about it. You can certainly use other analytics tools, and anyone that are non SaaS will keep the information in one place, not leaking it to some 3rd party. The problem with a non SaaS solution I guess is that it's harder to monetize unfortunately, everyone wants "free" even if you end up selling your ass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_analytics_software

 

[MacSince1990]

Acknowledging the fact that they're only 6 years behind on this. Seriously - the migration from 32-bit to 64-bit predates Chrome's first release, why the hell did it take this long? Why wasn't it 64-bit out of the gate?

Probably because it doesn't really make a lick of difference.

(It doesn't make a lick of difference.)

Also, who really cares, FireFox is once again and has been significantly better than Chrome for nearly a year now.

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Chrome's JavaScript debugger and profiler are way better than Firefox. Safari's are perpetually behind Chrome.

You do realize most people aren't developers or programmers, right?

 

[PocketSand11]

Do you have any idea how valuable Google Analytics are to web developers, marketers, small business owners, etc? If you did, I imagine you wouldn't be saying that.

Yes, and I couldn't care less. Websites are so full of bloat now. Check out any website with the web inspector tool, and you'll see lots of stuff from Facebook, Google, Yahoo!, etc. MacRumors has something from Yahoo! on it, by the way. I don't want my browser loading all that crap, especially on a slow computer or slow/limited connection.

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Why do people bother with Chome?

It's clearly behind Firefox when it comes to features, and behind Safari when it comes to speed.

Yeah, on Mac, I have no idea why anyone uses Chrome unless it's to sync stuff with Windows or something or for programming purposes. Firefox got really good recently… but then they somewhat ruined it with version 29 when they tried to copy Chrome's design (badly) and somehow made it slower at the same time.