It’s been long rumored that Google were working on an OS, and maybe the launch of the Google phones through people of the scent slightly. But it was true, Google announced last night they are building a lightweight OS based on their Linux and their Chrome browser as the basis, supported by the raft of other apps/technologies they have been slowly rolling out.
The OS will be targeted to netbook type devices, and will run the majority of apps from the cloud, like Google Docs etc, rather than on the machine itself, but with Google Gears providing offline capability they’ve got their bases covered.
Funny how Microsoft has tried this approach twice and never managed to make it stick – first with the Hailstorm initiative, hosting apps and data online, and secondly with their half-hearted live.com attempt that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere right now.
More details here.