UK Netbook Review

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.

There have been rumours already that Lenovo and Google are teaming up to create a netbook that runs Google Chrome OS, some even stating that we’ll see it before the end of the year. Well, today there’s confirmation straight from Lenovo that they are actively considering netbooks with Google Chrome OS. Now that’s far from an affirmative yes, and there’s still gaurantee that we’ll see a Lenovo Chrome netbook, but Lenovo says they are giving feedback on the design and will evaluate the software.

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.

Earlier 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.

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.