Today Google revealed its take on the operating system.  And it’s called Chrome OS.  What’s that you say?  You’ve heard of Google Chrome, you are using it right now?  Google Chrome is a browser, just like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox.  What Google has announced is an operating system (think Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac OS X) that runs in the Chrome browser skin.  The desktop and the entire workplace resides in what looks very much like the Google Chrome browser you may be using today.  The team at Google knows that when most people turn on their computer they go directly to their browser of choice to access the Internet.  Their plan is to streamline this process by making the browser the home base of your computer.

Now let’s talk hard facts.  Chrome OS is based on Linux and the current Chrome browser.  It is entirely web-based and only runs web apps.  All your storage will live in the Internet “cloud;”  this means that all of your data (documents, music, pictures, etc.) will be stored online.  Local hard drives will only be accessed to cache data and keep your computer speedy.  Think of the cloud in the same terms you think of how your email is handled.  You don’t download your email messages to your hard drive; it is all stored on the Internet, whether you use AOL Mail, Gmail, whatever.  An advantage of an OS based on the cloud: You can take your virtual space with you everywhere; all you need handy is your login information and a Chrome OS-capable computer to sign in and access all your data.  The OS itself is “light;” it will take just seconds to fully boot up your computer.  And this is  one of Google’s main goals: to get you on the Internet as fast and safe as possible.  Speaking of safety, Chrome OS will be highly resistive to viruses and malware; Google has designed a security layer based on its own binaries and the OS easily upgradable with over-the-Internet updates for the entire OS.

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Aesthetics.  Again, Chrome OS looks almost identical to a current Chrome browser.  The differences lie in the following areas.  The tabs you have come to know and love will serve a dual purpose: website tabs and now a taskbar.  Up top is where all your websites and web apps will live.  At the top left corner there’s a start-menu-esque button that reveals a panel of web apps, shortcuts, and favorites; they call it the “Chrome Menu.”  The demo showed shortcuts to Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, and Gmail, among others, taking space in this menu.  Some web apps will open in tabs while others will take shape in a “panel.”  Panels open at the bottom of the screen and allow you to access other programs like music streaming app or chat apps without leaving the current web page you’re focused on.  The panels are collapsible and they “float above your regular content.”  There’s also something called “overview mode” that’s basically Chrome’s version of the virtual desktop.  This mode allows you to switch between multiple Chrome OS windows that may be running different apps.

Some lingering details.  Chrome OS is open source as of today; this means that developers will be able to fiddle with the Chrome OS source code and help tweak the design of it.  What happens when you plug in a USB device like a digital camera?  The content shows up in a tab and easily transportable to ongoing chats, social networking sites, etc.  Google confirmed that users will have the option to print from the OS, but details of how it would be done were kept under wraps.  Google said that they are “very committed to Flash” incorporation, and that’s always a good sign; no word on Microsoft’s Silverlight though.  Chrome OS will notwork on every computer.  In fact, it requires a Solid State drive and a Google-approved computer.  Sounds kind of lame if you ask me; we’ll have to wait and see to find out how it’s all going to work.  It is compatible with x86 processors (think Core 2 Duo) and ARM processors.  Google made clear that Chrome OS will play the part of a secondary hardware interface and that it’s not for everyone.  It will initially ship only on netbook computers (which have always been companion devices to people’s main laptop or desktop stations) and may work its way into larger, more powerful systems in the future.  And since it is tailor-made for people who just need to access and live on the Internet, Google says, “If you’re a lawyer, editing contracts back and forth, this will not be the right machine for you.”  They know their target market.

Conclusion.  Google Chrome OS is still in its early stages of development.  Heck, it’s not even in beta form yet.  Google announced that it will be ready for consumers some time next year.  Though pricing details were not shared, Google says that it will be cost-competitive to current OS’s on the market today.  So, what do we gather from all this?  Google has gone ahead and created an operating system of the futurethat essentially runs in an Internet browser and stores the majority of its information in the invisible cloud.  Google thinks they’re the holder of the secret formula for the OS that today’s generation of Internet-reliant people want and need.  With Chrome OS, computer users will press their “on” button, wait mere seconds to boot, and be surfing the Internet, accessing their email, streaming music, and updating their social network statuses with grace and ease.  Will this formula be one of success with the computer market dominated with much more functional OS’s like Windows 7 and Mac OS X?  We shall find out soon enough.

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo]