Google Chrome May Leave Beta Soon

— -- Three months after its release, Google appears ready to take its Chrome Web browser out of beta. This is a comparatively short gestation period for a Google product (Gmail has been in beta since 2004), especially given the myriad of bugs Chrome has experienced and the fact that it's still unavailable on Apple computers.

Word on the Internet is that Google vice president Marissa Mayer revealed the company's intentions in an interview at a Parisian Web conference. Once Chrome is out of beta, OEMs can then absorb the browser into their computers, setting into motion Google's plan to preinstall Chrome on new PCs.

The real question is whether Chrome is actually finished, and if its release will have any impact on Chrome's browser market share numbers. Just last week we heard about Google's plug-in strategy for Chrome outlined in design goals and conjecture. It offered no timelines or target dates for this project's integration. So if one of the most valuable aspects of a contemporary browser isn't finished, does that mean the browser should stay in beta?

In terms of market share, Chrome hasn't fluttered above the 1 percent mark. Firefox, however, blasted through 20 percent, poising somewhat of a challenge to Internet Explorer's 69 percent.