Confirming the long-rumoured general release date, Google has announced that its new Chrome OS will be released in the Autumn (or fall, to American readers).
For those of you unfamiliar with Chrome OS, it is a new Linux-based operating system built around the Google Chrome web browser.
Unlike a regular operating system it is being designed to run on lightweight, low-power and low-cost portable devices, and will have a strong emphasis on cloud computing and web apps.
Chrome OS is being developed with the help of Canonical, with Google contracting engineering help from Ubuntu’s makers as the underlying systems share the same core components.
The release of Chrome OS could make Linux more accessible to the general public, and Google says it expects the new operating system to “reach millions of users on day one”.
If you’re curious about what’s to come, check out the Chromium Projects page. There, you can glimpse some of UI elements which will form the Chrome OS experience (it doesn’t use a traditional desktop environment).
Developers can dig into the source code for the open-source version.