Google Chrome OS

Google Chrome OS is a forthcoming Linux-based, open source operating system designed by Google to work exclusively with web applications. First announced on July 7, 2009, Chrome OS was originally intended to be publicly available as a stable release by the northern hemisphere "late fall" of 2010 according to Google. On 15 November 2010 Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed that the new operating system would not be released until early 2011. A public demonstration Chrome OS took place on December 7, 2010 and Google confirmed an official launch in 2011 at that time.

Chrome OS will not be available as a download to run and install. Instead, the operating system will only ship on specific hardware from Google's manufacturing partners. The user interface takes a minimalist approach, resembling that of the Chrome web browser. Because the only application on the device will be a browser incorporating a media player, Google Chrome OS is aimed at users who spend most of their computer time on the Internet.

Google Chrome OS is initially intended for secondary devices like netbooks, not as a user's primary PC, and will run on hardware incorporating an x86 or ARM-based processor. While Chrome OS will support hard disk drives, Google has requested that its hardware partners use solid-state drives due to their higher performance and reliability, as well as the lower capacity requirements inherent in an operating system that accesses applications and most user data on remote servers. Google Chrome OS consumes one-sixtieth as much drive space as Windows 7. Companies developing hardware for the operating system include Acer, Adobe, Asus, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Intel, Samsung Australia, and Dell.