[tiki pirate]

Google have announced they are working on a "Google Chrome OS", a lightweight operating system initially aimed at netbooks. Google state how todays OS's were originally designed when the web wasn't around, so they're taking a different typical "Google Chrome" (read the Google Chrome Comics) approach to their new OS.

There is still a lot of work needed on it, but it is definitely a project worth keeping an eye on.

Check Out Official Google Blog: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

[T-Keith]

You beat me to the post. I'm kind of torn on this one. On one hand I like the idea of a lighter more purpose built OS, but I don't know if I can completely give up a full featured OS. Perhaps I can dual boot. This may be the thing to finally decrease microsoft's market share. Too bad Ubuntu hasn't made that happen, I think it is really on its way.

I've already seen the detractors elsewhere. I want my data local! I'm scared of google! Good, stay away. To me, Google's Chrome OS sounds like a good netbook OS.

[antar05]

Google has finally announced plans to release a full-fledged operating system, initially targeted at netbooks:

Official Google Blog: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

Personally, I'm skeptical. I appreciate the thin-client approach as much as the next guy, but if the OS is really gonna be as minimal as it seems, I predict a pretty large backlash--there are some things you want from a computer that just can't be accomplished on the web (managing your music / photo library, for one). But, at the very least, I guess by the time this project rolls out, Chrome will be fully supported in Linux...

[NoisufnoC]

Introducing the Google Chrome OS

7/07/2009 09:37:00 PM
It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser. Already, over 30 million people use it regularly. We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends. However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS 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 as we did for the Google Chrome browser, 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.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.

Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.

We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear — computers need to get better. People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files. Even more importantly, they don't want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates. And any time our users have a better computing experience, Google benefits as well by having happier users who are more likely to spend time on the Internet.

We have a lot of work to do, and we're definitely going to need a lot of help from the open source community to accomplish this vision. We're excited for what's to come and we hope you are too. Stay tuned for more updates in the fall and have a great summer.

Posted by Sundar Pichai, VP Product Management and Linus Upson, Engineering Director

Original Link:
Official Google Blog: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

[NoisufnoC]

HaHa! beat me to it. Oh well, merge all the threads here

[Samuel]

Everyone wants a os that boots up and is able to get onto the internet almost instantly!
If this os is any good at all it will probably only be good for netbooks because if you have a desktop it is prolly decent running 2.0ghrz dual with at LEAST 2gb of ram which is fast enough for almost instant internet use.
Thats almost the basic for any laptop or desktop now but you can almost buy a quad core desktop for the same price as a dual core laptop.

[Dreizehn]

Just thought I'd make a post about Google making a new linux-based OS designed for netbooks. Here's a few links:

AnandTech
DailyTech - Google Unveils Linux-based Chrome OS
Five Things Google’s Chrome OS Will Do for Your Netbook | Gadget Lab | Wired.com
Gizmodo - Google Chrome OS for PCs: Look Out Windows and OS X - Google Chrome OS

Not entirely sure what's planned for this OS, as some links say it'll "run only Chrome" and others will run other programs as well.

One surefire detail: Cold Start boot up in seconds.

[kommissar]

only thing is, what if you live in bfe somewhere where there isn't a wifi soup all around you? or you have att who doesn't want you to tether? you're going to want some files stored on your machine, and you're going to want to edit them too. maybe just watch a vid or listen to some music.

i also agree with the google trust comment earlier. at the very least, who's going to be running google 5 years from now? what if the gummint takes them over like they are everything else?? wouldn't that be nice: the irs has access to all your most personal data!! are you effing KIDDING me?!

do you REALLY own stocks? or do you just own an account number and pin? what about intellectual property? if it's on some google server instead of your local machine it can be seized at any moment. if the sheeple get too used to this, they won't think twice about it until it's too late, then we won't be able to get it back, just like we'll never see a stock certificate again. or a real silver coin.

[ptdmini12]

This will be interesting. wouldn't go for it unless I could dual boot.

[Dunhamzzz]

I've just started a forum: http://www.gochromeos.com

Would be great to get some members from here to help it start out!