14 DAY TRIAL // Forget about Chrome 2.0 and Chrome 3.0, Build 4.0.201.1 is the latest development of Chrome made available for download by Google. Last week the Mountain View-search giant bumped the version of Chromium, Chrome’s underlying open-source project, to 4.0.201.1. At that time, the evolution of Google’s open-source browser was limited to Chromium, but this is no longer the case. As of August 17th, 2009, Google started serving Google Chrome Build 4.0.201.1 through its Windows developer channel.
But even though Google is rapidly joggling with releases and milestones of the Chrome browser, the frequency at which versions succeed one another is not reflected in the introduction of groundbreaking innovations from one major build to another. It is the case of Google Chrome 4.0.201.1, which brings to the table only bookmark synchronization as a new feature.
“The Windows Dev channel has been updated to 4.0.201.1. This release contains all the fixes and changes from 3.0.197.11, plus one additional change: we've added bookmark synchronization! To start using the feature, start Chrome with the '--enable-sync' flag, and go to 'Wrench'->'Sync my bookmarks...',” revealed Anthony Laforge, Google Chrome program manager.
The bottom line is that, with the evolution of Internet Explorer from IE7 to IE8, or that of Firefox from Firefox 3.0 to 3.5, users get palpable changes, a collection of modifications that indisputably recommend the latest version for a major upgrade. Jumping from Chrome 3.0 to Chrome 4.0 can be described more as a minor update, but a refresh nowhere near the size that would justify the transition from 3.0 to 4.0 for the Google Chrome development process.
However, one aspect of the evolution that users will undoubtedly welcome is the added horsepower introduced by Chrome 4.0.201.1. The new version of the V8 JavaScript engine is superior in terms of the level of performance delivered compared to previous iterations of the open-source browser. Fact is that Chrome was always fast and, with the advent of Chrome 4.0.201.1, it is now even faster. With Chrome 4.0.201.1 offered for the Dev channel, Beta testers can still access version 3.0, while v2.0 continues to be the stable release of the browser.
Google Chrome 4.0.201.1 is available for download here.