Sure Google's "Chrome" has flaws, says Walt Mossberg competitor David Pogue, but oh boy what potential.

That tab thing? They're really onto something there. And Pogue's LOVING those dedicated desktop icons for bookmarked sites.

Pogue didn't get bribed by getting Chrome a week in advance like heavier-hitting Wall Street Journal guru Mossberg. But that doesn't stop him from raving about it. Pogue's even sold on Chrome's "Do No Evil"-ness. It's all open source!

[W]hat is Google up to?

Is it trying to build a platform for running the software of the future, thereby de-emphasizing Windows and other operating systems?

That's a yes. Google even went to the trouble of rewriting Javascript, the programming language that underlies many such online programs. According to online Javascript speed tests, Google's version is twice as fast as IE7's.

Will Google ensure that its own services run better in Chrome than in other browsers? Is this part of Google's great conspiracy?

That's a no and a no. Chrome is open-source, meaning that its code is available to everyone for inspection or improvement - even to its rivals. That's a huge, promising twist that ought to shut up the conspiracy theorists.

For now, it's best to think of Chrome as exactly what it purports to be: a promising, modern, streamlined, nonbloated, very secure alternative to today's browsers. You should do exactly what Microsoft, Apple and the Firefox folks will all be doing: try it out and keep your eye on it.

See Also:
Tech Guru Mossberg Pees On Google Chrome
Google Launches Cloud Operating System "Chrome" And Calls It a "Browser"