Google chrome os planned for 2010 release

Great article by CTOedge about the upcoming Google chrome OS

Google is now open-sourcing the development of the system in a project known as Chromium OS.

The Chrome OS code base, user interface experiments and initial design are now free and accessible to the public.

Although Google does not expect to have a version of Chrome OS ready for consumers until 2010, the operating system is already having a major impact.

Google is developing Chrome OS as a completely Web-based system. All applications will be Web applications, meaning everything a user does will be browser-based, eliminating the need to install, manage or update software.

Google is also hyping the security aspects of Chrome OS, saying each application resides in its own “security sandbox” and the system will verify the integrity of its code each time it restarts, with an automatic reboot if anything seems suspicious.

In addition, by running applications in parallel and streamlining processes and operations, Google says it will give Chrome OS users the fastest Internet experience possible.

Essentially, Chrome OS will leverage the capabilities of cloud computing to turn the existing Chrome browser into an operating system that is not burdened with the need to store any data.

With its planned release of Chrome OS, Google is taking on the entire Windows operating system, never mind the Office solution set. And because Google is actually offering a substantially different alternative to Windows, rather than simply duplicating it or open-sourcing its capabilities, it may succeed.

Should be interesting to see the impact if any of these competitors to Windows 7 and Windows 8.