Google Chrome for the Mac goes live: Will Apple cave on iPhone access?

Google (GOOG) finally launched its Chrome browser for Apple computers (AAPL), rolling out a beta version on Wednesday. I tried it. Chrome is really, really fast. Thus far, you can't use extensions -- programs that extend a browser's functionality -- which means I can't truly pass judgment on Chrome. But the mere presence of Chrome on Macs is likely a sore spot for Apple team, which has been engaged in an increasingly public battle with Google over control of the future of the mobile Internet.

The browser still matters because it remains the key entry portal for the vast majority of Internet usage. This will be even more important as Web-based applications for word processing, spreadsheets and other tasks seamlessly mesh with offline traditional software products. But Chrome on the Web matters less than Chrome on the phone. And on the iPhone, in particular.