Chrome OS

Google Chrome OS, also called the Google Chrome Operating System or Chrome OS is developed by Google Linux distribution which is based on a Linux kernel and its own browser Google Chrome. Part of it is released under an open source license and is aimed at the use of web applications. Chrome OS is developed on the basis of Chromium OS. Of this distinction are other operating systems similar name, which were not developed by Google, but incorporate only products from Google favors, such as Cr Linux OS based on the Linux distribution, openSUSE, and since 2008, not refined gOS based on the Linux distribution Ubuntu.

Objective

Chrome OS to be fast, easy and safe to use. It is especially suitable for use on netbooks, which are equipped with Flash memory and can be operated without hard drives; on these devices is to start Chrome OS within a few seconds. The graphical interface is reduced to a minimum and is not much more than the Chrome browser ready. The focus is clearly on the use of Web applications, such as those provided by Google, for example, with Gmail and Google Drive available. A constant connection to the Internet is therefore a prerequisite. An offline use, however - limited - on the use of the HTML5 standards possible.

After the launch of Chrome OS the user to store its data by default in the Internet and edit. This includes data which are obtained in the use of so-called web applications. These applications include its browser and e- mail, social networks, telephony, text processing, maps and more.

Google wants to challenge with Chrome OS in particular the operating system market leader Microsoft.

History

On 7 July 2009 Google Chrome OS has been officially announced, and a day later the company presented the first OEM partners, which hardware and software should offer along with Chrome OS (Acer, Adobe, Asus, Freescale, Hewlett -Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Toshiba). Moreover, had shortly afterwards to Intel known to participate in the development. Next, the company also is working with Canonical to Chrome OS with some Ubuntu developers.

On 19 November 2009 the source code of the beta version was released. In December 2010, Google had announced that the first devices with the new operating system until the first half of 2011 will be available in stores.

Reference hardware Cr -48

On December 7, 2010 Google announced at a press conference at the Netbook Cr -48. This was intended as a reference instrument and was awarded to testers and developers as part of a pilot program, but which does not stand in Germany. It should not go into the trade. The device has a screen size of 30.7 cm (12 inches), a 3G modem, WiFi, a webcam, a USB port and a memory card reader. It weighs about 1.7 kg. The battery life should be about eight days in operation for about eight hours and in stand- by mode.

A special feature is the keyboard is: Although the device has - contrary to some other netbook models - a full-size keyboard, but missing the parking and the function keys. The former was the latter replaced by a " search button ", through buttons for common operations within a browser.

The device name is an allusion to the unstable chromium isotope with mass number 48

Chromebooks

Google has delivered the first two notebooks with Chrome OS in June 2011. It's notebooks from Acer and Samsung. The devices are already installed (with QWERTY keyboard ) imported as U.S. versions to Europe. In May 2012, two new models were introduced, the Chromebook Series 5550 and the desktop computer Chromebox Series 3, which also developed in collaboration with Samsung. The latter should be particularly attractive to business users. On both devices, which are currently only available in the U.S. and the UK, the new Chrome OS version is installed with the window manager aura.

Chromium OS

Chrome OS is developed on the basis of Chromium OS, in which, in contrast to Chrome OS source code is freely available and usable. Chromium OS contains instead of Google Chrome under the BSD license Chromium browser. New Chrome OS versions, are derived from the current state of the Chromium OS development and added a number of commercial programs like Google Chrome, Adobe Flash Player, a PDF plugin, Netflix Instant, and Google Talk. Chrome OS is thus a commercial, installed on devices by Google and its partners, variant of Chromium OS.

Relation to Android

The system is to be developed separately from the initiated also by Google 's Android operating system. According to Eric Schmidt Chrome OS this is aimed more at the device with a keyboard, whereas Android is meant to be used for touch screen devices.