Although you can download beta, unbranded versions of Google's nascent operating system now, Chrome OS won't be ready for mainstream use until the middle of 2011. That doesn't mean we can't show you some of what to expect. Check out this video and photo gallery for an early look at the cloud-based operating system.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Welcome to Chrome the OS
When you launch a laptop running Google's Chrome OS for the first time, it will walk you through a simple and short registration process that begins with connecting to the internet.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
The ubiquitous licence agreement
Like Chrome the browser, Chrome the OS will also require users to agree to an end user licence agreement before they can use the computer.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Sign in
You can sign in to Chrome OS using your existing Google account. If you purchase apps from the Chrome Web Store now and then get a Chrome OS computer next year, your apps will sync to the new laptop instantly.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Your avatar is you
Chrome OS laptops will all come with webcams, and users will be asked to take a photo of themselves to use as their avatar. It's not clear if the Chrome OS avatar will override your current Google one.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Browser-based cloud computing
If you're familiar with Chrome as a browser and smartphone-style apps, you ought to have a fairly gentle learning curve for Chrome OS. The apps are front and centre, while tabs and controls are up at the top and in the corner.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Chrome compare
Google representatives demonstrated that syncing apps between a Windows 7 computer (left) and the Cr-48 Chrome OS laptop (right) took about 20 seconds.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Minor interface changes
There's not much that appears to differentiate Chrome from Chrome OS. In the upper right corner of the screen, you can find the clock, battery and Wi-Fi signal indicator.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Mobile signal
The Wi-Fi indicator will have this green icon superimposed on it when you're running from a mobile network, as opposed to Wi-Fi.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Multiple users
Chrome OS will support multiple user accounts that instantly sync user-specific apps.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Guests go incognito
Chrome OS also ships with a guest account option. This will open by default into Chrome trackless Incognito mode, saving both computer owner and computer borrower the hassle of clearing out unwanted data or programs.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Print comes to Chrome
Long in the works for Chrome the browser, Chrome OS will have the cloud printing option that Google hopes to use to drastically reduce the need for device drivers.
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(Credit: Seth Rosenblatt/CNET) Legacy apps live
Citrix has been working with Google on an enterprise version of Chrome OS that allows companies to use traditional desktop programs, such as Microsoft Excel.
In the demo we observed, this worked better in theory than in practice, with some definite observable bugs in resource-intensive programs such as SolidWorks.
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(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET)
Chrome cupcakes
Google celebrated the launch of the browser Chrome with a comic book by Scott McCloud. This "soft" launch of Chrome the operating system was heralded by Chrome stencils and cupcakes.
Via Downloads.com
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