Google's Bruiser of a Browser [BusinessWeek]

See the full article for more details

In an uncharacteristic burst of modesty, Google (GOOG) co-founder Sergey Brin says we should think of the company's new Chrome Web browser simply as a worthy challenger to Microsoft's (MSFT) Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, and Apple's (AAPL) Safari. "What we want is a diverse and vibrant ecosystem," Brin said at the Sept. 2 Chrome launch. "We want several browsers that are viable and substantial choices."

Don't believe it for a second. Although the first version of Chrome has a half-finished feel and runs only on Windows, a close look at its features and underlying design reveals a far more dramatic goal. Chrome aims to take on not just Internet Explorer's 75% share of the browser market but Windows' dominance of the desktop itself.

The final paragraph:

Chrome won't dispatch Internet Explorer or Firefox, let alone Windows, to history's dustbin. Not yet, anyway. These mature browsers have been getting steadily better, and Internet Explorer 8 marks a significant advance in protecting users from malicious Web sites. What's more, Google's great ideas have often suffered from poor execution­—its Gmail program is officially in its fifth year of beta testing. But Google has placed a marker that is sure to shake up the industry.

Google's Bruiser of a Browser