They're building in features that integrate their browser into their web pages.
As far as I'm aware no other major browser holder has done anything of that sort, but I'm probably missing some examples.
I imagine more and more so called convenient features might come where Chrome can suddenly install entire Windows apps, clean my files, and replace my OS. Then again, why not. Who am I to tell Google how to compete, maybe they can replace Windows with something better by gradually bloating up Chrome into an OS inside an OS.
If the HN backlash is anything to go by, a lot of people see it the same way as you (me included).
Every company will act in it's best interest not ours, particularly in the case of Google who are blatantly building out a vision of what they want the web to be for 1 singular purpose: to more closely monitor you for the purpose of selling your online activity to the highest bidder.
This much influence being concentrated is bad for the web.
Viva la revolución!
HN isn't representative of most users of Chrome. I doubt that we qualify as "a lot" to Google. An extremely vocal minority, at best.
Once you annoy enough of the tech literate, word will start to spread. Slowly, then quickly. How do you think Chrome got its foothold to begin with?
And about how Chrome got a foothold in the first place, I distinctly remember Google agressively advertising their own product on their search engine page, and bundling the binary with everything under the sun (Adobe Reader, anti-virus, etc...). Every time you installed software, there was a good chance Chrome was included with it. Tech influencers had their part in the success of Chrome, but it definitely wasn't the only factor, or maybe even the most important one.