Download Google Chrome 5.0.307.1 for Mac OS X

The Google Chrome dev channel has been updated to version 5.0.307.1 for Mac OS X and Windows. Still in beta stage, Chrome is a lightweight yet powerful web browser developed by the people behind the world’t biggest and most popular search engine, Google.

On the Windows side, Chrome developers have enabled users to properly set a default downloads directory on Vista and Windows 7 (except where it is the desktop). Another issue, where users would work on the Content Settings window and sub-dialogs, has also been addressed.

Mac OS-wide, Chrome has received additional plugin stability improvements, while the Cocoa NPAPI plugins now get NPCocoaEventMouseDragged and NPCocoaEventFlagsChanged events. These are just two of the many issues in need of a fix reported in the last beta release. A crash that sometimes happened when dragging tabs has been fixed, alongside a %cpu issue in task manager. The new version gives the cookies manager a search field, makes copying of big images more robust and, finally, improves the task manager resizing behavior.

A known issue is still plaguing Chrome for Mac. Particularly, developers are talking about a crash when deleting cookies. The bug is, undoubtedly, on the dev team’s list of priorities for a future Mac beta build.

Besides the Chrome web browser, Google is hard at work developing an operating system bearing the Chrome label. Appropriately dubbed Chrome OS, the operating system will feature key aspects like speed, simplicity, and security, according to Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management at Google. With the now-confirmed Apple iPad, many still believe it will be a direct rival of the enhanced iPhone operating system employed by the tablet device.

Use the link below to get the latest version of the Google Chrome web browser. It works on Intel-machines only and requires Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or later. Chrome for Mac is still beta software, therefore users are advised to exercise caution when using the browser, or at least not rely on it for important tasks.

Download Google Chrome for Mac OS X (Free)