Makes timely sense too, as so much web 2.0 and 3.0 blurb is about that users recognise this need for a stable browser that deals with multiple apps better, how a rebuild makes more sense.

A PR slip-up or a clever ploy to generate a bit of excitement? I'm not sure, but it seems that there is going to be a lot of press about this regardless.

I guess if Google does this right, and I'm almost certain they will following on from similar initiatives elsewhere, they're going to be driving a lot of search through their engine which naturally means more ad revenue, more traffic and more emphasis on optimising for Google, again!

Google world domination - guaranteed! :)

I wonder whether Yahoo will follow suit?

Any plans for a SEO for Chrome I wonder too?

Google is now hosting the comic on their own domain as well: http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/

Works much faster - thanks! Just linked to it from one of my clients blogs instead of using the original.

my guess is that this is step 1 to the full scale google OS.

From what I've hear Google will officially release the download for their browser today (I'm looking forward to checking out the release). I've looked all over the web and found some leaked photos of it. Here is a big version of a screen shot on Fliker http://www.flickr.com/photos/h_u_p/2820882966/ and here is another page that has quite a few screen shots http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-09-02-n72.html.

I've also Googled for "google chrome" and got their cached page in the results that apparently had all the screen shots on it - but Google has taken the page down and removed the cache version for now. Although you can still see that this page existed from the listing of the page in the results.

Also after checking out the entire comic, I like what they have done with JavaScript. I think it's about time some of the browsers focus more on this as many of the web apps out there on getting very heavy on JavaScript. But I'm also interested in how closely they will adhere to CSS standards and image standards like PNG transparency.

All in all it will be worth checking out.

P.S. Wonder if they're going to using data from their browser as part of their search ago like MSN is planing to do?

Yeah could well be right, although I think they'll be going down the route of merging what we traditionally see as an OS and interacting it with the web.

Google docs, endless tools and applications would make this really quite simple. What would the OS be called?

Then the next step would hardware, with Google-world-domination software pre-installed...What would you call a Google laptop? G-PC? Gaptop? Gbook? I better trademark those names before they get their hands on them - they're too good to be giving away for free!

The line will be less clear I think and more a matter for integrated apps, social experiences, web 3.0, between the OS and web...

Google knows no bounds. They'll start competing in any industry where the players previously thought Google was their ally.

It's now obvious that even the Family Circus is not safe, for Google is obviously making moves to become the "#1 unfunniest shitty comic of all time" category.

Loved that comic comment. So true!

Small companies can do the same by sharing story ideas that are non self-promotional. E.g. If I'm marketing baseball caps, I can give a tip to my favourite baseball bloggers about some new rookies that are looking great at training camp and that the MSM haven't covered. The whole story won't be about you, but you'll get a hat tip. And some of your analysis might be repeated, so that you're seen as an expert. Baseball fans will become more familiar with you then.

Sorry bookworm, not following you? Have you posted in the wrong place?

Aaron, the comment box is doing funny thing's by hiding text and re-writing over them when you retype...I'm using Google Chrome if that makes any difference, just thought you should know...

Hi yet another ben
Not sure what happened there...you are the first person to mention it so far.

And I think Bookworm posted in the right spot...he was saying that by giving someone a scoop you can still get the exposure that a big brand would, even if you are not a big brand.