The first time most people heard of Google's plans to launch an internet browser was when, early last week, a 38-page comic book, was accidentally leaked on an unofficial Google blog.
The original release date of September 3 was pushed forward 24 hours when some European reporters received print versions of the comic by graphic artist Scott McCloud earlier than they should have.
According to some sources, Chrome garnered about 1 per cent of the browser market on the first day of its beta release, peaking at 1.7 per cent on day three, before settling at its current 0.8 per cent.
The initial reaction was uproar over a clause in Chrome's end user licence agreement (Eula) which essentially said Google owned anything created or done while using the browser. Google reacted by promptly removing the clause, which had variously been hailed as 'mad' and 'ridiculous' on the blogosphere.
More controversy erupted when a spokesman for Germany's Federal Office for Information Security told a Berlin newspaper last weekend internet users should approach the new browser with caution because its security was untested.
'People should be aware this is a beta version and that we don't yet know much about its security,' Matthias Gaertner later told the Associated Press, while clarifying an earlier comment that Chrome 'should not be utilised for general use'.