Chrome is still a threat to your MacBook's battery AND your Surface too

[GreyFox7]

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/10/8381447/chrome-macbook-battery-life?

Google’s Chrome is the best web browser for my needs. Apple’s MacBooks are the best computers for my needs. So why is the combination of the two such a wretched and chronically compromised situation? Almost every advice column on how to improve MacBook battery life begins with the suggestion to avoid using Chrome in favor of Apple’s more efficient Safari browser.​

The idea that Chrome is a big and profligate battery drain on MacBooks has existed almost as long as the browser has been available,​

and most benchmarks reiterate it by showing Chrome’s gluttonous consumption of system resources for seemingly basic tasks.

The native Safari made the new Retina machine look good: 13 hours and 18 minutes. Google’s Chrome, on the other hand, forced the laptop to tap out at 9 hours and 45 minutes.​

That's about the best independent confirmation there could be of what we know to be true of Chrome for the Surface Battery life. Settled science!

 

[TunaSurface]

There's not a browser better than Chrome on my opinion. I use it knowing it drains my battery but there's just no other way. I'm really excited to see how the Spartan browser works.

 

[GreyFox7]

Google has pulled the Chrome over peoples eyes for a long time but you can't fool all the people all the time.

 

[leeshor]

I have one customer in particular using a laptop. It runs with zero problems if she uses IE or Firefox but runs out of resources everytime she uses Chrome. I have pointed out to her the amount of memory it uses even when she isn't using it but she forgets what I showed her and complains every time she gets the resource pop-up. Amazing.

 

[hughlle]

For me it's a catch 22. Like with @TunaSurface i don't think there is a better browser (for me) given it's add-ons and all the shamzizzle you can do with it, but yup, alas it is a pig. I tend to switch between chrome and IE depending on what i need to do or what my battery/wall socket situation is like. I'd just like one browser that can do it all. Maybe one day someone will pull their thumb out.

 

[leeshor]

If you want add-ons, Firefox is the king of add-ons and had them before Chrome. Personally I get quite aggravated with Chrome and use it as little as I can. The only reason I have it at all is because of Hangouts. (what was Google Talk)

 

[hughlle]

If you want add-ons, Firefox is the king of add-ons and had them before Chrome. Personally I get quite aggravated with Chrome and use it as little as I can. The only reason I have it at all is because of Hangouts. (what was Google Talk)

It is indeed the king, but alas the browser seems to be fubared a lot of the time on my surface (pretty much cannot use it without the fan running full tilt). On my machine it is even more resource intensive than chrome making it an absolute no-no.

 

[VickiFL]

It is indeed the king, but alas the browser seems to be fubared a lot of the time on my surface (pretty much cannot use it without the fan running full tilt). On my machine it is even more resource intensive than chrome making it an absolute no-no.

I agree. I have exactly the same experiences as you.

 

[leeshor]

It is indeed the king, but alas the browser seems to be fubared a lot of the time on my surface (pretty much cannot use it without the fan running full tilt). On my machine it is even more resource intensive than chrome making it an absolute no-no.

All I can say is that's not the case with some of my customers. They can use Firefox and not exhaust resources even with the Chrome stub loaded.

 

[TunaSurface]

The thing is I don't mind draining the battery when I'm on my desk, where my charger is and where Chrome works best, with a keyboard and mouse. What bothers me is the fact that in order to use Internet Explorer in it's proper form, it has to be set as the default browser, which I refuse to do.
I could use IE on the go and Chrome back home but it seems that's too good to be true.


EDIT: 300th post (yay)

 

[VickiFL]

Ok, so I copied all my favorites over from Chrome to IE. Did I read correctly somewhere on this forum that just having Chrome on your SP3 will drain the battery, even if not used? I set IE as my default browser, but still have Chrome installed. So far, I don't see a big difference in battery consumption.

 

[jnjroach]

Ok, so I copied all my favorites over from Chrome to IE. Did I read correctly somewhere on this forum that just having Chrome on your SP3 will drain the battery, even if not used? I set IE as my default browser, but still have Chrome installed. So far, I don't see a big difference in battery consumption.

You need to kill all Chrome background processes as well... preventing it from launching at Startup.