Google plans an operating system around the browser
Chrome OS proposes a lightweight, Linux-based system centered on web applications, with the first netbooks expected to reach consumers next year.
Google is extending the Chrome name from a browser to an operating system. Chrome OS will be an open-source, lightweight system aimed first at netbooks, with speed, simplicity and security presented as its main design goals.
The company says the software will run on both x86 and ARM processors and sit on top of a Linux kernel. Applications will be web applications, which Google argues can also run in standards-based browsers on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
This approach treats the browser as the computer’s primary workspace rather than one program among many. It could suit inexpensive machines used mostly for mail, documents and the web, while demanding reliable connectivity and strong browser applications. Google expects code later this year and consumer netbooks in the second half of 2010, leaving hardware support and offline use as major tests.
Source: Official Google Blog ↗