Aug 18

Chrome OS tablet coming from Google and Verizon on Black Friday? (update: probably not)

Posted in: Chrome, chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, HTC, rumor, rumors, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, verizon
Google might be adding touch to Chrome OS, Chromium developers show us how it might look (video)

We’ve been waiting on pins and needles for Google to announce some official Android tablet plans for so long we’d almost forgotten about Mountain View’s other operating system — but from what we’re hearing, Chrome OS is about to jump to center stage with a tablet debut on Verizon just before the holidays. Our friends at Download Squad are told by a reliable tipster that HTC is building a Tegra 2-based Chrome OS tablet for Google with a 1280 x 720 multitouch display, 2GB of RAM, at least 32GB of storage with the possibility of expansion, GPS, a webcam, and the usual wireless connectivity, including a 3G radio. Launch is pegged for Black Friday on November 26, and apparently the plan is to offer the device for extremely cheap or free on subsidy, which makes sense — it is just a browser, after all, and “free” sounds mighty nice compared to the iPad’s $499 entry point. (Of course, you’ll undoubtedly be tied to a Verizon contract, but we’ll just let that slide for now.) We’ll see how much of this comes true in the next few months — we’re certainly intrigued.

Update: The author of the Download Squad post, Lee Matthews, apparently fabricated all these specs — in comments, he confirms that they’re “pure speculation,” and this his source only provided the launch date and Verizon partnership. That part certainly seems plausible, but we wouldn’t necessarily believe any of this — it’s pretty suspect to just make things up.

Update 2: One of our own actually proven tipsters just hit us to say this whole thing — including launch date — sounds suspect, and that ARM-based Chrome OS tablets won’t hit until late 2011 at least. It’ll be Atom-based netbooks until then, we’re told. That lines up with everything else we’ve ever heard from Google and its partners, so we’re calling this entirely bunk until we actually see some hardware.

Chrome OS tablet coming from Google and Verizon on Black Friday? (update: probably not) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 06

Google Chrome gets some early device orientation ‘plumbing’

Posted in: Chrome, chrome os, ChromeOs, Today's Chili

We remember well the first time we managed to put an accelerometer in our possession to good use: back when the MacBook Pros started shipping with them as sudden motion sensors to protect the hard drive, someone hooked up some light saber noises to the tilt motion. A few months later we were pretending to make light saber noises with the Wii, and then the iPhone came along and democratized the accelerometer-based light saber noise for all of humanity. Next up? The browser. Firefox 3.6 already supports this capability, and now Chromium is getting some early work in that direction as well — and with the browser-as-OS that Google’s Chrome OS represents, Chromium’s support of this feature is welcome news indeed. We hear that light saber noise-producing low fat snacks are next on the docket!

Google Chrome gets some early device orientation ‘plumbing’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 25

A look at some of Chrome OS’s latest bits of polish

Posted in: Chrome, chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Today's Chili
A look at some of Chrome OS's latest bits of polish

The release of Chrome OS looms ever closer, but still there are a number of enhancements and changes being rolled in that should make for a somewhat nicer experience, and TechCrunch has highlighted a few. Perhaps most major among those changes is the ability to browse the internet without signing in, but if you want to update your bookmarks or save any form data you’ll still need a Google account. There’s a new side bar that appears to give access to other apps, replacing tabs on top, and it also adds in battery and WiFi strength indicators. There’s also something of a debate going on regarding whether Chrome OS should have support for compressed archives (.zip and .rar files and the like). Right now the OS has no support for those files, which, as one contributor points out, is rather unfortunate given that Gmail itself generates zip files when you click “download all attachments.” Let’s hope someone at the Googs finds time to add that in so that future users aren’t locked out of the joys of extraction.

A look at some of Chrome OS’s latest bits of polish originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 21

Dell confirms talks with Google about Chrome OS

Posted in: Chrome, chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, Today's Chili
Dell confirms talks with Google about Chrome OS

When Google listed which companies were diving head first into the Chrome OS pool, Dell was surprisingly spotted standing around without its floaties on. Of course, that didn’t stop the company from installing the OS on one of its netbooks just for fun. Now, hot on the heels of a Dell-specific Chrome configuration, we have word from Amit Midha, Dell’s President for Greater China and South Asia, that the two companies are in talks regarding future use of the blingy OS. Midha isn’t indicating just what that future use might be, saying only that his company just wants to be “one of the leaders” with the technology. With Acer seemingly ready to announce hardware any day now, Round Rock’s best had better get rolling.

Dell confirms talks with Google about Chrome OS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 18

Google replaces hints of Chrome OS hardware from Acer, Dell, and HP with even better hints

Posted in: Chrome, chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, HP, Today's Chili
As you may recall from a few days ago, Google offered some of the clearest evidence of Chrome OS hardware from major manufacturers yet by letting some build configurations for Acer, Dell, and HP slip out into its public code repository. Now, that wasn’t too surprising considering that each of the companies have already made their Chrome OS intentions pretty clear, but Google seems to have done a bit of backtracking nonetheless. It’s replaced the files with what you see above (the files, not the Caruso), which now suggest that Chrome OS hardware is coming from the likes of Amiga, Commodore and Atari. Way to raise expectations, Google.

Google replaces hints of Chrome OS hardware from Acer, Dell, and HP with even better hints originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 14

Chrome OS build internals confirm Acer, Dell, and HP hardware coming?

Posted in: Chrome, chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, Today's Chili
Chrome OS build internals confirm Acer, Dell, and HP hardware coming?

We’re getting closer and closer to Google’s planned Chrome OS release this fall, but still the hardware side of the equation is looking a little less shiny. As of today we don’t know exactly who will be bringing Google’s little laptop OS to retail first, but now we have a few more clues. Google’s code repository contains build configurations for Acer, Dell, and HP hardware, suggesting the OS is being tested by those manufacturers, and while this isn’t hard confirmation of device support it does back up what we’ve heard previously. Acer was rumored to actually show hardware at Computex (it didn’t), Dell has already shown Chrome OS running on a netbook, and HP was one of the many that Google indicated was aboard when Chrome partners were announced last year. In other words: no real surprises here, but it’s an encouraging indicator just the same.

Chrome OS build internals confirm Acer, Dell, and HP hardware coming? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 02

Microsoft responds to Google moving away from Windows, calls it ironic

Posted in: chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, Internet Explorer, Linux, mac os x, MacOsX, Microsoft, security, Today's Chili, Windows

Google made some waves earlier this week by reportedly moving employees off of Windows and onto Mac OS X and Linux machines — although the company wouldn’t confirm the switch, the move was said to be precipitated by security issues after Chinese hackers attacked the search giant back in January. Now, that wasn’t the only reason mentioned in the report — Google apparently also wants employees to use home-grown products like Chrome OS, and it’s sort of weird for Google to buy tons of software licenses from a major competitor — but the implication that Windows isn’t secure enough for Google seems to have raised Microsoft’s hackles: a new post on the Windows Team Blog says the irony of the move is “hard to overlook” as Gmail and Google Docs have privacy and security issues of their own, offers a point-by-point breakdown of all the ways Windows 7 is more secure than the competition, and goes on to suggest that a recent piece of shady Mac OS X malware is “a future sign of things to come for Apple and security.” Meow. Now, we honestly think the real story is as simple as Google not wanting to write Microsoft a really big check, but we’re not going to say no to a little fight here — Eric, Steve, you have anything to say?

Microsoft responds to Google moving away from Windows, calls it ironic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 02

Google: Chrome OS launching this fall

Posted in: availability, chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, launch, netbook, Today's Chili




Originally announced with a planned second half of 2010 launch, today Google has narrowed the launch of its Chrome OS to fall. This, according to Sundar Pichai, Google VP of product management speaking at Computex. By our calculation that is sometime between 22 September and 21 December in the northern hemisphere if you want to take the man literally… and you do, don’t you. Wonder if we’ll see a Chrome OS tablet launch at the same time?

Google: Chrome OS launching this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 31

Google said to be moving away from Windows internally, Mac and Linux systems on tap instead

Posted in: Apple, chrome os, ChromeOs, Google, industry, Linux, Mac, Microsoft, security, Today's Chili, Windows


According to a report in the Financial Times, Google is making a full-throated move away from Windows PCs for the company’s workforce. Apparently the big G is now giving staffers the option of a Mac or Linux rig as an alternative to a Windows computer. The FT article suggests that the move is spurred on by security concerns — some specifically related to a flurry of attacks against the company which emanated from China, a country Google has recently been at odds with over censorship. Although security could be at issue, some of the employees interviewed for the article seem to suggest the changes — which mean staffers require CIO approval for a Windows PC — might actually be geared towards bringing Chrome OS into the Googleplex full-throttle. “A lot of it is an effort to run things on Google product,” said one unnamed source, “They want to run things on Chrome.” Another employee is quoted as saying that, “Before the security, there was a directive by the company to try to run things on Google products. It was a long time coming.” Regardless of the reasoning behind the move, if Google is moving the company to Macs and Linux instead of the world’s most popular computing platform, it’s certainly notable. We’ve reached out to both Microsoft and Google for comment, and will update you if and when we have word.

Google said to be moving away from Windows internally, Mac and Linux systems on tap instead originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 22:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 25

Google Chrome OS Not Ready for Primetime Yet

Posted in: Android, ASUS, chrome os, Google, msi, netbooks, Notebooks, tablets, Today's Chili, web

When Computex kicks off next week, don’t expect to see any devices running Chrome OS.

Computex, held every year in Taipei, Taiwan, is one of the largest trade shows for PC makers, and you’d think Google’s upcoming OS for netbooks would be a star attraction this year. But Google is still racing to finish the operating system, and consumers aren’t likely to see the first Chrome OS devices until late fall.

Chrome OS will also be seen only in netbooks, at least at first, since the company isn’t encouraging Chrome OS for tablets. Instead it is steering tablet makers toward Android, the first of which will be the Dell Streak that launches in the U.K. next month.

“For Chrome, we are targeting the netbook form factor,” a Google representative told Wired.com. “The timeline for the first products is towards the end of the year.”

Google introduced Chrome OS in November as a lightweight, browser-based operating system that would boot up in seven seconds or less. The company said at the time that the first Chrome OS netbooks would be available in the “second half of 2010.” 

Google is working with major netbook makers such as Acer, which is hoping to ship a million Chrome OS netbooks this year. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said Chrome OS netbooks will cost between $300 and $400, coming in line with devices running Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

Earlier this month, a report suggested Acer could show its Chrome OS netbook as early as June, but Acer has denied it. ”We have no short-term plans for such as product at Computex,” said an Acer statement on the company’s website.

“Given Google’s emphasis on Android at its developer conference, it is unlikely that we are going to see much if any Chrome activity at Computex,” said Michael Gartenberg, partner at research and consulting firm The Altimeter Group. “Chrome is probably not ready for prime time.”

If Google doesn’t move forward fast enough, it may lose ground to Microsoft’s Windows operating system, particularly among tablets. While they haven’t abandoned their Android plans, MSI and Asus both recently announced Windows 7-powered tablets.

Chrome is visibly a work in progress. At its I/O developer conference last week, Google announced a web-based app store that will feature free and paid apps. The app store will be a big step forward to making Chrome an attractive OS, according to Michael Cherry, vice-president of research for operating systems at independent research firm Directions on Microsoft.

“The missing piece so far has been apps and with the web-app store announcement Google is a step closer to the finish line,” said Cherry.

Apps are important for Chrome because Google has pitched it as a Linux-based, open source operating system centered on Google’s Chrome browser. Applications will run exclusively inside the browser.

Having easy access to those apps will be the key to the success of Chrome. The newly announced Chrome web store would do just that. When Google Chrome users install a web application from the store, a shortcut to quickly access the program.

Meanwhile, Google has to do a fine balancing act between Chrome and Android.

Chrome OS has been largely designed for netbooks and larger clamshell devices, while Android is aimed at smartphones.

Tablets fall somewhere in the middle, potentially causing confusion about which OS is best suited to the form factor. For its part, Google has been telling partners to adopt the fast-growing Android for mobile devices and reserve Chrome for netbooks and laptops: machines that can actually deliver on the thin client promise.

“Chrome is an open source project so anyone can take the code on any sort of device without telling us,” says the Google spokesman. “But we think Chrome and Android are two different approaches.”

Google wouldn’t comment on if it will ever merge Chrome and Android.

For now, Android is racing ahead, says Gartenberg.

“Android has the resources and momentum, and it is run by Andy Rubin and his team,” Gartenberg says. “Chrome appears to have fewer resources and no clear leader, at least from the outsider’s perception. In the near term, Google’s efforts are going to be Android-based.”

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Photo: (Travelin’ Librarian/Flickr)




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