02/07 Update below. This post originally appeared on June 30.
Despite recently launching a bomb at Microsoft, Google Chrome has run into an increasing number of issues, both on Windows 10 and on macOS. But potential Chrome users should listen, because Google has quietly released its most compelling reason in years to keep using the browser.
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Discovered by Windows Latest, Google has quietly released a new version of Chrome that seems set to radically reduce the amount of memory the browser needs to run. The benefit will be felt as much by power users, who like to have lots of tabs open, as by those with older computers who desperately need Chrome to become a less infamous resource consumer.
07/01 update: Google Chrome redesign plans show no signs of slowing down. Along with the main internal changes detailed below, Android Police It has found that Google is also quietly testing a fundamental Chrome redesign that will bring the browser tab change on smartphones for the first time. A new tab button will open a cascading strip of browser tabs, allowing users to quickly switch between them. It appears to work in conjunction with the current, albeit lengthy, process of sliding down the entire browser window and scrolling between full-size vertical browser pages. For advanced users in particular, this new system will be a boon for productivity. To test it, you will need Chrome Beta, enter chrome: // flags / # enable-conditional-strip in the address bar, enable the function, and restart. As a limited test, this is not yet shown for all beta users, but availability is expected to increase soon.
02/07 Update: This is a great month for Google’s Chromium core. 9to5Google It has revealed that along with its performance review, the company will now integrate Steam support into Chrome OS with significant consequences. 9to5Google found the integration hidden under the codename ‘Borealis’, an Ubuntu-based distribution that “includes a pre-installed copy of Steam”. Add Steam support together native emulation for Windows applications (Including Microsoft Office), would make Chrome OS a powerful alternative to Windows 10. That said, Steam support would also compete with Google’s Stadia cloud gaming platform, making it a risk to Google. I would argue that this shows Google’s determination to finally remove Chrome OS from its education and business niche, in a power game to become a true replacement for Windows. Along with Apple’s recent announcement that it is moving macOS to its own ARM-based silicon, the platform wars have clearly returned and are about to accelerate.
What causes such a big change? It’s a technology called Segment Heap, which Microsoft introduced in its Windows 10 May 2020 update. Segment Heap optimizes memory management, and Microsoft said early tests on Chromium-based browsers immediately saw a reduction in consumption. memory up to 27%. Google engineers agreed, “Experiments with the dynamic storage segment per machine option for chrome.exe suggest that this could save hundreds of MB in the browser.”
But the surprise here is how quickly Google got this to work, with Chrome programmer Bruce Dawson revealing “This change became the current Chrome canary (version 85.0.4182.0 (official version) canary (64-bit) .. I can confirm that the segment heap is enabled. “
Chrome Canary is primarily aimed at developers, so I would not advise you to use it as your primary browser. That said, this is not a situation at all, and those interested in discovering the benefits of Segment Heap can run Chrome Canary alongside the standard version, keeping the essential tabs away from the developer edition.
But the most exciting aspect of all this is just the beginning. Google expects memory savings to increase as code is optimized, and while it can reach all Chromium browsers, the biggest beneficiary will be Chrome, as there are already more nimble Chromium browsers (like Brave, which is pleased. on blocking ads by default) that are starting to gain traction.
A word of warning: Windows 10 May 2020 update comes with a long list of known issues, so be sure to check them before installing (Settings> Windows Update> Check for updates) Despite this, the long-term roadmap is very exciting and anyone tempted to leave Chrome might want to stick around.
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