No matter what Google does, its Chrome browser is a RAM addict. This situation directly conflicts with users who open dozens of tabs per session, and more time is lost managing the browser instead of using it. While we wait for some radical optimization in its code, we have allied extensions like Toby, which throws a mantle of efficiency over tab management in a format far superior to the conventional "speed dial".
Why Chrome Consumes So Much Memory
Why does Chrome consume so much memory? From a similar point of view, other users may ask the same about Firefox. The essential answer remains intact: modern web browsers are "much more than that" now. They incorporate secondary functions that didn't exist in their original versions, extensions are more complex, quality control is inferior, and as a result we get leaks of a couple of gigabytes with just two or three open tabs.
For a long time, browsers participated in a "speed race" shaving milliseconds off their JavaScript engines. Now, I think we'd love to see an "efficiency race" to see which browser consumes less RAM. Although extensions are considered part of the problem, there are extensions that help keep consumption in check, simultaneously offering more complete management methods. One of those extensions is Toby.
How Toby Works
The first thing Toby does in its default configuration is replace Google Chrome's "speed dial", which I honestly don't use. Essentially, its main function is to create groups of extensions that we can open and manage with just a couple of clicks. To create a group, you open all the tabs you want inside it, assign a special name, and click the "add current tabs" button.
Editing groups is very simple: Each page can be removed by clicking the cross that appears on the upper right corner, and when adding more, the process is the same as in creation. Opening a group of tabs is a quick action, although closing requires clicking one by one. The extension doesn't have a button like "close this list", but the menu on the right side is a solid replacement. As an extra (and optional) tool, Toby syncs groups via Google Drive.
My test of Toby focused on the latest build of Google Chrome, though I reckon there won't be major problems with Chromium and other variants. If you find something strange, the user has the option to send feedback from within the extension, and all that process requires is a name along with an email address. If you're a Chrome rider, you should take a look.
