Jan 5, 2011 08:33 GMT  ·  By

Google has made available for download the first Chrome release of 2011. It’s a new Beta Build of the ninth and upcoming version of the open source browser. Early adopters that have been testing Chrome, will be able to notice that the Beta channel has been updated to version 9.0.597.42.

This is valid not only for Windows users, but also for testers running Mac and Linux, and also for those taking Chrome Frame out for a spin.

Build 9.0.597.42 is nothing more than a minor update to Chrome 9.0, an aspect visible from the small version number increase from the last Beta released in December 2010 namely 9.0.597.19.

But do not despair, additional testing releases from the Mountain View-based search giant are bound to follow.

In the past quarter of 2010 Google produced a veritable flood of minor updates and major iterations, a release strategy which the company will continue to follow in 2011.

Expect Chrome 9.0 about six weeks after Chrome 8.0. And then expect Chrome 10.0 about, well, you might have guessed it by now, six weeks after its predecessor.

And while Google pushes Chrome from one major version to another, testers should brace themselves for numerous testing Builds through the Dev and Beta channels, but also new versions of Chromium and fresh Canary Builds.

At least for the time being, Google seems to do no wrong browser-wise, and the release process is just one aspect of the successful tactics that have pushed the open source browser to half the market share of Firefox.

According to Net Applications, Chrome finished 2010 extremely close to the 10% usage share milestone. More importantly, statistics indicate that while Firefox is all but stagnating, and with Internet Explorer continuing to lose users, Chrome is growing at an accelerated pace.

Google Chrome for Windows is available for download here.

Google Chrome for Linux is available for download here.

Google Chrome for Mac is available for download here.