Google's Chrome OS set to debut this week

David Swan
Monday, 16 November 2009 05:19

IT Industry - Development

Industry leader Google is set to turn the desktop OS war on its head, with several sources tipping that the company's new Chrome OS is about to make its debut later this week.

According to Google, the new OS is “initially targeted at netbooks”, Google says, and partners in the development stage include Intel, Acer, ASUS, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba, among others. This would mean that Chrome's initial direct competitor would be Windows 7, whose netbook compatibility has also been widely touted. Apple don't currently offer an OS X netbook edition, although many users have put the operating themselves on netbooks, known as 'Hackintoshes'.

Google first announced plans for a Chrome OS back in July. Hopefully the OS is more successful than the company's other recent offering, Android, which runs on smartphones but has experienced several teething problems.

Google have said that the new OS is “designed to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the Web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the Web.”

“And we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.”

The "just work" mantra seems to be a Jobsian phrase, but the architecture beneath the hood is believed to be a Linux kernel which boots into a modified version of the Chrome browser – because, according to Google, “Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web”.

The web becomes the platform for developers writing for Chrome, as web technology such as AJAX creates the entire user interface. Local storage can also be utilized through Google's "Google Gears", which is already in action on Gmail and Google Docs, allowing users to archive their online data.

The reports of the Chrome OS launch first surfaced via TechCrunch , who cited "reliable sources". Just how reliable these sources are will become known over the coming week.