Chrome OS will handle media with its own player

Many people seem to be worried about what Chrome OS can't do. However, I am more concerned with what it can do. And there's another skill to add to the operating system's list: media playback. In a recent interview with Ars Technica, the directing engineer for the Chrome OS project explains that Chrome OS, without any web app in play, will be able to play your music and videos.

"...You might just have a USB key that has a bunch of MP3s on it, so you want to be able to plug that in and listen to those MP3s. There might not be any controlling webpage for that activity, but it’s clearly something you need to be able to do in any reasonable operating system or browser. So we’re doing a lot of work to make Chrome and Chrome OS handle those use cases really well"

That said, Mathew Papakipos just might have put many fears to bed. While numerous people have said that a "browser" can't do everything they need to do, this shows that Chrome OS will be able to do quite a bit. You can read the full interview here: Google talks Chrome OS, HTML5, and the future of software.

First Chrome OS Netbook

The news that Acer will be the first manufacturer to release a Chrome OS netbook is making the rounds about the interwebs. The world's second largest computer manufacturer (HP is number one) has announced that it is backing Google's Chrome OS and plans to ship a netbook featuring the system.

They haven't announced what the hardware will consist of, but I have to agree with Kevin Tofel over at jkOnTheRun.com. He proposes that Acer should wrap that Chrome OS around an ARM-based machine, which is a great idea. Think about it: Chrome OS is web-based, so users will be doing a lot of web browsing, which I do anyways. With its top-notch web-browser, the iPhone and iPod Touch are great little browsing machines. And they're powered by ARM CPUs. Also, they feature impressive battery life while browsing.

So think of a small-form notebook with ~15-hour battery life and a bigger screen than the iPhone for doing all your in-browser action. Sounds like a winner to me. And if Acer doesn't step up, I know another manufacturer will, so it's only a matter of time.

As for Acer's machine, the Taiwan-based company says it will be available to consumers in the second half of 2010.

Install Chrome OS on Asus Eee PC

After the adventure with the Dell Mini 10v and Chrome OS, some of you other netbook users may be feeling a little left out out. Well, now there is a guide to installing Chrome OS on Asus's Eee PC. I'm not sure if I would do this if the Eee PC is your main man in the computing area, as Chromium OS is still pretty rough around the edges. But if you like to live on the edge hit up this link for the full guide: How to Install Chrome OS on Asus Eee PC 701.
[Via Sampletheweb.com]

Got a Dell Mini 10v? We've got a Chrome OS Image for You!

Recently, some developers at Dell have prepared a Chrome OS specially for the Dell Mini 10v. The Mini 10v is one of Dell's netbooks and is very close to the type of hardware that Google wants to use when Chrome OS is released to consumers.

So do you have a Dell Mini 10v? I don't, but I am downloading the USB image to inspect the changes that the Dell developers have made. Apparently they have gotten the wireless network feature in Chrome OS to play nice with Broadcom hardware. It's pretty cool to see employees of such a heavyweight as Dell playing with Chrome OS.

However, if you don't have a Mini 10v, you have time to buy one. And by that I mean, time to work at McDonald's, save up enough money to buy the netbook, and then wait until Chrome OS' final version is released. Unfortunately, this is due to the dismal download rate of the image. I have been downloading it for 18 hours and it has three days left running at 20 kB/s (it is a 7.5 GB file).

So has anyone tried the image out? If so, do you mind torrenting it and sharing the love? I will be sure to bring you my findings on the custom Chrome OS build as soon as I can get my hands on it. And if you already have, let us know what you think in the comments!

You can check out the post from Dell here:
Chrome OS Wi-Fi Support Running on a Mini 10v... Source Code Available

The Future Will Unfold as It Does: Chrome OS and Android to Merge

Since Chrome OS was announced, many have questioned how it will relate to Google's mobile operating system, Android. Some commentators say it will harm the company's goals, a so-called splintering of strategies, too many closely-related products. Others say the two systems will compliment one another and produce a thriving ecosystem.

Recently, the question was put to Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt. His response? "The future will unfold as it does."A good and mystical answer from the top of the search giant.

Google's official response to this question is:

"[W]e're reaching a perfect storm of converging trends where computers are behaving more like mobile devices, and phones are behaving more like small computers. Having two open source operating systems from Google provides both users and device manufacturers with more choice and helps contribute a wealth of new code to the open source community."

The official response seems to hold more water, albeit not as yoda-worthy. Google seems to be counting on the fact that mobile phones and laptops are going to migrate towards one another in terms of form and functionality. This reveals the near-perfect placement of Chrome OS' abilities. Google has produced an operating system that some call "too simple" or "not powerful enough" However, I would argue that it is just simple enough and not over-powered.

As mobile devices become more powerful, many users will find that they can do much of their daily computing on them. And with the maturation of web applications, many will find that they do not necessarily need a strong desktop computer to complete tasks. This is where Chrome OS comes in. With it, users will find that their needs are met almost perfectly, without the need to buy expensive hardware.

I do realize that there is and will continue to be a market segment that needs powerful workstations. There are multimedia editors and scientists that need high-end to supercomputer systems and Chrome OS will not suffice. However, this is a small niche in the computer industry and Google is not targeting it. 

Many people are also worried about how the two systems, Chrome OS and Android, will actually merge. Will it be messy and confusing for customers? Will it turn out to be a Frankenstein of an operating system, not fit for mobile devices or laptops? I don't think so. I think the merge will have plenty of time to happen naturally. As mobile devices become more powerful, they will be able to handle a system much like what Chromium OS (the open-source version of Chrome OS) is today. And that's what will be sold with them. It seems as though it will be more of a merge involving mobile devices and Chrome OS, with Android bridging the time between.

What do you think? Will the Android/ Chrome OS merge be a mess? Or will it produce a beautifully simple yet functional system to rule computing for the next decade? Let us know in the comments!

First Look at Chrome OS

Word comes from Gdgt.com that they have a virtual machine image of Chrome OS. As you know, Google released the kibbles and bits of the Chrome OS source code yesterday and it looks like a few brave hackers have put it together for an easily digestible virtual operating system install.

I decided to take my hand at installing Chrome OS in VirtualBox to see how the infant of an OS is coming along. The system booted very quickly. This is definitely going to appeal to those using Windows XP (or even Ubuntu) on their netbooks, as it often takes in excess of an entire minute to boot them.

I also thought the feature of logging into Chrome OS with your Google credentials was convenient. This means if I wanted to borrow my friend's Chrome OS device, he could just sign out and let me log on. There would be no issue of his private data being shown to me.

However, Chrome OS (or Chromium OS, as this source code version is called) is still a very rough version. My trackpad actually stopped working after a few minutes into my session. But overall, I really like where Google's Chrome OS is going.

You can download the virtual machine image here: Chrome OS VMware or VirtualBox Image (we recommend VirtualBox, which you can download here: VirtualBox for Windows, Linux or Mac).
Gdgt also has a USB-bootable image ready, but they warn that it might be for the faint of heart (it involves Linux, oh my!). Make sure you download the VMware image, even if you are using VirtualBox. The VirtualBox image would not boot for me.

So even though Google says Chrome OS will not be available for a "download and install to your computer" type opportunity, we know that with source code running in the wild, it's only a matter of time. Soon we'll have an .iso image to install to your favorite test machine, although it might be a bit hardware limited. Oh, the magic of open source software!

Chrome OS Boot Video

The narrator is a bit dry, but this video will give you an idea of how Chrome OS will accomplish its lightning fast boot up.

Google's Official Chrome OS Video

Interesting...So what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments!

Chrome OS Event Initial Overview

Well, unfortunately, the VP of Product Management at Google,  Sundar Pichai, started today's event off by saying there is no beta of Chrome OS available yet. He then went into describing how far the Chrome web browser has come:

And now for the boot up! Pachai says that Chrome OS will aim for a 14 second boot-up.

Above is the first real screenshot of Chrome OS.

And for all you haters out there: Chrome OS will have Flash support. There were many doubts that this would happen, but it has.

Pichai explained that Chrome OS's goals where the same as Chrome's: 

• Speed
• Simplicity
• Security

Apps will be web-based, no installing. They will be tabs of the Chrome browser.

Matt Papakipos took the stage after Pichai to explain the development side of Google's operating system. The OS will have automatic updates, meaning no users are left behind with security vulnerabilities.  Papakipos also explained how Chrome OS will be different from current systems. He explained that if you get a new computer, you just log into Chrome OS on it and all of your data is there for your, waiting.

And here's the downer: "As a comsumer, you cannot download Chrome OS. You have to go buy a device with the system on it." Well that about does it for me. I thought we would be able to download and install Chrome OS. I mean, isn't that what open source is supposed to be about?

Continue on after the break for the Chrome OS event photo collection.

Google to Hold Event This Thursday Showcasing Chrome OS

The Washington Post sends us word that Google will be holding a Chrome OS event this Thursday, the 19th of November. The event will supposedly involve a "complete overview" of Google's much-anticipated operating system. There will also be more details regarding the release of Chrome OS on netbooks and other hardware next year.

The Post insinuates that next year's launch on specific hardware will be the "complete" launch, making this week's event more of a mere showing. I think earlier predictions of a public beta will hold true and Google should be making Chrome OS available as a download soon after Thursday's event.

The event will be held at Google's California headquarters with Sundar Pichai, Vice President of Product Management at Google, doing the heavy talking. So what do you think? Will we get our hands on the magical Chrome OS the day after tomorrow? Let us hear it in the comments below!

[Via The Washington Post]

Do You Think It's Too Early for Chrome OS?

Garret Rogers over at ZDNet.com asks "is [the] imminent Chrome OS launch reckless?" He points out that early adopters of the operating system might be disappointed with what they find. Rogers predicts the initial Chrome OS release will be "barebones, bordering on useless".

You might have seen this coming, but we have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Rogers. It has been 4 months since Google announced Chrome OS. And we doubt they have been sitting on their hands. Google has legions of programmers (they did develop Android somehow, right?) that come to work everyday to do Google's Chrome OS bidding.

Four months is a long time to get an operating system together, especially one based on Linux. Just look at Ubuntu. They release a new version every 6 months. Rogers says "releasing 'early' is asking for dissatisfied early adopters". Should Google take a page from Microsoft's book? Wait 5 years like MS did before releasing Windows Vista? Not sure if you've noticed, Mr. Rogers, but that didn't turn out too well for Microsoft...

So we think an early "alpha" build is indicative of a great OS. Let the masses (or the nerds that know how to install OS's) test Chrome OS and tell Google what is wrong with it. Then they can fix it, toss it to some OEMs and get it to the market at large. Then everyone will be happy! So what do you think? Will the first release of Chrome OS disappoint users? Tell us in the comments!

[Read the ZDNet.com post in its entirety here]

Chrome Browser Shows File Managing Skills in Time for Chrome OS

Word comes from Downloadsquad.com that there have been some interesting changes to Chrome for Chrome OS's source code. The recently discovered browser is now showing even more signs of the power it will have in Google's operating system.

Now you can examine your files and directories in Chrome (just as you do with Windows Explorer). To check this out just type these into Chrome: "C:\" (for Windows), "/Users/your_username" (for Mac) or "home/your_username" (for Linux). Now this isn't exactly groundbreaking, since Firefox will do the same thing.

However, Download Squad also points out that the source code now contains a "mount library". This reveals plans to have the Chrome browser mount drives in Chrome OS. So get ready to really do "everything" through your browser in Chrome OS!

[Via Download Squad]

Google Increases Paid Storage, Readying for Chrome OS?

Remember the days when you would often get close to running out of room for your email? Maybe you had to choose which beloved correspondance to keep and which one to trash. Well, it looks like those times are even farther behind us, especially if you use Gmail or other Google services.

The news is spreading across the Internet that Google has revamped its online storage plans. The search giant announced the move in its blog ("Twice the storage for a quarter of the price") and now provides an impressive 20 GB of online storage for $5 a year. Google's blog justifies the increase (it was 10 GB for $5) as a remedy for our ever-growing collections of data.

The company points out that, in addition to wanting to save more emails, it is "easier and cheaper than ever before to take lots of pictures" thanks to digital cameras. The storage will be split between a user's Gmail account and his or her Picasa account, which is Google's photo storage service. There are also larger storage options available from Google, ranging from the aforementioned 20 GB to a massive 16 TB (which would cost you $4,096 per year).

I think this bump in Google's storage seems to point in the direction many companies are going: to the cloud. Google will soon be releasing their own operating system, Chrome OS, which you can read more about here: Google to Make a Computer Operating System. Google has said that Chrome OS will rely heavily on cloud computing. This means that instead of using the power and storage of your computer, the operating system will use Google's own server computers to complete tasks. In other words, a lower-powered, less expensive computer  on your end will get everyday tasks done just as well as high-powered system.

So an increase in Google's online storage now will ensure it is ready for prime time when Chrome OS is released. This will give the company a chance to see how its computers can handle the weight of the cloud. I think it's a great thing that they are doing this now. At least they are not waiting to see what disaster could strike an untested online storage service when millions of users are relying on it.