I had some people ask me what Google Chrome OS is so I decided to blog about it here and share it with those of you who also don’t know what it is or how it works. Google Chrome OS is an open source operating system based on Linux that was designed by Google to exclusively work with web applications and was officially announced last July. It has a minimalist user interface (UI) that closely resembles the Chrome web browser. Google Chrome OS is targeted for users who spend most of their time or do their work on the Internet and intended for secondary devices like netbooks.
To make it easier for regular users to understand how it works, the folks over at Google in collaboration with Epipheo Studios have produced this simple video that tells how the Chrome OS was created.
Last November 19th, led by Vice President Sundar Pichai and Engineering Director Matthew Papakipos, Google held a press conference in its Mountain View, California headquarters and demonstrated an early version of Google Chrome OS. Below is the video of the demonstration.
So what do you think about Google Chrome OS? IMO, its a great operating system especially for users who are always connected to the Internet and do a lot of cloud computing. Its also an ideal OS for netbooks and other portable devices because the hardware requirements are minimal. I don’t know what Google’s plans are but it would be awesome if they could incorporate a Google Gears-like feature into it so users could also use it offline.
As you’ve seen in the video demos, Google Chrome OS booted up in only 7 seconds! Another cool thing about it is that it consumes 60 times less drive space than Windows 7. Hewlett-Packard, Acer, Adobe, Asus, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Freescale and Intel are some of the big named companies who are developing hardware/devices for this operating system.
Btw, if you’re a software developer/engineer you can play around with it’s source code which was also released last November 19th with an open source license under the name Chromium OS.
[image source: Wikipedia]
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December 7th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I like this one, loads up very fast but uh…what if the internet is slow or there’s no internet at all? how are you going to watch your movie or listen to your music?
November 30th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Google Chrome OS is nice, looks good. but what if the internet is slow? How can you listen to your music, or watch videos smoothly without chapping or play your games without lagging…uhmm?
November 28th, 2009 at 2:11 am
I’d like to see it being made workable offline, and I do feel that we’ll be seeing this functionality sooner or later. I didn’t realise Chrome OS was based on Linux until you mentioned it, and am glad that is the case. Linux rocks and is definitely a very viable alternative to Windows.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:09 am
I’m a big Chrome fan. Hope Chrome OS delivers too.
November 26th, 2009 at 12:22 am
I’m going to download this now. It looks ok.
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November 25th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Thanks for the info about Google Chrome OS. I’ve been reading a lot about this OS. Looks very promising. Hopefully, it will end the monopoly of Microsoft in OS software. Let us wait and watch.
Aswani´s last blog ..A day inside a temple
November 24th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
It’s a neat OS, maybe Google will develop this into a full-blown OS just like Windows, OS X, and Linux. :P
I do have one question though, what happens when the connection gets lost? Without the web, it’s pretty much useless.
Jhay´s last blog ..The Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 – A few reservations
November 24th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
It’s like a browser you can’t leave. The OS IS the browser. Sweet.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
It’s a good idea, a web browser as your operating system.. but then there were so many ‘what ifs’ and negative reactions coming from the people..
I don’t think Google Chrome OS will then be as good as the OS that we’re using today (Windows, Linux etc.).. In terms of simplicity, usability and accessibility, okay, but it won’t really work for now..
Japaul Vergonia´s last blog ..Google’s Leading Edge: Wave and Chrome Operating System