Chrome OS-run netbook rumoured to be released in a year

Posted by Alisa Zykova on December 30, 2009 at 9:07 AM

Google may be launching its Chrome OS-based netbook by the holiday season in 2010, IBTimes reported Sunday. The search engine company has already contacted numerous hardware manufacturers and sent out RFPs (Request for Proposal), according to the report. The device is predicted to cost under US$300 (€210) and will be sold directly by Google.

According to The Link, using Chrome for netbooks means building an open-source OS (Operating System) that will permit developers to build directly on top of the system and drop the licensing fee that Microsoft entails, thus making the netbooks 10 percent less expensive. The project may take away from the significant share of the OS market that Microsoft has.

IBTimes added that the netbook is rumoured to have "pre-installed" Google apps like Google Maps, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and Google Search by Voice. Physical features are also believed to include a chipset from Nvidia's Tegra line, an ARM CPU, 10.1 inch TFT HD-ready multi-touch display, 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM, WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, Ethernet port, USB ports, webcam, 3.5mm audio jack, multi-card reader and others.

Chrome OS for netbooks may also transform netbooks into Internet-based machines since the focus will be on Web-based applications, The Link writes. In countries like the United States, the company may team up with network operators to provide the netbook as part of a 3G package, IBTimes speculates.

EWeek points out that Google should stay out of the netbook game since "third-party vendors may shy away from offering Chrome OS computers since the software owner is doing the same." According to a separate EWeek article, experts predict that in five to 10 years, Chrome OS will pertain to "mass adoption with consumers and enterprises."

"The idea will make more sense a year from now, but it'll still be very early to consider cutting yourself off entirely from local apps and storage. And Google was vague enough today that I'm still unclear about just how useful (or useless) a Chrome OS system is when the Internet is unavailable," wrote PC World's Harry McCracken.