The operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, Google announced a new project that’s a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System.
Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year they will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010.
Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. They’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. Google is also completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates.
Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html
