Filed under: Google, Open Source, Beta, Browsers
Google Chrome to reach v4 before Firefox? Work begins on Chromium 4.0
Version numbers probably mean more to the general public than to regulars at DownloadSquad. When it comes to Chrome, however, Google seems like they're hoping to catch up with Opera by the end of next year.
After doing an install from Buildbot's snapshots, I checked Chromium's about screen. Lo and behold, build 23129 is tagged as 4.0.202.0. While it's just a number, it means, of course, Chrome will likely hit v4 long before Firefox ever does.
Other than the version number I haven't noted any obvious changes as of yet.
Technical Program Manager Anthony LaForge posted a note to the Chromium-dev board announcing that the move was made to reflect the code freeze on Chrome v3. "There is still a bit of work that needs to be done for 3.0 in terms of stability and fixes," he wrote. "To that end we will be pulling changes into the 195 branch (what will become the stable release)."
This isn't the first quick version-to-version jump Chrome has seen. Chrome 3 hit the dev channel less than a week after Chrome 2's release back in May. Looks like I was off the mark about Chrome hitting version 8 or 9 before Google ditched the beta tag on GMail...
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Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
risk said 2:47AM on 8-12-2009
im almost exclusively using Chrome now, especially with Privoxy providing the ad-blocking, I don't necessarily need any other addons.
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motoxo said 2:55AM on 8-12-2009
what about some mac os x love? i'd love to try chrome out. (officially.)
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Wesley said 12:48PM on 8-21-2009
You should prob read the google chrome dev channel, the official dev build is out http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/eula_dev.html?dl=mac
iGate said 4:09AM on 8-12-2009
yea, that bugs me. advancing into 4, when 3 isn't official on osx and linux
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schiguoi said 10:32AM on 8-12-2009
You can download a version of chromium in v4 for Mac. It isn't as complete but it does have them has flash support now. http://build.chromium.org/buildbot/snapshots/chromium-rel-mac/
techpops said 4:47AM on 8-12-2009
I do really like Chrome but some of those extensions for Firefox make it a must have for me. Fabtabs for instance is to die for if you're a tab freak.
Great to see such furious work going on behind the scenes with browsers, can only mean good things for greedy end users like me.
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hazard said 7:02AM on 8-12-2009
It's pretty hilarious but version numbers on thier own are meaningless, it's the associated features that make it significant. It's just indicative of the crazy amount of dev happening with Chrome at the mo.
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LongshotX said 11:06AM on 8-12-2009
Please hurry. Firefox eats memory.
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sidewinder12s said 6:18PM on 8-12-2009
What are the Big points to v3 and v4? I know that v2 had large improvements in speed of the browser and JavaScript. Im using v3 right now and the only thing i can see is maybe faster and the theme support.
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KeegdnaB said 12:22PM on 8-12-2009
Chrome has been out less than a year and they're already working on 4.0? Jesus Christ, have you heard of a point release Google?
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-=Ben=- said 3:10PM on 8-12-2009
Okay. This is ridiculous... A couple new features DOES NOT give you the permission to bump Major Versions. Google is trying too hard, and is failing miserably. They are cheating out the other browsers, and trying to look reputable. I still use Firefox, and no version bumping will ever stop me from using Firefox.
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brandonknterrill said 4:45PM on 8-12-2009
Chrome may get to 4.0 before Firefox, but that doesn't mean it will be anywhere close to being on par with Firefox. Don't get me wrong, I love Chrome(and use it), but the major version bumping seems a bit sketchy to me. Then placed in front of the average user they are more likely going to go after Chrome 4.0 before they'll consider Firefox 3.5, on paper it just sounds better. I think its just a ploy to gain browser share. I just hope Mozilla doesn't play this game, Firefox's version numbers to me have always been an accurate representation of features added and bugs fixed, they've always been dedicated to building a good browser rather than trying to make something that sounds better than it actually is.
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techpops said 8:07PM on 8-12-2009
So Google are playing a game to make their product look better, can hardly blame them for that. For me, Google destroyed the whole idea of what a beta stood for anyway so it doesn't really surprise me.
Also if you try and compare to Firefox to Chrome and vice versa, it's pretty obvious that Firefox will come out ahead. It's had so much more development time. What's really cool about Chrome is how its cobbled together Webkit, some ideas that have already proven to work well and pulled a great design all together into a new browser that does stand up well against the competition.
Given time I'm sure Google will innovate with the browser in all kinds of directions and Mozilla or extension coders can tap into those cool ideas so everyone kinda benefits in the end.