14 DAY TRIAL // The Google Chrome Beta channel was updated again this week, bringing both the Mac and Linux versions of the browser to 5.0.307.9. The release addresses crashes on both fronts, and improves font behavior for fans of Linus Torvalds’ operating system.
“The Google Chrome Beta channel for Mac and Linux has been updated to 5.0.307.9. This release fixes a few issues to make the browser a bit more reliable,” the latest Beta channel update signed Mark Larson, Google Chrome Team, reads. He reveals that both Mac and Linux builds have received special attention in that a tab crash that could be triggered by visiting certain websites has been addressed. Two of those sites are reportedly wordpress.com and http://acid3.acidtests.org/. Other sites are said to be flagged by this fix, although they are not named.
Another bug available for both Mac and Linux builds crashed tabs on image loading. The issue should be fixed in Chrome 5.0.307.9 for Mac and Chrome 5.0.307.9 for Linux. For the latter, an additional change is listed: “Improved font bolding for fonts without native bold.”
As noted in our previous reports, in addition to developing the Chrome web browser, Google is also hard at work on an Internet-oriented 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 believe it will be a direct rival of the enhanced iPhone operating system employed by the tablet device.
To get the latest version of the Google Chrome web browser, use the link below. Chrome 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 utilizing the browser, or at least not rely on it for important tasks.