02 June 2010 | Author: D. Warburton Search Copywriter

Google sets 'late autumn' release date for Chrome OS

A Google vice president has announced that the company's Chrome operating system will be launched in the "late autumn" of this year, and will initially be targeted at users of laptops and netbooks.

The company's first step into the OS market, Chrome OS will compete directly with Windows 7 on its release, by offering users speedy access to online applications such as Gmail and Google Docs from a simplified operating system. Initially to be released with netbooks and laptops in mind, Chrome OS hopes to appeal to workers and net fans on the go, by stripping down and streamlining to make an operating system that's fast and focused on connectivity.

PC Pro reports that the Mountain View giant has not yet revealed which partner companies it will be working with to develop Chrome-ready netbooks and tablet computers, though it has denied earlier rumours that Acer was working on developing a Chrome netbook.

Sundar Pichai, head of the Google Chrome project, told attendees at the Computex PC show: "We will be selective on how we come to market because we want to deliver a great user experience.

"We're thinking on both the hardware and software levels."

Recent developments like Google's acquisition of 3D desktop software BumpTop indicate that the company is looking to make a big splash with its new operating system, despite Microsoft's recent dismissal of its competitor's plans for an open source operating system, which it claims will mean software developers need to create numerous versions of applications to work on different systems.

"Chrome OS is one of the few future operating systems for which there are already millions of applications that work," Pichai explained.

"You don't need to redesign Gmail for it to work on Chrome. Facebook does not need to write a new app for Chrome.

"We expect a generation of applications, including games, to work inside the browser."