After surging for much of 2011, Google Chrome's (NASDAQ:GOOG) PC browser share has edged lower...

After surging for much of 2011, Google Chrome's (NASDAQ:GOOG) PC browser share has edged lower in recent months, according to NetMarketShare's stats. If the numbers are accurate, Internet Explorer (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Firefox's recent upgrades have halted Chrome's march. But StatCounter's figures suggest Chrome's gains are continuing, albeit at a slower pace. Chrome is instrumental to the profitability of Google's search ops, both because Google is its default search engine, and because it doesn't require traffic acquisition costs.