Google Makes Bold Chrome Claims

Google says its latest browser update is "the largest gain in Chrome performance in years." It claims the browser will now be significantly faster, drain less battery and be more useful.

Unlike many software updates, the majority of the changes in the latest version of Chrome are behind the scenes and affect performance rather than add new features.

For example, Chrome will now devote more resources to "active tabs" (the ones that have most recently been used) rather than give the same attention to every open tab. It says on average this will reduce CPU usage by "five times" and add an extra 75 minutes battery life on a laptop.

Quicker Startup

It also says that similar background tweaks means Chrome will now start up 25 percent quicker and cut seven percent off loading times when opening a page. (Source: blog.google)

With all such stats, it's worth remembering that the effects will vary across different machines and set-ups and that Google has likely picked a favorable example. We'll also have to wait to see if putting less resources into "inactive" tabs leads to noticeable delays when returning to them.

Google has also promised more visible changes. One will benefit people who tend to have a ridiculous number of tabs open. Users can click on a new icon to see a full list of tabs and even type to search among them.

Alternative To Settings Menus

The combined address bar and search box will now have a third function. Users can type commands such as "delete history" to bring up an action rather than have to navigate through settings menus.

Meanwhile a new "cards" feature will appear on the new tab page, which currently just shows a list of a user's most frequently visited sites. The idea of the cards is to identify which pages a user has recently visited and closed and might want to open again. The feature will not only select pages somebody is most likely to revisit (such as a recipe) but also show related content (such as variations on the dish). (Source: theverge.com)

What's Your Opinion?

Do these changes appeal to you? Is slow response time or battery drain a problem with your chosen browser? What new or improved features would you like to see in a web browser?