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July 8, 2009

Google Chrome OS to take on Windows, Linux

Chrome operating system works on Arm, x86

Martyn Williams

Google today announced that later this year it will release an open-source operating system (OS) targeted at internet-centric PCs such as netbooks.

The Google Chrome OS should begin appearing on netbook computers in the second half of 2010, Google said in a blog post.

Google is already talking to "multiple" companies about the Chrome OS project, it added.

The Chrome OS will be available for computers based on the x86 architecture, which is used by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and the Arm architecture.

Prototypes of Arm-based netbooks began appearing last month at the Computex show in Taiwan and Google's support for the architecture could give it a significant boost. Microsoft's mainstream Windows operating system doesn't run on Arm chips so many manufacturers were talking about using Linux or a version of the Google Android operating system. It's not immediately clear how much the two operating systems share in common code but Google said they are aimed at very different devices.

"Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android," it said. "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."

While Google is initially looking at the netbook segment of the market it might compete with Microsoft and Apple on larger, internet-centric machines.

Chrome OS is "being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," said Google.

See also:

Google Chrome OS - is it war?

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Comments received


HarryF said on Wednesday, 08 July 2009

Microsoft hasn't got a chance. Windows is doomed!

Jenks said on Wednesday, 08 July 2009

Can Google do what Apple has failed to do, and beat Windows at its own game (even if it was Apple's game in the first place!). Maybe Apple will now sue Google...

D@ve said on Wednesday, 08 July 2009

I very much doubt it

i tell the truth said on Thursday, 16 July 2009

Seriously before Google can go head to head with MS in the OS sector, it must first beat it everywhere else.

Google apps sucks compared to MS office, soon MS office will go on the web. Hotmail and MSN, is a lot better then Google chat or Gmail. Google has not beaten MS in any of these areas, Bing in a few years will catch up to google search.

Also you can not get rid of MS. For 3 decades people have been using PCs containing windows,MS office, using hotmail. Everything they do on the pc, in one way or another is connected to Microsoft.

Google needs to get there apps popular first, google app,Gmail, are not that popular compared to MS hotmail, and MS office. People been using MS products for ages, you can not get rid of windows.

Window 7 coming out in like 3months, 2nd half of 2010, google OS will come out. I predict that 2011 windows 8 comes out.

Ignorance is Bliss! said on Thursday, 23 July 2009

Google Chrome is LINUX. Ignorant article and even more ignorant title.
And to the idiot that posted below me:
I have been using Unix/Linux for almost three decades so your little high horse M$ rant is completely NULL and VOID. Without UNIX there would be NO M$ and NO Internet either. Do your research before you post about your inferior knowledge of an inferior product. I don't have a HotMail Account and I don't use any M$ products and yet I still function as a major player in the IT world.

Hahahahaha said on Thursday, 23 July 2009

LOL - Gotta love angry diehard Linux users - especially ones who are major players in the IT world :-)

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