Google's Chrome OS to Launch Next Week, Sources Say

News comes screeching over the internet that Google's operating system, Chrome OS, will be available for download within a week. The tech scene's golden boy, Michael Arrington of Techrunch.com (sorry Topolsky!), says reliable sources have provided him with this bit of wondrous news.

This version of Chrome OS is most likely the source code that was slated to be "released before the end of year" according to Google's blog. It might not be completely baked and will probably carry the trusty Google "beta" label, or perhaps even an "alpha" label. But how else can a great operating system become fully stable without a band of great community supporters like us?

So get your downloading pants hitched up and break out those OS installation skills because it's getting close. I mean a week? That's like 7 days! Let's just keep our fingers crossed that Chrome OS will work on a large range of hardware, or at least one of our beasts!

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.

Chrome Browser for Chrome OS (.deb package)

This Chrome version for Chrome OS was discovered a few weeks ago, but we found that it was somewhat difficult to obtain the actual Chrome for Chrome OS installation package (the .deb file). So we thought we would post up a screenshot of the browser in action (with our chosen theme on it).

Notice the small "x" beside the question mark in the top right-hand corner. This tells you "no networks available" if you hover on it. Just another sign of the power that will be given to the Chrome web browser in Chrome OS. It really will be your go to guy for all interaction with Chrome OS.

Speaking of this being a .deb file, we wonder if Chrome OS will be Debian based (Debian uses .deb files for installing programs, like .exe for Windows and .dmg for Mac) ... We've seen some pretty awesome things done with Debian-based GNU/Linux distributions (like Ubuntu and xPUD). With all the distros that are based on it, we know that Debian can be a very flexible base to Chrome OS. And Chrome OS's completely "new windowing system" will insure that this isn't "just another Linux OS" like many people are predicting.

Here's the .deb file for you Linux users out there: Chrome Browser for Chrome OS .deb package

Techradar: 10 Things to Know About Google Chrome OS

Techradar.com has an interesting piece about Chrome OS. It covers 10 things that they think you should know about the upcoming operating system. We thought the question "So Microsoft need not worry about competition for Windows 7 then?" was interesting. We would say that MS most definitely does need to worry about Chrome OS. Techradar says "On the plus side for Microsoft, it will have at least 9 months to get market share and persuade people that they don't need an alternative to Windows 7." And they're going to need those 9 months.

Judging from our experience with Windows 7 (which you can read about here), in 9 months people are going to be clawing to get away from Microsoft's prettied-up Vista. It may sound cynical and like we hate Microsoft and Windows, but it's true. We're betting there will be plenty of users looking to Chrome OS to end their buggy, virus-ridden OS days. So check it out, and leave us a comment of anything other predictions about Chrome OS: 10 Things to Know About Google Chrome OS

Chrome Browser: Fastest of the Browsers, Fastest on Linux

Two separate news pieces come to us today about Google's Chrome browser. Apparently, Chrome is the fastest browser available overall and performs best in its developer build form on GNU/Linux OS's (using X11 windowing system):

From LifeHacker we have this:
"Browser Speed Tests: The Windows 7 Results

Firefox 3.6 Beta 1, like every other browser, makes a claim to being "faster." We took Firefox and all the other latest browsers, put them on Windows 7, and ran them through our human-measured speed tests to vet the bragging." Continue reading at LifeHacker.com

And Slashdot sends word of this:

"X11 Chrome Reportedly Outperforms Windows and Mac Versions

In a curious contrast to conventional wisdom, there are reports of X11 Chromium being faster than Windows or Mac versions" Continue reading at Slashdot.org

That's good news for us future users of Chrome OS. We'll have a beast of a browser to truck us around in the interwebs at break-neck speed!

This is Not the Chrome OS Beta

There has been an iso circulating the interwebs posing like it's the beta of Chrome OS. Well it's not, as much as we here at Chrome Techa want it to be. It's merely a build of OpenSuse Linux made with Suse Studio.

Suse Studio is a service were you can make custom build of the Linux distribution OpenSuse. The web application is actually pretty cool. It lets users pick and choose what software will be included in their operating system. It even lets you test it live. We have an account, but if you want one, you have to sign up and be invited. It seems as though Suse is still "adding capacity to SUSE Studio as fast as [they] can".

So some fan (hopefully) has created a "Chrome OS Beta" with SUSE Studio. And it's parading around the nets as the real thing. So when you run on to it, take it from us that it isn't Google's Chrome OS. In the word of the Engadget, it's just a "KIRF".

Even thought this fake was called out long ago, people are still circulating it like it is the real deal. But have no fear! Chrome Techa will bring you the first droplet of news that points to an official iso from Google themselves.

Google Hosts Event Featuring Chrome OS

We here at Chrome Techa have been waiting on our toes for any word on the upcoming Chrome OS from Google. And Thursday of last week, it seems, we were scheduled to find out more.

PC World told us that Google had scheduled an event at their headquarters in Mountain View, California. This event would have apparently shed more light on the enigma that is thus far the Chrome operating system. The event kicked off at 6:00 p.m., presumably Pacific time.

That "leak" the other day must have gotten the old Google a bit flustered. Apparently some snoopers (not us, we would never do such a thing) found a file directory containing a version of the Chrome web browser that is built specifically for Chrome OS. You can read more about thathere.

So, was this the "release of source code in late 2009" that Google so nicely has promised us? We sure hope it was! However, Thursday passed us by and we heard no word from the Big G. Maybe it has something to do with the dis-invitation of the media. For some reason, Google shut down the media's registration process to attend the event. So we're out here in the cold waiting on a bit of news...
Stay tuned for details, we'll post them up as soon as we hear them.

Update: In the mean time, we have something for you! Check out that Chrome web browser build for Chrome OS that was grabbed from Google's development directory. It has a very interesting clock in the window bar, as well as a new logo in the top left corner... Download the Deb file here (installs on Linux OS's): Chrome browser for Chrome OS 
And it appears as though the even is on October 16, not 15. Thanks anyways, PC World!

Update 2: And silence... We're not sure if they actually had a presentation about Chrome OS at the event or not. They seemed to have locked the mainstream media out, with no invitations being sent out. Better luck next time!