Version 50 of Google’s popular Chrome web browser was recently promoted to the stable channel for Windows, Linux and Mac. The latest iteration is noteworthy for the simple fact that what’s been taken away is arguably more important than the new features it delivers.
If you recall, Google announced back in November that it would be ending support for older operating systems in April 2016. Keeping its promise, Chrome 50 no longer supports Windows XP, Windows Vista, OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
It’s worth noting that Chrome will still work on these older operating systems but they’ll no longer receive updates and security fixes. Google said the decision to drop support for older operating systems had to do with the fact that Apple and Microsoft no longer support them, either.
That leaves legacy users with a few different options moving forward. The obvious answer is to upgrade to a newer operating system. Microsoft ended extended support for Windows XP in April 2014 with plans to do the same for Vista next April. Apple’s older operating systems are no longer officially supported, either.
Elsewhere, Chrome 50 includes push notification enhancements, the ability for content creators to detect when a notification has been dismissed or how it is handed (alerted by an audio tone or vibration, for example) and faster page load times, just to name a few.
Chrome 50 also includes the usual mix of low, medium and high risk security fixes (20 total) discovered both internally and through the help of independent security researchers via the Chrome bug bounty program.
Current Chrome users on supported browsers should automatically be updated to the newest version. If not (or if you’re new to Chrome), you can download it by clicking here.
https://www.techspot.com/news/64453-chrome-50-improves-push-notifications-drops-support-legacy.html
