Charming imperfection

Started using http://www.google.com/chrome this week, and today realised that it shares a certain feel with Linux. This intriguing mix of charming new features and glaring lack of old and relied on ones; of impressive performance and uncomfortable glitches; new design and minor trapdoors.

It is fast, it is pretty, it offers an interesting take on a few user-interface elements, it's certainly a pleasant and modern feeling piece of software to use. It feels like Firefox felt, back in the day, before it was called Firefox and began to become what it once set out to attack.

But that's the catch: charming youth comes with youthful imperfection. It's just part of the package. No form completion (which seriously kills some business scenarios). Bad Flash-performance (Linux-people start grimacing at the mere thought of Flash). Awkward file-handling and weird text-selection (things not working quite as you're used to being oh so very Linux!).

Many of those are teething troubles or yet-to-be-implemented features. They'll be fixed, adjusted and introduced. The interesting question is: will it then still feel modern and youthful?