Google Chrome for Mac Beta Will Lack Several Features

TechCrunch is reporting that in order to meet a self-imposed end-of-year deadline for the beta release of the Chrome Web browser for Mac, Google is trimming numerous features from the software.

The good news is, Mac users will still be able browse the Web with Chrome. However, many extras will be missing, among them Google Gears, which lets sites like Gmail and Google Docs work even when you're offline.

App Mode, which lets you create Fluid-esque standalone, single-site Web browsers, will similarly be nixed from the upcoming Chrome beta release. Also on the chopping block: Chrome's Bookmark Manager, support for multitouch gestures, 64-bit compatibility, and full support for browser extensions. Most of these features have pushed to a future release, so don't worry, they'll come down the pike some day.

If you can't wait to get your hands on such an enticing, if feature-light, Web browser, head over to the Chromium Project to sneak a peek of the pre-beta development versions. The beta release is expected this month, and may see the light of day as early as this week.