signor_john - 10:24 pm on Dec 1, 2009 (gmt 0)

Google's new OS is going to be web dependent. With a web based architecture it will be imperative for the browser to not be weighed down by slow loading sites.

I'm not sure what you mean by "web dependent," but I doubt that the functionality of Chrome OS will be compromised by Joe Blow's slow-loading site.

IMHO, to whatever extent speed may be a factor in Google's complex ranking algorithm, it's likely to be about providing a good experience for the Google Search user. If statistics indicate that slow-loading sites dissatisfy searchers, why wouldn't Google search want to include "molasses factor" in its ranking algorithm?