Google Chrome getting on better with Apple's Snow Leopard

Google released an update for Chrome to fix compatibility problems with Snow Leopard on Monday, which along with other fixes shows the gradually maturing state of the Mac OS X version of the browser.

Chrome 4.0.203.4 for the Mac is only a couple of notches up the version ladder than the version 4.0.203.2 it replaces, but there are some significant changes in the developer-preview software. Jonathan Conradt, a Chrome engineering program manager, said in a blog post that programmers fixed a garbled text bug to make the browser compatible with Snow Leopard.

Google began Chrome on Windows but has been gradually moving it to Linux and Mac OS X - those versions so far are still only developer-preview incarnations.

Google is fleshing out some basic features though. One user-interface tweak enables support for command- and shift-clicking.

Another feature coming to the Mac is support for the tab-to-search feature in the omnibox. That lets users perform a site search directly from the address bar by typing a URL, for example 'silicon.com', then the tab key, then search terms.

Tab-to-search also works with Amazon, Google, Google News, and Yahoo!, The New York Times, but not Bing yet. For those who search a lot, this removes a step as well as the waiting for a page to load just so they can click in the search bar.

Google is working hard to spread Chrome, though it has small market share at present. However, it's now installed as the default browser on some Sony laptops.

Google has been advertising the browser as well and is at work making it the foundation of its Chrome OS.

Original article: Google reforms Chrome for Snow Leopard from CNET News.com