Why is Google bringing out an OS, anyway?
The Chrome OS team say that the impetus to develop Chrome OS came from the massive sales of netbooks, the number of users living in the cloud and the number of always on, always connected devices. The 40 million Chrome users acquired over the last year doesn't hurt, either...
So, Chrome OS - where can I get it?
You can't, yet. Google says that Chrome OS won't be out until near the end of next year.
Next year? But isn't the code available now?
Developers have access to the Open Source Chrome OS code, yes, but the final Chrome OS isn't going to be the sort of operating system that you download and install. Instead, you're most likely to buy a netbook-like device with Chrome OS pre-installed.
But don't worry, there will be a worldwide launch and everybody will get it at once - no Amazon Kindles, here.
We'll need a separate device for Chrome?
Chrome is more like a browser with extensions than what we traditionally think of as an operating system. That means that it doesn't use hardware exactly like a traditional operating system either. Installing it on your current desktop, laptop or phone is a little trickier than upgrading to a new version of Windows.
Chrome OS is just a browser?
Mostly. It will store all your sessions between logins, and all your settings and data will be stored in encrypted form in the cloud, so you can log in anywhere and start right where you left off.
How will I run my normal apps?
Chrome has standard browser tabs, but it also has a set of 'panels', which are applications that run like mini browser windows, on top of whatever window you have open. So, if you plug in a camera, for example, a panel pops up with the photos in it, ready for you to drag and drop into a browser window, chat panel and so on. The Chrome OS team says online apps will run, but we haven't seen how exactly it'll work.
Panels, eh?
Well, apparently the Chrome OS team calls them 'moles' because of the way they pop up unexpectedly.
If Chrome is all in the cloud, what can I do when I'm not connected to the internet?
Chrome will cache much of the apps locally, so that you can still run them, and synchronise them the next time you connect to the cloud.
That sounds like a lot of storage...
We know. We asked the Chrome OS team whether devices would come with a nice big quota of online storage, and they zipped their lips and said they couldn't talk about future products and announcements. We took that to mean that the answer is yes. Let's face it, Gmail's 7GB gets filled far too easily already for there not to be a huge chunk of Google Storage dedicated to Chrome users.
What about security?
Well, the root partition, with the OS on it, is mounted by firmware as read-only. That means nothing can mess with it. In addition, the system partition is encrypted, (at 128-bit encryption to meet US export requirements, no doubt) and synced back to the cloud. To protect against viruses, each tab runs as a separate file system and as a sandbox with defences around it, to help protect against viruses. Never say never, but Chrome sounds like it's thinking about security very carefully indeed.
Why would you buy a Chrome netbook when you could get one with a full OS?
Well, one reason is speed - instant internet, as compared to the minute you might have to wait for a Windows 7 netbook to start up. The second will likely be cost. Given that Chrome runs in the cloud, you don't need much storage, or hardware, or heavy components. Keep it simple, and netbooks with Chrome will be super-cheap and super-portable. Google says it's working hard to make the trackpad and keyboard the best possible, and that sounds like a good first move.
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| Chrome OS has standard browser tabs, but it also a set of 'panels', which are applications that run like mini browser windows |