Early Builds of Chromium Browser for the Mac Available

MacRumors · May 13, 2009, 01:25 PM

The Chromium web browser project which serves as the basis for Google's Chrome has started releasing early builds of the Mac version. While not complete, the builds work well enough to get an impression of the browser. CNet took a quick look at a build:

Quote:

The software, available for download from the Chromium Web site, is incomplete and definitely buggy, as one would expect for a developer version that reflects all the latest changes programmers are making with the project. But for Mac users who've been clamoring for the software, I can tell you that overall, it works, and it shows glimmers of what I liked about the open-source browser on Windows.

The latest builds are kept in this directory in sequential order. If you are interested in testing it out, you should download the most recent build that you find. Updated builds are being added all the time.

Article Link: Early Builds of Chromium Browser for the Mac Available

themoonisdown09 · May 13, 2009, 01:29 PM

I might have to try this out. I love the Google Chrome browser for Windows, of course, I haven't used it since I started using Safari 4 Beta a couple months ago.

talkingfuture · May 13, 2009, 01:31 PM

I would have been excited about this before christmas but now I am using Firefox I'll probably pass. Will give the final version a test run when it is ready.

Pugpuppydude · May 13, 2009, 01:32 PM

Awesome, not better than safari 4 though.

BMWFan · May 13, 2009, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pugpuppydude

Awesome, not better than safari 4 though.

Funny since Safari 4 basically copied Chrome. So much for innovation.

Compile 'em all · May 13, 2009, 01:35 PM

Competition is good.

brendon2020 · May 13, 2009, 01:37 PM

be interesting to see once plugins/extensions become available and what will happen to ad blocking type extensions.

Ampidire · May 13, 2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWFan

Funny since Safari 4 basically copied Chrome. So much for innovation.

But Safari 4 is readily available and at a much more mature state that chromium/chrome is for Mac, so despite their similarities, I'd still take Safari 4 over Chrome right now; but seeing as I use neither because of the lack of a huge library of extensions, I'll stick with FF3 and FF3.5Beta4

HLdan · 01:40 PM

I'd say too little too late. I'm tired of companies making us Mac users wait for simple things like a web browser while the Windows community gets it all first. We are almost into 2010, Macs are no longer toy to tinker with that nobody hardly uses, they are major player now and Apple is quite iconic. If certain companies want to continue doing this I will just use other Mac software. Safari 4 is great contender.

giaotze · May 13, 2009, 01:39 PM

yeah I was waiting for chrome.. but safari 4 works just as good I think..
so I will skip being ginnie pig

xUKHCx · May 13, 2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWFan

Funny since Safari 4 basically copied Chrome. So much for innovation.

I wondered how long it would be before copyng claims were made. Any specifics points you would like to claim or just a blanket statment. Generally with os' browsers etc if a feature is good it will get absolved into all the other similar pieces of software.

Good to see progression on thhr Chrime front, taking longer than originally expected when google released the windows version. It will be interesting to see the final release and how it stacks up.

Ttownbeast · May 13, 2009, 01:40 PM

I'll give it a try but I have my doubts about it being anywhere near as good as Firefox has been to me.

Cleve · May 13, 2009, 01:40 PM

I also find it interesting that they update the build once an hour!

That is some serious upgrading
http://9to5mac.com/Chromium-mac also notes it runs in 32-bit mode on Snow Leopard. Interesting

themoonisdown09 · May 13, 2009, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLdan

I'd say Apple too little too late. I'm tired of companies making us Mac users wait for simple things like a web browser while the Windows community gets it all first. We are almost into 2010, Macs are no longer toy to tinker with that nobody hardly uses, they are major player now and Apple is quite iconic. If certain companies want to continue doing this I will just use other Mac software. Safari 4 is great contender.

So are you saying that Google should have started with the Mac version before the PC version? That would be dumb on their part. They simply started with Windows first, since they have a slightly higher market share, and have since moved onto creating the Mac version.

alexbates · May 13, 2009, 01:40 PM

Google Chromium is better than Safari 3 but not better than Safari 4 in my opinion. I am going to download this though, to take the place of Firefox. I'm so glad Google finally made it for Mac

zwilliams07 · May 13, 2009, 01:41 PM

I had been using the Chromium build from Latko for a while now. He is better known for compiling the optimized Firefox builds.

http://www.latko.org/2009/02/13/chro...uild-for-os-x/

lamadude · May 13, 2009, 01:45 PM

Finally! Some decent browser competition on the mac.
I will stick to FF3 though, since non of the other browsers allow me to have a spell-check feature for multiple languages.

HailToTheVictor · May 13, 2009, 01:45 PM

I have been waiting for this for the past few months as I use Chrome on my work pc and like it a lot, but I doubt it will replace Safari on my Mac (once I get it working after the 10.5.7 debacle)

twoodcc · May 13, 2009, 01:46 PM

glad to see the mac version is finally coming. competition is always good, but i like safari 4 right now

Ttownbeast · May 13, 2009, 01:46 PM

OK just tried it and guess what it only works for you intel users I guess my architecture is not compatible so clearly my Firefox is superior at least on this old thing LOL

chstr · May 13, 2009, 01:47 PM

video doesnt work yet in chrome. no youtube etc

TripleF · May 13, 2009, 01:48 PM

Always good to have alternatives. I currently use Safari 4 and Camino as a backup. Looking forward to Chromium.

EmperorDarius · May 13, 2009, 01:48 PM

Just another browser with less privacy for the users. Won't be any better than Safari or Camino.

GuillaumeB · May 13, 2009, 01:52 PM

Wow that's a pretty old news

I personnally prefer chrome over safari. Safari 4 is everything but intuitive. The tabs on top are not that easy to manage compare to Chrome. Also the tab resizing is really getting on my nerve. i had to tweak the whole thing but am definitely waiting for chrome

DELLsFan · May 13, 2009, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Compile 'em all

Competition is good.

Yes. But competition among free products isn't quite your father's competition, is it?

I'll stick with Firefox.

May 13, 2009, 01:29 PM	#2
themoonisdown09 macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Georgia, USA	I might have to try this out. I love the Google Chrome browser for Windows, of course, I haven't used it since I started using Safari 4 Beta a couple months ago. __________________ Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

May 13, 2009, 01:31 PM	#3
talkingfuture macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The back of beyond.	I would have been excited about this before christmas but now I am using Firefox I'll probably pass. Will give the final version a test run when it is ready. __________________ Futuristical bloggery with a twist.

May 13, 2009, 01:35 PM	#6
Compile 'em all macrumors 68020 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: 127.0.0.1	Competition is good. __________________ Apps: Facebook a Quote Site: http://www.madebypharaohs.com

May 13, 2009, 01:38 PM	#9
HLdan macrumors 68040 Join Date: Aug 2007	I'd say too little too late. I'm tired of companies making us Mac users wait for simple things like a web browser while the Windows community gets it all first. We are almost into 2010, Macs are no longer toy to tinker with that nobody hardly uses, they are major player now and Apple is quite iconic. If certain companies want to continue doing this I will just use other Mac software. Safari 4 is great contender. Last edited by HLdan : May 13, 2009 at 01:40 PM. Reason: Typo.

May 13, 2009, 01:40 PM	#13
Cleve macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2007	Is anyone able to get Flash running on these? I also find it interesting that they update the build once an hour! That is some serious upgrading http://9to5mac.com/Chromium-mac also notes it runs in 32-bit mode on Snow Leopard. Interesting

May 13, 2009, 01:32 PM	#4
Pugpuppydude macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Utah	Awesome, not better than safari 4 though.

May 13, 2009, 01:37 PM	#7
brendon2020 macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jul 2007	be interesting to see once plugins/extensions become available and what will happen to ad blocking type extensions.

May 13, 2009, 01:39 PM	#10
giaotze macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2007	yeah I was waiting for chrome.. but safari 4 works just as good I think.. so I will skip being ginnie pig

May 13, 2009, 01:40 PM	#12
Ttownbeast In Time-Out Join Date: May 2009 Location: Currently in New York, from the pacific NW	I'll give it a try but I have my doubts about it being anywhere near as good as Firefox has been to me.

May 13, 2009, 01:40 PM	#15
alexbates macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Georgia, USA	Google Chromium is better than Safari 3 but not better than Safari 4 in my opinion. I am going to download this though, to take the place of Firefox. I'm so glad Google finally made it for Mac __________________ 13" 2.53GHz Unibody MacBook Pro: 250GB HD, 4GB RAM 10" MSi WIND Hackintosh: 1.6GHz Atom, 160GB HD, 2GB RAM, Leopard 10.5.7 15" 2.16GHz MacBook Pro: 320GB HD, 3GB RAM Twitter

May 13, 2009, 01:41 PM	#16
zwilliams07 macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Detroit, MI	I had been using the Chromium build from Latko for a while now. He is better known for compiling the optimized Firefox builds. http://www.latko.org/2009/02/13/chro...uild-for-os-x/ __________________ POWERED BY: Mac Pro : 4x2.66GHz, 4GB RAM, 3.75TB HD, HD4870. Custom PC : 4x3.0GHz C2Q, 780i Mobo, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD, and eVGA GTX280 (OC'd 10%).

May 13, 2009, 01:45 PM	#17
lamadude macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kortrijk, Belgium	Finally! Some decent browser competition on the mac. I will stick to FF3 though, since non of the other browsers allow me to have a spell-check feature for multiple languages.

May 13, 2009, 01:45 PM	#18
HailToTheVictor macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2007	I have been waiting for this for the past few months as I use Chrome on my work pc and like it a lot, but I doubt it will replace Safari on my Mac (once I get it working after the 10.5.7 debacle) __________________ 15" MBP 1,1 held together by Scotch tape and love, tv 160, APEBS, iPhone 3g, iPhone (day one owner for both) iPod 5.5g

May 13, 2009, 01:46 PM	#19
twoodcc macrumors 603 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Right side of wrong	glad to see the mac version is finally coming. competition is always good, but i like safari 4 right now __________________ tville pump Smarter than the average bear

May 13, 2009, 01:47 PM	#21
chstr macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2009	video doesnt work yet in chrome. no youtube etc __________________ I owned my first apple computer in 1987, my second in 2006

May 13, 2009, 01:48 PM	#22
TripleF macrumors newbie Join Date: Apr 2009	Always good to have alternatives. I currently use Safari 4 and Camino as a backup. Looking forward to Chromium.

May 13, 2009, 01:48 PM	#23
EmperorDarius macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2009	Just another browser with less privacy for the users. Won't be any better than Safari or Camino.

May 13, 2009, 01:52 PM	#24
GuillaumeB macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Paris, FRANCE	Wow that's a pretty old news I personnally prefer chrome over safari. Safari 4 is everything but intuitive. The tabs on top are not that easy to manage compare to Chrome. Also the tab resizing is really getting on my nerve. i had to tweak the whole thing but am definitely waiting for chrome __________________ GuillaumeB - My Website MacBook Pro - 2,4GHZ \| 4GB of RAM - Mac OS X Leopard Samsung NC10 Hackintoshed in 10.5.7

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode