Google Android may be busy taking over the handset market and making a run for the tablet space. But it’s not the only mobile operating system Google is cooking up. The company has been working on Chrome OS, a Linux-based operating system based around the Google Chrome web browser since at least 2009. It’s just taking a little while for the OS to actually make it to market. Now DigiTimes reports that notebook makers plan to start shipping Chrome OS notebooks during the second half of the year.
Among the notebook makers expected to launch Chrome OS devices are Acer, Asus, Samsung, and Sony. DigiTimes reports the notebooks from these companies will come with 10 to 12 inch displays and they’ll either be powered by Intel or NVIDIA chips. Chrome OS can run on x86-based chips such as the Intel Atom line or ARM-based processors like NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 chip.
HP and Dell are also said to be looking at Chrome OS, although neither company has made any sort of commitment.
What’s interesting is that DigiTimes also suggests that at least some of the Chrome OS notebooks may be dual boot systems which can run Chrome as well as another operating system. Google has made it clear that it doesn’t see Chrome OS as a dual boot solution — but I think there are plenty of people who disagree. While a browser-based OS can boot quickly and provide a sort of security since much of your data is stored online and can’t be damaged if something happens to your computer, it’s not yet clear how big the market is for a notebook which doesn’t run any native apps at all. Being able to boot into Windows or Android as well as Chrome OS would be one way to address that concern.
So is Google just not interested in letting you use their computers in an internet dead zone (such as on an airplane)? And what if you need to take it to a foreign country where wifi or 3G are not as readily accessible?
Cloud computing seems to be the way things are going, but wont’ replace the need for being able to access your own data locally.
Chromeos is based on linux (ubuntu/debian) so there are ten of thousands of applications that could be installed on it, if chromeos were meant to run local applications. It is not. It is meant to run clould based applications in a highly secured envirnment. So a computer/device running chromeos will get online quickly, securely and run like a charm. Optimized to surf and do things online. That is the idea. For it to succed it will have to be dirt cheap and give you a superior online experience.
A priced tag around $200 for the best surfing, online living experience you may find on earth…. that is the goal…. just three months away….
Can’t wait to get one!
I love the security they presented with their beta version, but it will take sometime to catch up to Window OS programs. Android came out 3 years ago, yet there is no media codecs package that can support most file formates out there, such as CCCP for Window OS. Video chat been around Window for ages yet no native support from Android beside HoneyComb. These same thing goes with Apple IOS. How much longer do we have to wait for them to port all the greatest from Window OS to Android or Chrome OS remains to be seen.
Oh please… I really like Android, but the “Coming Real Soon Now” syndrome is getting me down. Note to Google and other companies: take a leaf out of Apple’s book, when you have a product to launch, say “here’s the product, and you’ll be able to buy it on {date within 2 months of announcement}”. Vapourware kills enthusiasm.