A History of ChromeOS

Google Laptop will come pre installed with Chrome OS and is Google’s first attempt at a Operating System due to be release this year.  Chrome will differ from the tradition OS by being totally cloud based.  Chrome OS was announced back in July 2009 and is a Linux based OS designed to work with web based applications. Chrome OS will only ships on specific hardware from Google’s partners. The Google laptop will take a minimalist approach to its interface.  Google is aiming Chrome OS at users that spend most of their time on the web so have kept the number of apps stored on the laptop to a minimum.

Development on Googles Chrome OS started back in 2009 when there was growing demand for small, light and low powered netbooks with a focus on web based content.  In November 2009 an Google release an open source version called Chromium which allowed users to download and compile.  In December a prototype Google Laptop was shown at a press briefing.  The Cr-48 was designed to test Chrome OS and its features. A new dedicated search key on the keyboard was introduced in this model.   Over 60,000 Cr-48 where given to tested to review in December 2010.  While mainly positive it was noted that Chrome OS still had a long way to go.

Google announced on May 2011 that the first 2 Google Laptop to incorporate Chrome OS would be manufactured by Samsung and Acer with a UK retail price starting at £349 for the Wifi version.  These are available now for pre-order only with an expected release date in July.  Google claims to have a boot up time of under 0 seconds and a impressive 8 hour battery life.  What is very interesting to note is that its claimed that the Google Laptop will not need  any virus protection.  This is because you are storing all your data in the cloud.

10 Chrome OS Features to look out for:

Chrome OS focuses on your web browser. Its interface is 100% web.

Nothing is stored on your computer. Chrome OS is 100% web based.

Chrome OS will be free!

Chrome OS will be open source.

There are no desktop applications, everything is web based.

Everything that comes in Chrome now will be available in Chrome OS.

When you don’t have a live Internet connection: you can’t store or access data.

Chrome OS, for now, will be on specific netbook like devices.

And as you’ve probably guessed, it’s light weight OS and starts up in a matter of seconds, and boot straight into the browser. Likewise, the Chrome browser is very optimized for Chrome OS.  Google is taking the Operating System to a new level by making it totally online.  Most people’s computing experience is browser based so it make sense to make the browser the focus of Chrome OS and making it powerful enough to take over the standard OS and applications which most people run now days.  A Google Laptop armed with Chrome OS is going to be a power piece of hardware and could very well shape the future of other operating systems