Google Chrome OS is an operating system project first introduced to the public by Google on 7th July 2009. In Chrome’s initial pre-release it was coined by Google as an “open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks” and had a planned release date somewhere in the 2nd half of 2010.

The Chrome project is focused upon web heavy and usage and has 3 core aims:

Speed

The OS is being designed with netbooks and low power devices in mind. This is due to the vision (and ever increasing reality) of Cloud Computing and hence a lot of the donkey work will be performed “in the cloud”. Other areas where speed is being looked at is in the time it takes for the average laptop to boot… if a user wants to simply check their mail then this time should be minimal in the eyes of Google.

Simplicity

The OS is planning to be very clean and simple, where most tasks take place on the web and in the ‘browser’ (will there be such a thing as we know it?). We can think of the Google Chrome OS extending the deisgn principles applied in their existing web applications such as GMail and the Chrome Browser.

Security

Google plan to reinvent the security architecture of an OS to reduce risks of attacks from malware and viruses. By basing the OS on the linux kernel they already have taken a step in the right direction.

Other benefits to end users will be reduced costs due to the OS’s open source nature. Not having to pay for a Window’s license when purchasing a new laptop/netbook could reduce the cost by reasonable sum.