Schmidt on Chrome

According to Electronista, Google's CEO Eric Schmidt resisted Chrome over concerns raised by his recollection of browser competition in the 1990s. After lobbying (and demos) by Google's founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Schmidt agreed to produce Chrome -- while saying Google didn't intend preventing competition, and that MSFT was free to port its own browser to the OS platform.

The Jaded Consumer's assessment of Google's business view of Chrome (that it will enable more folks to access revenue opportunities for Google) looks to be spot-on:

Although Chrome will be free, Mr. Schmidt said it will still boost Google’s business. “We benefit when people spend more of their life online,” he said. “So for us it’s a very straightforward strategic initiative that ultimately results in more revenue.”
via WSJ

In particular, Schmidt commented that although Android and Chrome are separate projects, they both share some commonality and may more toward each other in the future.