14 DAY TRIAL // The most advanced developer milestone of Google Chrome is still not in tune with the latest iteration of the Windows client from Microsoft. While rival browser makers such as Opera and Mozilla have labored to adapt their products to Windows 7, at over three months since the platform became generally available, and after half a year since it was released to manufacturing, Google is choosing to ignore the operating system when it comes down to features specific of its GUI evolution. At the end of the past week, the Mountain View-based search giant made available Google Chrome 5.0.307.1, a release that does little to tailor the browser to Windows 7.
“The devchannel has been updated to 5.0.307.1 for Windows & Mac. [Improvements for]Windows: use default downloads directory on Vista and Windows 7 (except where it is the desktop). Start work on Content Settings window and sub-dialogs,” revealed Orit Mazor, from the Google Chrome.
More specifically, Chrome 5.0.307.1 offers no support for the Thumbnail Preview feature associated with Windows 7’s new Superbar (Taskbar), one of the main features introduced with the evolution of the operating system’s graphical user interface. At this point in time, both Opera 10.50 pre-Alpha and Firefox 3.6 play nice with Taskbar Thumbnail Preview. The feature is designed to allow users to better manage multiple windows opened on their desktop from a single Taskbar icon, corresponding to an instance of a launched program. In the case of browsers, but not only, the Thumbnail Previews can be used for individual opened Tabs and not just for windows.
The default Internet Explorer 8 copy shipping in Windows 7 was the first browser to embrace the feature, with Mozilla and Opera quick to catch up, while Google is still lagging behind. The past week, Google graduated Chrome 4.0 from Beta to Stable version introducing Build 4.0.249.78. The latest developer channel build 5.0.307.1, just as Build 4.0.249.78 will not allow Windows 7 users to take advantage of Thumbnail Taskbar Previews, especially in relation to Aero Peek.
Google Chrome 5.0 Dev Channel Build 5.0.307.1 is available for download here. Google Chrome 4.0 Stable is available for download here.
The latest release of Opera 10.50 pre-Alpha is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6 Final for Windows is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6 Final for Mac OS X is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6 Final for Linux is available for download here.
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