At long last, Google Chrome for Mac is finally in an official, publicly accessible beta. All we can say is, 'It's about time!' There's just something extremely ironic about a Web browser based on WebKit (a layout engine that Apple created for its Safari browser in 2002 that didn't even appear on Windows until 2007) taking 15 months to actually come to the Mac.
I've found Chrome to have significantly more system impact on MacOS (Catalina, MBP 2016), than safari - even though chrome is nicer to use. For video that might be a 2-3x the overhead (counting across all the relevant processes I could see).That is a lot. May 06, 2010 Has anyone else noticed that there is a process called 'Google Chrome Renderer' which takes up 5-6 processes in Activity Monitor? Initially, I was shocked and happy to see how little memory Chrome took up. But now, I'm not so sure. You add it all up, and it's about 350 MB or so!
Ignoring the fact that Chrome Extensions aren't supported on the Mac version of Google Chrome right now (although if you manage to get a copy of the extension file, you can actually install them — whatever), the question becomes: How does Google Chrome for Mac stack up against its Windows counterpart? Pretty well, as it turns out.
Look and Feel
For the purpose of my testing, I applied the same Google Chrome theme to the latest version of Google Chrome for Windows and for Mac OS X. The default theme for each browser conforms to the UI specifications of each OS, so applying the same theme was the best way to show off the similarities and differences.
As for similarities, the two browsers look virtually the same. The placement of the buttons and menu bars, the way tabs work — everything is uniform from one platform to another. Even the Preferences (called Options in the Windows version) are nearly identical.
The one exception is that Chrome for Windows can do Bookmark synching and install extensions and Chrome for Mac cannot.
Under the Hood
I wasn't able to do a lot of render tests, but because Chrome for Mac and Chrome for Windows share the same version number, they should render content the same way.
Google Chrome's Developer Tools setup is equally identical under Windows and Mac. In Mac OS X, the Developer Tools take on the same theme as the rest of the browser (in Windows it uses the default Windows window styles), but the content is the same.
Google Chrome Helper Renderer Mac 2020
This makes sense, because Developer Tools is virtually identical to Safari's Web Inspector. And by virtually identical, I mean they are exactly the same.
Differences
Right now, there are very few differences between the two programs, although two stand out.
Extensions — Chrome for Windows supports them, Chrome for Mac does not. Right now this appears to be due more to an imposed restriction rather to any actual technical compatibility issue, but we'll trust the Chrome developers and hope to see Mac support soon.
If you really can't wait, check out this tip from grack.com. Note: You'll need to use either a compatible developer's build or the latest Chromium for Mac nightly.
Menu Bar — One of the striking features about Chrome for Windows is its utter lack of an application bar (you know, File, Edit, View, etc.). However, in Mac OS X, there is a menu bar across the top of the screen that is always present. In addition, applications offer individual menus when that program is running in the foreground.
To Google's credit, they decided to adhere to these guidelines, and, in the process, actually give Mac users some features that will be convenient to anyone who uses Safari, Firefox or Camino. This includes the standard File/Edit/View/Window menus, as well as a Bookmarks menu and a History menu.
Yes, you can access your bookmarks and view your history in a browser window from within the actual Chrome application, but these options make it a bit easier for users who are used to using the top Bookmarks menu or who want to see a list of recently closed tabs.
Overall
Clearly, the similarities outweigh the differences, and Chrome for Mac looks like a near-perfect native version of the Chrome browser. Current Safari users should especially feel at home, because the first beta for Google Chrome for Mac is extremely similar to Safari 4. That means that once extension support officially comes to the Mac, OS X fans who want a good secondary browser might just have found something that can usurp Firefox.
Mac users: What are your thoughts on Google Chrome for Mac so far?
The “stable” version of Google Chrome 78 rolled out to Windows and Mac a week ago, but for some on Windows, this release has been anything but “stable.” A change in Google Chrome 78 has caused some antivirus applications, like Symantec Endpoint Protection, to crash Chrome on Windows 10 with an “Aw, Snap!”
With Chrome 78, Google introduced a Windows 10 specific feature called “renderer code integrity,” which is designed to prevent unsigned code from taking control of Chrome’s page rendering processes. Generally speaking, this was designed to stop most viruses from being able to change the way Chrome’s pages load.
Instead, once Chrome 78 rolled out, many Windows 10 users were faced with “Aw Snap” crashes on every page. After some careful sleuthing by the Chromium team, spotted by Techdows, it was found that, ironically, antivirus programs, among others, were injecting unsigned code of their own into Chrome. Specifically, at least these four apps have been confirmed so far as causing “Aw Snap” crashes:
- Symantec Endpoint Protection
- PC Matic
- Print Audit
- Palo Alto Traps
Each of these programs attempts to inject itself into Google Chrome to be able to keep an eye on internet traffic (or printing) directly, generally with the goal of preventing users from browsing malicious websites. This is usually done by injecting a DLL file into every process named “chrome.exe.”
However, everything Google Chrome does, from tabs and extensions to the renderer, is done in a “chrome.exe” process. By indiscriminately latching on to every Chrome process, these apps end up attached to things they don’t need to be.
Thankfully, there are many different solutions to fix these “Aw Snap” crashes on Windows 10, depending on which app is causing the problem for you.
Update Symantec Endpoint Protection
The issue with Symantec Endpoint Protection causing Aw Snap crashes was found months before Chrome 78 hit stable, and Symantec rolled out an update in preparation for this. However, many have not yet updated to version 14.2 of Symantec Endpoint Protection.
Some have noted that Symantec Endpoint Protection may still interfere with Chrome 78 following the 14.2 update, in which case reinstalling that app should do the trick.
Disable renderer code integrity
If you’re using one of the other affected apps, or if you still see “Aw Snap” crashes after updating Symantec, you can manually disable Chrome 78’s renderer code integrity features to get back up and running quickly. To do so, right-click your Google Chrome shortcut, and choose “Properties.” In the box labeled “Target,” add a space after the final quotation mark, then add disable-features=RendererCodeIntegrity.
Google Chrome Renderer Mac Torrent
When done, the text in your “Target” box will look similar to this:
“C:UsersAdminAppDataLocalGoogleChromeApplicationchrome.exe” –disable-features=RendererCodeIntegrity
If you’re managing Chrome for enterprise devices, you can also disable the renderer code integrity via a policy setting.
Be sure you remember to undo these changes once the affected software has updated to be compatible with Chrome’s renderer code integrity.
Wait it out
Due to the discovery of more software that cause “Aw Snap” crashes related to Chrome 78’s renderer code integrity, Google is rolling out an update to disable the feature temporarily. Hopefully the rollout should take no more than a few days, but once the update arrives, you should be able to browse as normal without crashes.
Be sure you keep your computer’s other software updated, as Google has emphasized that renderer code integrity is only being disabled temporarily while they work with other software companies to fix any issues. Thankfully, Google has said they will give us all a heads-up before they enable renderer code integrity again.
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