Today Google presented and demonstrated their Chrome OS at an event in Mountain View, CA. We were unfortunate not to attend but viewed this via a webcast… here are the key points as far as we see it.

Chrome OS for Dummies

Launch Date

Chrome OS is not launching today… but the source code as it stands is available now to download as Chrome is completely open source. Google expect the launch to be late 2010, before the holiday season.

Chrome Browser

• The Chrome Browser is essentially the OS. It is the only application that is really running.
• The browser is focused on the three S’s… speed, security and simplicity.
• Extensions for Chrome are very close to being available soon. These will be written in HTML and Javascript and Google manage the updating of these.
• Chrome is built to take advantage of multi-core systems and have communication with media peripherals such as cameras.

Overview of The Chrome OS

As with the Chrome browser the OS is also focused on speed, simplicity and security.

Speed

• Boot time should be real fast… comparable to turning on a TV. During the demo boot time is about 7 seconds
• The Chrome browser is already fast… Chrome running on Chrome OS will be even faster than it is on other platforms

Simplicity

• All applications are WebApps… Chrome OS will only run web applications
• Because of this there will be no need to install/maintain your software
• All applicaton and OS data (wallpaper etc) is held in the cloud.
• When you insert a USB drive this opens a new tab in Chrome… you can view files including media and office files. If you click on an Excel file this can open a new tab with a web app that supports that file type

Security

• Because all applications are WebApps with Google Chrome OS there is a fundamental change to how security can be implemented
• When system is booted the system checks it’s applications cryptographic signatures. If it doesn’t like what it sees it re-downloads the OS, re-installs and reboots. Because your data is held in the cloud your settings are saved. The locally cached data is also saved.
• All locally stored data is encrypted.

Other details

• Chrome OS is open source… Google appreciate all the  hard work and help that they’ve had from many open source projects such as Linux and want to pay them back.
• Google are targeting the larger netbook space… clam-shell type devices with full size keyboards and touchpads.
• Hardware… users cannot just install on any device. Google are looking to give amazing experiences and as such are specifying the hardware components that are needed to support Chrome OS… though if you have certain netbooks which are available today and a screwdriver then you might be able to get it running
• Prices… similar to today’s prices. There is no target price.
• What netbook was on the demo… off the shelf Eee PC
• How do hardware chaps get involved… documentation is available to say which components are supported/needed
• What about an app store… Goggle will be looking at solving discovery of these app but wouldn’t go into detail
• Some apps are not available on the web, what about these…  Google looking to deliver a companion device, they expect folks to have a secondary device at home.
• HTML5 video and audio codecs + flash shall all be supported
• Further hardware details to be expected in middle of 2010
• What about offline access… primarily designed for use with connectivity but will be able to cache data. Also apps that use html5 offline capabilities will of course be able to do so.
• Can Chrome OS be run in a VM… Yes, Google’s developers do this and users today could build code and run within VM
• What about anodroid apps… these will not run on chrome
• other hardware… 2010 will be only notebook focused
• business models… Google are working with partners but Chrome OS is completely free.
• printing… Google say they will have an innovative approach to printing, more to be said later about this.

With Google’s Chrome OS event due to take off any minute now (webcast available here) The googlesystem blog have posted a blog post which links to the source code.

We’ll be watching intently.