San Francisco— Barely a month after releasing version 1.0 of its Chrome Web browser out of beta, Google last week released the pre-beta, officially called 2.0.156.1. Available through Google’s Chrome Developer Channel, the updated browser focuses on a number of new features, including some key features missing from the first version.
The demand for supporting other operating systems apart from Windows began right after Google released the browser in beta last September.
The swiftness in releasing this pre-beta version of Chrome 2.0 shows that Google continues to play catch-up with its elder siblings, Internet Explorer and Firefox.
Updates to the Chrome browser include the addition of form auto-complete (one of the most important features missing from the initial release), full-page zoom, spell checking improvements, and auto-scrolling among other features.
Some other changes in the latest release that is sure to end up in the final version are a shift to the HTTP network protocol from the WinHTTP library on Windows. The move supports a common code that will be a part of the Mac and Linux versions of Chrome. Google has not said when the versions would be released, but has said it is a top priority.
One of the most interesting new features in the pre-beta 2.0 of Chrome is called Profiles. This allows users to separate Chrome’s settings, including bookmarks, history and cookies, in different categories for different types of use. For example, you can have personal and work profiles, both with different home pages, bookmarks and history, together with separate desktop shortcuts.
By creating different profiles, Google Chrome users can personalize each browsing module with its home page, bookmarks and history.
The 2.0 Chrome pre-beta also uses a new version of the WebKit rendering engine, basically the same as the one in Apple’s Safari 3.1, which allows some CSS coding features such as gradients, canvas drawing, reflections, and masks. Also, Google implemented experimental support for Greasemonkey scripts.
Moreover Google said Friday it anticipates releasing versions for Mac OS X and Linux by the first half of the year and released a new version Wednesday that paves the way for the most requested feature, extensions. Brian Rakowski, Chrome’s product manager, said the company wants to release Chrome for Mac and Linux before the first half of 2009 is up.
By selecting the Dev channel, you can get the latest pre-beta version of Chrome.
To get the new version of Chrome, you will need an earlier version of the browser installed on your computer. You will also need to subscribe to the Developer Preview Channel (it is free); the new version will then download automatically.
If no update shows up initially, go to the About Google Chrome dialog and force the update process.
Chrome 2.0 is an alpha release, and it shows: It can crash quite a bit. So if you are not happy with it, you can downgrade to the most recent stable version by reinstalling an earlier version of Chrome.