Decodes HD videos at a much faster rate
By Dileep Thekkethil
BANGALORE: Google launched its much awaited 64 bit Chrome browser for Windows 7 and 8 on Tuesday and rose to the status of a new age 64 bit browser.
A day after its release let’s see how the 64 bit version of Chrome stands out from the 32 bit when comparing its performance and features.
When compared to a 32 bit processor the 64 bit has more processing capacity as it uses optimum amount of Ram. They also feature ‘Registers’ which are storage slots that are capable of improving the processing speed. The new Chrome 64 bit is designed to give the users the best browsing experience by making use of all these hardware features. But users will have to manually download and install the 64 bit version due to plug-in issues during ‘over the air’ auto-update.
One of the major improvements made by the Chrome browser when it comes to 64 bit is the ability to decode HD videos at a much faster rate. When put to test, the 64 bit performed more than 15% better in decoding HD videos from YouTube.
The browser has made staggering improvements in loading heavy webpages with complicated codes. The browser is almost crash free and doesn’t hang in the middle of decoding hefty scripts, giving optimal viewing experience to the user. The official Chrome claims that the 64 bit version can also detect threat caused by hackers.
Speed has become the pivot around which the internet revolves. As more and more Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are installing fibre optics for providing connections, speed at which the browser renders the data has become important. This was one area that Chrome has never compromised. From the maiden day of its launch back in September 2008, chrome has maintained the stature of the fastest browser ever. This is one of the reasons why Chrome is now the leader among other browsers.
The 64 bit version doesn’t guarantee full support of 32 bit plugins, but essential ones like Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash Player will work fine as they have 64 bit versions. Some websites like Google Earth will have issues loading in Chrome 64 Bit browser because the google earth plugin is only available in 32 bit version. Chrome has suspended the support for their older plugins by dropping the older NPAPI interface and adopting a much better PPAPI interface.
One of the visible changes in the new chrome is the improvement made with regard to viewing fonts. The text in Chrome 37 is displayed using Windows DirectWrite technology that offers high text precision using hardware acceleration feature while decoding.
One handy addition to 64 Bit chrome is the auto save feature. Once the webpage is loaded, chrome automatically saves it in the cache and to retrieve it when offline, users just have to click on “Show saved page”. This is one of the highlighted features of 64 bit chrome.
There is something for the Windows users to cheer about in the new 64 bit version. Google has now enabled support for HiDPI; a technology enabled in all new age Windows machines. HiDPI is the windows counter part of Apple’s Retina eye which has higher pixel density rendering sharper images and text.
Google Chrome 37 has also managed to fill many of the security gaps of its older versions. An estimated $51,000 was offered to hackers or security checkers by google to check for vulnerabilities in the browser. Out of the $51,000 more than $30,000 was paid to a tester named lokihardt@asrt for pointing out a bug that if not killed would have let the hackers run malicious software by evading the built-in security system of chrome named “Sandbox.”
So if you have a PC with minimum software requirements to run google chrome 64 bit browser, then don’t hesitate; it is worth trying. The browser can be downloaded from the Google Chrome official website.
Google has today launched a 64 bit beta version of Chrome for Mac which has improved speed and less memory usage.
Updated on 29-08-2014
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Be aware that if you have a 64-bit system, you’ll have to download the 64-bit Chrome browser manually from Google Chrome’s Web site. When Chrome downloads its new browser from the “About Google Chrome” setting, it automatically downloads the 32-bit version. You’ll know the 64-bit version because it will have 64-bit in parenthesis: Version 37.0.2062.102 unknown-m (64-bit)