Let's say you're on 4chan and there's a creative thread with a bunch of images. Threads can reach 150 images before they max out. You could use the Linky extension to "Open All Image Links in Tabs" and you would instantly be up over 100 tabs.
That's just one use case, but there are certainly many others.
That's certainly true, but Chrome ostensibly doesn't know that, and spins a new process per tab (or close to it). Creating 150 new processes, even if just to load an image in each, increases memory consumption and processor overhead.
There is a google chrome extension for 4chan that will let you preload all images or open all images inline. It also auto fetches new replys and loads them inline aswell. I am on my phone right now so I can't find what it is called, but IIRC it was the most popular and highest rated 4chan extension.
I have that Chrome extension and a similar one for Safari.
I just dislike opening images inline or all loaded into one separate tab, because then it turns saving individual images into a mouse-driven task rather than a keyboard-driven task.
As an aside: what do you use to browse Hacker News on your phone?
There are some apps for browsing HN in the app store, but I haven't bought any of them to try. Right now I browse HN through http://ihackernews.com/ which is a nicer stylesheet for mobile browsing.
That's just one use case, but there are certainly many others.