Google Chrome OS

This article is about the operating system. For the web browser, see Google Chrome.

Chrome OS is a project by Google to develop a light computer operating system. It is devoted to using the World Wide Web.^[3] The operating system was announced on July 7, 2009. It is based on the Linux kernel, and is visually similar to the Google Chrome web browser. When first released, it was targeted at netbooks^[4] but has also been present on laptops (known as Chromebooks). It was released to technology journalists in December 2010^[5] after being delayed.^[6] It runs on systems with either x86 or ARM processors.^[7]

Chrome OS

Developer	Google Inc.
Written in	C, C++
OS family	Linux
Working state	Preinstalled on specific hardware (Chromebook Laptops.)
Update method	Rolling release
Platforms	x86, ARM
Kernel type	Monolithic: Linux kernel[1]
Default user interface	Graphical interface based on the Google Chrome browser
License	Google Chrome OS Terms of Service[2]
Official website	www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/
Support status
Active

Google had stated before release that the Chrome OS project would be open-source^[8] by the end of 2009. Although it is based on the Linux kernel, it would use "a new windowing system" (a way to display applications on a computer screen).^[9]

Upon release, some technology journalists were unsure on what it could do that a Windows PC with the Google Chrome browser installed could not.^[10]

Chrome OS has now been the default for Chromebooks and very few other laptop brands than Google, these are all labeled as Chromebooks, the only difference being the hardware.