Specs are now floating around for the netbook/smartbook that Google is ruoured to be building.

According to Engadget, the hardware will include an ARM processor from the Nvidia Tegra lineup, a 10.1” HD 1280 x 720 multi-touch sceen, 32 – 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM and  connectivity via Bluetooth, 3G, and LAN.  Also included are, USB ports, webcam, audio jacks etc.

Ruours are that it will come to market at the end of 2010, and will be sold directly by Google or come bundled with a 3G plan from one or more network operators at a very affordable (possibly ad subsidized) price.

Google Chrome OS for netbooks

Google’s Chrome OS, first announced last July, will be launched and available for download within a week.   Normally I would dismiss this as a crazy rumour, the likes of which we’ve seen before regarding Google’s Chrome OS, but this time, it has been reported by Michael Arrington of Techcrunch, who traditionally has pretty solid leads and connections with Google insiders.

So what can we expect?  According to Techcrunch, a version of the OS (probably an Alpa release) will  be available to download from Google within a week.  The early version will likely have only very limited driver support for your hardware, since it’s speculated that Google will be relying on hardware manufacturers to write and provide those drivers.

Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you up to date on this developing story.

Lenovo and Google Chrome OS partnership

Details of Google's new Chrome OS found

A Chrome OS folder has shown up in some of Google’s own open source developer directories – usually used to download the latest builds of other Google software in development.   Only very cryptic details are being discovered, including an application called Gview, which opens and views PDF files and probably others.  Also, references to a ‘touchpad’ has Techcrunch wondering if Google is creating a tablet, but to me it looks more like a reference to the hardware touchpad found on netbooks and laptops.

All this seems to corroborate that Google’s much anticipaeted netbook OS is definately on its way, sooner rather than later.

via Techcrunch

One of many fake screenshots of Google Chrome OS

Early this month, we skeptically reported that we’d see Google Chrome OS devices ‘later this month’.   Well, it’s the end of the month, and no sign of such devices.  There is, however, a fresh rumour that we’ll see Chrome OS next month.

Shanzai reports that the latest from “trusted industry insider sources” say we can expect devices running Google’s Chrome OS in mid-October.

We’re still skeptical…

Via Netbooked & Shanzai.com

Performance gains for Chrome in Windows XP

Google’s Chrome browser is a newcomer on the browser scene, and still way behind Firefox and Internet Explorer in terms of market share.  However, many see the Chrome browser as a forerunner of things to come in Google’s Chrome browser.

Betanews reports that the latest build of Google’s Chrome browser (Chrome 3.0.193.1) Windows XP SP3 scored a record index score of 18.58 vs a Windows 7 (RC) score of 15.46 and a Windows Vista score of 13.95.

Betanews states:

If Google is optimizing Chrome 3, it’s clearly not for Windows 7. In fact, the gains it’s making appear to be custom-made for XP.

By optimizing their browser for Windows XP, an operating system only shipping on new netbooks now, Google appears to have the netbook market solely in their sites for their, unreleased, Chrome OS browser.