Google Chrome 2.0 download / Google Chrome 2.0 pre-beta

Ready to download Google Chrome 2.0? If you still haven't warmed up to the latest version of Google Chrome, then maybe the Google Chrome 2.0/Google Chrome 2.0 pre-beta (Build 2.0.156.1) version will do it for you. Yup, the latest version of Google's browser "destined to rule the web" is up for download, promising a whole lot of new features and several bug fixes. However, since this is a pre-beta version, this latest Google Chrome build is only available if you have subscribed to the latest updates on the Developer Preview Channel (Dev Channel).

A few days ago, Google introduced three new release

channels: Stable Channel, Beta Channel, and Developer Preview Channel. By default, every user is placed on the Stable Channel when they first install Google Chrome. For the more advanced users (or those who can't wait to try Google Chrome versions being polished), the Beta Channel is where they can get the latest beta versions available for public download. On the other hand, unpolished and unstable versions can be downloaded from the Dev Channel for those who cannot wait to try builds still in development - like the case of Google Chrome 2.0. The Dev Channel is where ideas get tested (and sometimes fail), and it can be very unstable at times - not recommended for the ordinary tech mortals among us. Builds that pass the Dev Channel are passed on to the Beta Channel for public download and testing, and then to the Stable Channel after it has passed the beta stage.

The new Google Chrome 2.0 pre-beta download is only recommended for the tech-savvy. However, I am sure many adventurous users out there will still take the risk of testing this new build especially with its new features. Here are just some of them:

• New version of WebKit. WebKit is the open source code Google Chrome uses to render web pages (HTML and CSS). 1.0.154.36 used basically the same version of WebKit as Safari 3.1, but the WebKit team has made a lot of improvements since that was released. 156.1 uses WebKit version 528.8 or, more precisely, revision 39410 from the WebKit source tree.
• Form Autocomplete. Google Chrome remembers what you've typed into fields on web pages. If you type in the same form again, it will show any previous values that match what you've typed so far. You can disable Form autocomplete on the Minor Tweaks tab of the Options dialog. (Note: this is like the basic form autocomplete available in Firefox or Internet Explorer. It is not the same as the form fill feature in Google Toolbar.)
• Full-page zoom. Previously, page zoom (Ctrl++ or Ctrl+-) increased or decreased only the text on a page. Zoom now scales everything on the page together, so pages look correct at different zoom levels.
• Spell-checking improvements. You can now enable or disable spell checking in a text field by right-clicking in the field. You can also change the spell-checking language by right clicking. To enable spell-checking in a language, add it to the list of 'languages you use to read web sites' in the Fonts and Languages dialog ([Wrench] > Options > Minor Tweaks > Fonts and Languages). Note that Google Chrome doesn't have spell-checking dictionaries for every language you can add to this list.
• Autoscroll. Many users have asked for this and (thanks to our WebKit update), we now offer autoscrolling. Middle-click (click the mousewheel on most mice) on a page to turn on autoscroll, then move the mouse to scroll the page in any direction.
• Docking dragged tabs. When you drag a tab to certain positions on the monitor, a docking icon will appear. Release the mouse over the docking icon to have the tab snap to the docking position instead of being dropped at the same size as the original window.
• Import bookmarks from Google Bookmarks. The [Wrench menu] > Import bookmarks & settings... option now has a Google Toolbar option to import Google Bookmarks. The bookmarks get imported into your Other bookmarks folder. The bookmarks are not kept in sync; the import process simply reads in the current set of online bookmarks.
• New SafeBrowsing implementation. SafeBrowsing is now faster, more reliable, and uses the disk less often.
• Use different browser profiles. You can start a new browser window that uses a different profile (different bookmarks, history, cookies, etc.). Use [Wrench menu] > New window in profile. When you create a new profile, you can name it and add a shortcut to your Desktop.
• Updated V8 Javascript engine to version 0.4.6.0 (from 0.3.9.3).
• New network code. Google Chrome now has its own implementation of the HTTP network protocol (we were using the WinHTTP library on Windows, but need common code for Mac and Linux). We fixed a few bugs in HTTP authentication and made Google Chrome more compatible with servers that reply with invalid HTTP responses. We need feedback on anything that's currently broken, particularly with proxy servers, secure (https) sites, and sites that require log in.
• New window frames on Windows XP and Vista, supporting windows cascading and tiling, and other window-management add-in programs.
• Experimental user script support (similar to Greasemonkey). You can add a --enable-user-scripts flag to your Google Chrome shortcut to enable user scripts. See the developer documentation for details.
• A new HTTPS-only browsing mode. Add --force-https to your Google Chrome shortcut, and it will only load HTTPS sites. Sites with SSL certificate errors will not load.

If you are one of these adventurous individuals, the first thing to do to download Google Chrome 2.0/Google Chrome 2.0 pre-beta is to subscribe to the Dev or Beta Channel. The detailed steps to follow to subscribe can be found on techblissonline.com. Good luck with your Google Chrome 2.0 download. As for me, I am more of a Stable Channel user so I will just wait until all the testing has been done.