Google Chrome OS Smartbooks to Hit this Month?

Do you trust the cloud?

It's been a while since we last heard anything about Chrome OS, Google's lightweight OS based on the open source Chromium OS. However, the rumor mill chugged into action yesterday as reports emerged that vendors will start showing off Chrome OS smartbooks later this month.

It's been nearly a year since Google lifted the curtain on Chrome OS. However, we've seen little of the operating system since then, and over the last few months, discussion about it has quieted down considerably. Bringing the OS back on stage is a Digitimes report that suggests we'll see vendors announcing "smartbooks" running the OS at the end of this month as well as a Google-branded notebook from the search giant itself.

Citing sources from component players, Digitimes reports that Google's Chrome notebook is expected to be manufactured by Inventec with initial shipments to reach 60,000-70,000 units. Google's own Chrome notebook is said to feature an ARM-based platform and will not be selling through retail channels. Google is expected to launch its notebook first, with Acer and HP launching theirs at the beginning of December.

Does the idea of Chrome OS interest you in the slightest or are you still wary of an OS that is largely web-based and relies on cloud storage? Let us know!

^{Source: Digitimes}

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