Google today announced a new operating system (OS), Google Chrome OS. In a press release, the company said the new OS will run on both x86 and ARM chips, noting that Google is working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year.
Google says its new OS is being developed separate from Android and was designed for people who spend most of their time on the Web. The software architecture involves Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.
Later this year, Google will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. While the OS is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems and Google concedes “there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap,” the company says it believes choice will drive innovation.
Currently, Windows and Linux-based operating systems have been the norm on the bulk of available netbooks. Acer and Asus are two companies generally credited with creating the netbook market. The pair have enjoyed surprising success, topping bestseller lists with their versions of the cheap, ultra-portable Web-centric devices.
Netbooks have seen recession-proof growth as of late. In January, Gartner projected the market for mini-notebooks, or netbooks, to be 21 million units sold this year, up 79.5 percent from last year.