By Julie Bort, Network World |

Chrome 2.0 adds speed, not much else

Google's Chrome browser, the one product Google may have moved from beta a bit too soon, is now officially at Version 2.0. And while the new version boasts some useful features, it's still missing many more that have come to be expected in an enterprise-grade browser. Still, the new version is touted to be close to 30% faster than Chrome 1.0, and that's pretty impressive for a browser that already blistering fast.

PC World reports that Chrome 2.0's new features are "so subtle that without Google's announcement, it's likely they would have gone unnoticed by many of its users." These tidbits include form auto-fill, a new full-screen mode, and the ability to remove thumbnails from the new tab page. In other words, nothing to write home about.

Speed, however, is another story. Most current users of Chrome stick with the browser primarily for its clean interface and lightning speed, especially when using Java-based Web apps. In fact, Chrome 2.0 boasts a 30% speed improvement, due to an update to its V8 JavaScript engine and a new version of its Webkit browser engine. Impressive.

Still, the browser continues to fall short in some pretty startling areas. For example, how can Google actually push Chrome as a major competitor in the browser wars when it doesn't offer versions for Mac (or Linux), or contain such run-of-the-mill features as print preview? And its lack of extensions (ala Firefox) is still a show-stopper for many.

But if uncluttered speed is your thing, Chrome 2.0 is the way to go. Current Chrome users should be updated automatically over the next few days, but can always force an update by navigating to the wrench and About Google Chrome. For more information, check out Google's official blog post and accompanying video, embedded below.

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