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[quote] Google has delayed a much anticipated branded laptop powered by its Chrome operating system until next year.
Instead of a Chrome OS device for general release, Google announced a pilot programme aimed at people who "live on the web".
Chrome OS is Google's boldest bid yet to erode Microsoft's market dominance with Windows software.
Google has already gone after one of Microsoft's cash cows, Office, with Google Docs.
Chrome marks a departure in traditional operating systems, offering a light touch approach to controlling a computer's hardware and applications.
It also targets users who spend most of their time on the web and are comfortable relying on the cloud to access their data.
"We think cloud computing will define computing as we know it," said Eric Schmidt, Google's chief operating officer.
"Finally there is a viable third choice for an operating system."
Google's head of product for Chrome, Sundar Pichai, said the pilot scheme is aimed at early adopters, developers and users who are used to using beta software.
They will be given an unbranded black notebook that has been dubbed Cr-48.
Mr Pichai said there would be no devices on sale until next year simply because the software was not ready for prime time, due to a number of bugs and unfinished features.
"This is a profound shift," said Mr Pichai, claiming that the operating system is Google's attempt to "re-think the personal experience for the modern web".
"Chrome is nothing but the web," he added.
Machines for the pilot scheme will start shipping soon.
Consumer devices from Acer and Samsung are due on the market in 2011. No pricing details were given.
[b]Features[/b]
At the press event in San Francisco - in front of a crowd of journalists, bloggers and analysts - Google also outlined a number of features in Chrome OS.
Security was at its heart, with automatic updates for users taking away the need to constantly ensure that the latest version has been activated.
The company said that it hoped to be the first to ship a tool called "verified boot" on Chrome OS devices, which makes sure nothing on the machine has been modified or compromised.
"We are confident that when we ship Chrome notebooks, it will be the most secure OS ever shipped to users," said Mr Pichai.
He also said that because data will be accessed through the cloud, users could loan their machines to other people.
"By delivering nothing but the web, it makes it very easy to share your computer," said Mr Pichai.
Google said it has also partnered with telecom titan Verizon to offer connectivity with Chrome notebooks.
The plans range from 100 MB of free data, to $9.99 a day for unlimited data.
There will be no contracts, no activation fees, no overage fees or no cancellation fees.
[b]Concerns[/b]
A number of analysts have questioned whether or not Google is making a smart play with the Chrome OS, given that the computing world has changed dramatically since it announced plans for the low-cost operating system over 18 months ago.
In the last year, Apple's iPad has reinvigorated the tablet market, and Google's own Android OS - which powers smartphones - has taken off.
Android is also being used in tablet devices and netbooks, prompting a number of industry watchers to question Google's twin approach in the OS market.
Many fear two Google operating systems will cause confusion for consumers.
Google's Mr Schmidt does not believe it will, and recently stated that Chrome is for keyboards and Android for touch based devices.
The Chrome OS will be given free to hardware manufacturers.
Microsoft, in comparison, charges a fee for its Windows software.
Back in October, the software leader said Windows sales increased by 66% on a year earlier, to $4.8bn, helping to boost first quarter profits.
[b]Browser growth[/b]
At the event, Google also revealed that the number of users of their Chrome browser has grown from 70m this summer to 120m.
During a demo, Brian Rakowski, the company's director of product management for Chrome, emphasised the speed of the browser.
He showed how fast Chrome is at loading documents, from a 30-page comic book to the 1990-page Healthcare Reform Bill.
Both demos took a number of seconds, and Google said that thanks to enhancements like a tool called Crankshaft, Chrome is 50 times faster than browsers of two years ago.
"The most important thing is it's all going to be really, really fast," said Mr Rakowski.
The team also emphasised security on Chrome - the most important area according to Mr Pichai, who announced automatic updating.
"The bad guys have it easy on the web these days," he said, because users do not update their browsers frequently enough.
Google also unveiled a Chrome web store to help bring users and developers together.
There are over 500 applications available now, ranging from games to newspapers to books.
Apple said in October it would open an app store for MacIntosh computers, in an effort to replicate its success in apps sold for the iPhone.
[/quote]
[b]Source:[/b] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11941601[/url]
It's a cool idea, but I don't like how there's no file system (online only).
[QUOTE=bl4h;26555532]It's a cool idea, but I don't like how there's no file system (online only).[/QUOTE]
The whole idea is that everything you do is in the cloud. A local filesystem defeats the purpose since you would have machines with data not synced to the cloud. It'd be another case of "Ah man, gotta go get those docs off my laptop", which Google are trying to rid OSes of.
Well if that cloud can provide me 1tb of space, Im ok with it.
[QUOTE=edja007;26556097]Well if that cloud can provide me 1tb of space, Im ok with it.[/QUOTE]
OH it can, for a hefty monthly fee most likely. That's the downside. Hopefully it grows into the tech as HDD prices per TB drop.
[Quote="Eric Schmidt"]"Finally there is a viable third choice for an operating system."[/quote]
Oh ex-[b]fucking[/b]-cuse me?
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/NewTux.svg/500px-NewTux.svg.png[/img]
[QUOTE=Cluckyx;26557082]Oh ex-[b]fucking[/b]-cuse me?
[img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/NewTux.svg/500px-NewTux.svg.png[/img_thumb][/QUOTE]
he said viable you dunce
[QUOTE=DarkSpider;26556173]OH it can, for a hefty monthly fee most likely. That's the downside. Hopefully it grows into the tech as HDD prices per TB drop.[/QUOTE]
Then there is no reason to use this os.
[QUOTE=edja007;26557110]Then there is no reason to use this os.[/QUOTE]
why the hell do you need 1TB for a god damn netbook
I applied.
Applied.
What happens when you lose internet connection?
[QUOTE=SGTNAPALM;26559615]What happens when you lose internet connection?[/QUOTE]
Cry in a corner?
[QUOTE=SGTNAPALM;26559615]What happens when you lose internet connection?[/QUOTE]
You have to sign in at least once, sort of like steam does offline mode.
Already applied, I hope I get in.
I really like the idea of cloud computing and all that, and I already use google docs for everything anyway. IIRC there is some form of local filesystem, allowing you to use google docs and such while you are offline. But since these things come with data contracts you are online nearly 100% of the time.
I already have Chrome OS. Not that exciting on a laptop.
[QUOTE=Lazor;26557114]why the hell do you need 1TB for a god damn netbook[/QUOTE]
They never said for their notebook. Once the OS is complete, stable and available for everyone, would you go out and buy a notebook for the sole purpose of Chrome OS or would you make a partition for it on your current laptop/tower?
"Finally there is a viable third choice for an operating system"
Mac OS isn't [i]that[/i] bad...
were do i apply
[QUOTE=Robber;26563400]"Finally there is a viable third choice for an operating system"
Mac OS isn't [i]that[/i] bad...[/QUOTE]
Oh god, if you came into my college everyone crys even the techies about mac's.
I can [I]maybe[/I] see this working for small businesses, but the 300 dollars a month price tag is a bit expensive for the individual.
applyed
Wait its not free to test them?
[QUOTE=stablemist;26562432]They never said for their notebook. Once the OS is complete, stable and available for everyone, would you go out and buy a notebook for the sole purpose of Chrome OS or would you make a partition for it on your current laptop/tower?[/QUOTE]
it's being designed for netbooks and it will be sold on netbooks
i'm sure if you really want too, you can put it on your desktop, but that's really not what it's meant for
Android netbooks would be so much better.
I applied for shits and giggles.
Probably not gonna get in, bein' 16 and all...
I applied, but I'm 18 and I have a business to run so I think I could be picked, unlike these pointless kids.
i dont think age would matter to much
i run a non-profit but i apllyed for personal
It says on the site that they want people 18 or older, and preferably not just people going "hay I want a free laptop." I just applied out of impulse.
[QUOTE=Cluckyx;26557082]Oh ex-[b]fucking[/b]-cuse me?
[img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/NewTux.svg/500px-NewTux.svg.png[/img_thumb][/QUOTE]
Linux is the viable second choice durr
[QUOTE=Lyoko774;26571046]I applied for shits and giggles.
Probably not gonna get in, bein' 16 and all...[/QUOTE]
Also for anyone else wanting one outside the US, read the small print first:
"I understand that Google will only ship the device to a US-based address and cannot send this device to a P.O. Box or address outside of the US."
Thank god for ctrl+f :v:
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