Introducing Google Chrome Os

Google Blog ^ | 7/07/2009 09:37:00 PM | Sundar Pichai

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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

[bcsco]

I don’t want to get into the two browser issue. I do my bill pay and banking while I’m online. I can be on FR, jump over to my bank or pay a bill and back again. Same thing with other browsing. I don’t separate such things. Having two browsers just doesn’t make sense for me.

[snowlock]

They even said that in the article you posted:

“Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel”

[snowlock]

It even said as much in the article you posted:

Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I keyed on this statement...
It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.
...and this:
We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight,

which to me,...implies that in the end they are going to have to rework what is in the basic OS and certainly in the Kernel...

[webschooner]

Google Chrome is my browser — it works great — very fast and efficient.

My G1 phone (see my home page) has the open source Android OS, which is a great stable user-friendly OS. About 18-20 more phones are coming out with the Android OS yet this year, plus prolly some netbooks.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

By the way,...two new words...Netbook and Nettoprepresent coming attractions...

Regarding Nettips...we have this:

Closer Look: ASRock Nettop ION 330

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ASRock Nettop ION 330 AMCP7A-ION

NVIDIA Recently unveiled their ION platform, which combines a GeForce 9400m GPU to the Intel Atom mobile processor. The synergistic effect of GeForce and Atom processors have combined to deliver true high-definition performance beyond any mobile platform before it, allowing more range from 'Netbook' and 'Nettop' products. A dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom N330 CPU and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M GPU are packaged onto a Mini-ITX DDR2 AMCP7A-ION motherboard to create the ASRock ION, and ultra-efficient Nettop system. Delivering an compact HTPC or desktop computer alternative with native HDMI high-definition playback capability and powerful computing power isn't easy, and Benchmark Reviews discovers how well the ASRock Nettop ION 330 performs against mobile competitors using the Windows 7 Operating System.

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Now the processor is an Intel Atom processor...which is somewhat like a Pentium of some years ago.....

Watch for someone publishing performance tests of Windows 7 vs other operating systems such as Ubuntu Remix , Intels MOBLIN and this Google Chrome...appearing soon....

Should get interesting.....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

For those that might e interested....

Hands-on: Intel brings rich UI to Moblin Linux platform

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Intel has unveiled the next-generation user interface of Moblin, the company's open source Linux platform for netbooks and mobile Internet devices. We tested it on real netbook hardware so that we could give you a detailed hands-on look.

By Ryan Paul | Last updated May 19, 2009 8:20 PM CT

Intel has announced the availability of the first Moblin 2 beta release. This version introduces the platform's innovative new user interface. Although there are still some rough edges, it delivers impressive usability and aesthetic sophistication. I tested the beta on my Dell Mini 9 netbook so that I could get a real hands-on look at the new version.

Moblin is Intel's Linux-based based mobile platform for netbooks and MIDs. It is heavily optimized for the Atom processor and is designed to work well on small form-factor devices. The project is gaining significant traction among Linux distributors and many have partnered with Intel to participate in the development effort. Individual distributors will integrate Moblin components into their own netbook platforms or build their own derivatives.

Moblin and its various components are distributed under open source software licenses, which means that it can be freely modified and redistributed. Intel recently turned over control of the project to the Linux Foundation with the aim of making it even more open to other contributors. The long-term goal is to turn Moblin into the nexus of mobile Linux development and make it the de facto standard Linux platform for portable devices.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks,...very interesting....