[NewsPoster]

For Mac users, the latest beta channel release of Chrome -- Chrome 38 -- makes the switch to a 64-bit codebase, Google has announced. The primary benefit is said to be speed, since it grants access to "a superior instruction set, more registers, and a more efficient function calling convention," according to Google. The company points out that in some cases Chrome can be the only 32-bit app that's running, forcing OS X to load 32-bit system libraries that consume extra memory and launch time.

Chrome for Mac is in fact dropping support for 32-bit NPAPI plugins, though 64-bit versions will be supported until NPAPI is stripped from Chrome entirely later this year. Google hints that Chrome 37 may be the last or next-to-last edition of the browser capable of running on first-generation Intel Macs.

The Windows beta channel is already on a 64-bit codebase. That could mean that the final release of Chrome 38 will adopt the technology as well.

[DiabloConQueso]

In "some" cases?

Dropbox, Divvy, MySQL Workbench, Suitecase Fusion 5, BBEdit, virtually the entire Microsoft Office suite, Skype, FileMaker Pro, and yes, Apple's own built-in Dashboard are all 32-bit apps... just to name a few.

Since Dashboard is active by default, I think there's hardly *ever* a case where Chrome is the only 32-bit app running. That statement by Google is nothing but a stretch of the imagination.

[Charles Martin]

Hold on, are you saying Google sometimes lies to manipulate people to follow the path they want them too like a mouse in a maze towards cheese? I AM SHOCKED.

[Jeronimo2000]

64-bit, in a web browser? Wow, the difference will be earth-shattering.