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No surprise: Intel has known about Chrome OS, worked with Google on 'elements' of project

by Ross Miller, posted Jul 10th 2009 at 6:41PM

So as it turns out, Intel isn't just casually accepting of Google's new OS initiative, it's actually been privy to the project for some time now, according to a spokesperson for the chipmaker. The two have apparently also worked together (and are potentially still working together) on portions of Chrome OS, he says, which really makes it all the more curious that the company isn't mentioned among Google's first partners while Qualcomm, Freescale, and Texas Instruments are. Then again, said inclusion might make the Moblin team more than a little bit upset, and either way, let's not forget that Atom chips will be sold regardless of which OS is on the system -- it's really kind of a win-win situation that we reckon the hardware division isn't complaining about.

Intel doesn't view Chrome OS as a threat to Moblin, just wants world peace

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 9th 2009 at 10:09AM

Here's an interesting one. While one would assume that Intel would be quaking in its boots with the emergence of Chrome OS, Michael Chen -- director of Intel's embedded sales group and ultra mobility group in Asia-Pacific -- recently proclaimed that the company isn't worried at all. In fact, Intel seems pretty stoked that Google has introduced an operating system that will undoubtedly rival its own Moblin. To quote: "Our long-term goal is providing hardware for devices with different operating systems... more competition will drive up more innovations and that's good for consumers." Furthermore, we're told that Intel is looking forward to providing chips for machines based on Chrome OS, and frankly, we reckon that Intel's foothold in hardware and software makes it easier to brush this whole thing off. Must be nice, right?

First Google Chrome OS screenshots leaked? Update: it's a fake

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 9th 2009 at 4:41AM

It's not much, in fact, these screenshots are incredibly easy to fake. Still, a hastily constructed WordPress blog has been setup to host what are claimed to be the world's first screenshots of Google's new Chrome OS -- hailed as both a Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X killer or a Google FUD generator depending upon who you're listening to. As the story is told, a Google representative demonstrated a private beta build of the OS to an anonymous Acer parts supplier yesterday, presumably somewhere in Taiwan. The picture above was grabbed breathlessly while the Google rep was distracted. Highlights of the demonstration break down as follows:

The "elegant" install on the Acer Extensa 4620Z laptop took about 10 minutes and 1 restart
Reboots desktop-to-desktop in about 25 seconds
It was "amazingly fast" in its stripped-down beta form
The blue orb on the auto-hiding "Chrome Bar" along the bottom of the UI is essentially the start menu
Navigating the file system can be done in "exploration" (like Windows explorer) or "browser" (search based) modes
The Chrome Bar can also host a search bar if configured
Future Chrome OS netbooks will feature an iconified Chrome key on the keyboard similar to the Windows flag key

Of course, it's a long, long time before this OS appears on next generation ARM and x86 smartnetbooks -- second half of 2010 according to the Goog -- so who knows what the interface will look like by then. One more image after the break.

[Thanks, Matthew M.]

Update: We just got another set of shots of what is purportedly the boot screen. To be honest, any of these could be faked, but we thought we'd pass along -- hopefully we'll be seeing something a bit more concrete in the coming weeks. Gallery is below.

Gallery: More leaked Chrome OS shots?

Update 2: Mr. Chrome OS Leak himself has come forward and confirmed his "screenshots" to be fake. Thanks, buddy. No word on this other set of pics.

Continue reading First Google Chrome OS screenshots leaked? Update: it's a fake

Google names Chrome OS compatriots, Dell noticeably absent

by Ross Miller, posted Jul 8th 2009 at 8:06PM

Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments -- according to the latest Chrome OS update from Google, you're looking at the company's initial ragtag team of co-conspirators for its entry into the operating system business. With Adobe's involvement, we can assume Flash support is a given, and the others unsurprisingly run the gamut of netbook and smartbook players. We can't help but notice a couple of conspicuous absences on that list, including Intel and Dell. With Intel, you don't need to partner to work on its chips, but we gotta imagine it'd help by offering more support, and as for Dell, we don't know about that one, but there's still plenty of time for the Big G to enlist more companies in the lead up to its second half 2010 debut.

Update: Google updated the list to include Toshiba.

Steven Sinofsky promoted to president of Windows

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2009 at 5:17PM

With Windows 7 just months away from release, Microsoft is putting a new individual in charge of the whole Windows division. Steven Sinofsky -- who was previously responsible for squashing thousands upon thousands of early Win7 bugs as the senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group -- now has a shiny new title. We're told that as president, Mr. Sinofsky "assumes responsibility for the Windows business including both the engineering and marketing functions for Windows, Windows Live and Internet Explorer." Yeah, pretty broad. Oh, and it's not clear if the former prez's decision to green light that patently disgusting "vomit" spot for IE8 was the straw that broke the camel's back, but whatever the case, there's a new brain behind the future of Windows. No pressure, Steve-o.

[Thank, Neal]

Google announces Chrome OS, coming to netbooks second half of 2010

by Ross Miller, posted Jul 8th 2009 at 12:59AM

We can't believe it's actually here, but after hearing whispers of a Google OS for what seems like ages now, the company's now gone official with its plans. According to the official developer blog, it'll be an open source, lightweight platform that can "power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," and will be capable of running on x86 (that includes Intel Atom) and ARM chips. Addressing potential overlap with Android-based netbooks, the official line is that "choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google" -- a pretty wild statement to make, but hey, it's still all Google. A large portion of its fresh out of beta Google Apps suite already supports an offline mode, so we guess the groundwork's laid out. The company says it's currently working with a number of OEM manufacturers and that it'll initially appear on a number of netbooks coming to market sometime in the second half of 2010. Excited? We are.

Atom N270 / N280-based netbooks may be stuck at Windows XP

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 12th 2009 at 8:24AM

You see, there's not much wiggle room when it comes to netbook pricing. By and large, vendors have priced their machines about as low as they can in order to receive but a sliver of a profit, and there's certainly no way they could eat another $20 to $30 on each unit and still feel good about themselves. To that end, we're hearing that many companies may make their Atom N270 and Atom N280-based netbooks ineligible for the Windows 7 upgrade (from the factory, anyway), with those always-mysterious "industry sources" pointing to "increasing costs and low consumer demand." In essence, these guys feel as if consumers will view Windows XP as sufficient for those underpowered machines, while it'll be the Atom N450, Atom D410 and Atom D510 machines that'll be most suited for Win7. 'Course, we suspect you'll be able to pony up for whatever upgrade you'd like once it's in your hands, but we wouldn't anticipate any handouts to suddenly be attached to existing machines.

[Via GadgetMix]

Kinpo shows off 7-inch Android thin client tablet

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 7th 2009 at 4:33PM

First was the G1, and next came a slew of other cellphones. Now, we've got Android sashaying on over to netbooks, and just in case you're not really looking for that, there's Kinpo's 7-inch tablet. As the Google-sourced OS continues to show its versatility, the aforementioned company has thrown it onto a so-called thin client with a Freescale i.MX51 processor and WVGA display. From the video posted after the break, we'd say the system makes a good fit on this form factor, but feel free to hop on down and judge for yourself.

Continue reading Kinpo shows off 7-inch Android thin client tablet

Best Buy memo explains that Vista doesn't work, details Windows 7 upgrade plans

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 5th 2009 at 11:44AM

Ouch. We're guessing this is one that the suits at Best Buy would like to have back. A leaked company memo detailing how the retailer will handle Windows 7 upgrades has accidentally given the world a tasty tidbit to opine upon. The note starts off as such:

"Microsoft is launching Windows 7 in mid-October 2009. This new operating system isn't just a "Vista that works" program - it's a new operating system with improved productivity, functionality and creativity that uses less computer resources."

Never mind the fact that we never knew an OS could posses "improved productivity" -- how about admitting that Vista, in effect, doesn't "work." Moving on, the note also makes clear that any PC sold with Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate between June 26th and the Windows 7 launch day (October 22nd) will be eligible for a free upgrade to Win7. Better still, the individual OSes also qualify for the update, and starting on June 26th, Best Buy will begin "pre-selling" the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade ($49.99) and the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade ($99.99). Have a look at the full letter below, and if you've come here for advice, here's the best we've got: don't buy a PC at Best Buy until June 26th.

Gallery: Best Buy memo explains that Vista doesn't work, details Windows 7 upgrade plans

Acer to join the Moblin Linux bandwagon

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jun 3rd 2009 at 1:41PM

Moblin -- the Intel lovin' Linux flavor we've heard so much about recently -- just got some major support from Acer, who plans on slapping it on laptops, desktop PCs, and its Aspire One nettops. According to PC World, a press conference held today saw a wide range of Moblin versions (including Suse, Xandros, Linpus, Red Flag, and Ubuntu Moblin) installed on netbooks from companies that included HP, Asustek, MSI, and Hasee Computer; MIDs by the likes of BenQ and Compal; and even an Eee Keyboard. Not too bad for an OS that wasn't even an OS when we first laid eyes on it, eh? We'll keep our eyes peeled for those machines from Acer. In the mean time, how about that Tony Hawk Ride? Man, that looks sweet.

Windows 7 goes on sale October 22nd

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 2nd 2009 at 1:57PM

We knew good and well the next iteration of Windows would be generally available this fall, but now we've a date to circle in our datebooks: October 22nd. Yep, the fourth Thursday in the tenth month of this year will mark the first date in which you -- the general consumer -- can purchase Win7, which gives you plenty of time to figure out which of the 94 variants will suit you best. Have fun!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Microsoft confirms: no three app limit in Windows 7 Starter

by Darren Murph, posted May 30th 2009 at 3:58PM

We'd heard it through the grapevine that Microsoft was gearing up to right the wrong and nix that ludicrous three application limit for Windows 7 Starter Edition, and sure enough, it did just that via The Windows Blog. The company admitted that it was removing the three application at-a-time limit previously slated for inclusion in Win7 Starter "based on the feedback it has received from partners and customers." (Psst... thanks for yelling, people!) That said, the OS is still severely gimped, with no multi-monitor support, DVD playback, Windows Media Center, remote media streaming, XP Mode or network connectivity. Just kidding on that last one... we think.

Dell now offering Studio XPS 13 with Ubuntu

by Darren Murph, posted May 24th 2009 at 8:53AM

Dell's been showing Ubuntu lots of love over the past few months, so it's no real shock to see the Linux-based operating system slide on over to Dell's hottest (literally and figuratively) 13-incher. The Studio XPS 13 can now be ordered with Ubuntu 8.10 or 7.04 right from the factory, though it seems you'll be forced to upgrade to Jaunty Jackalope once the rig hits your doorstep. Ah well, you won't find us kvetching over added options, so we'll just pencil on a smile and raise a glass to diversity at Round Rock.

[Thanks, Landon]

Symbian Foundation boss talks up Symbian for netbooks, and more

by Donald Melanson, posted May 20th 2009 at 9:02PM

We've already seen Symbian ported to an Atom-based PC for kicks, but it looks like Symbian Foundation boss Tim Holbrow already has some considerably grander plans, and says that we could actually see some Symbian-running netbooks in stores before too long. As TechRadar reports, when asked if we'll see Symbian netbooks on the market, Holbrow replied "I think so, yep," before intriguingly adding that he thinks the real question is "will netbooks carry on being netbooks?" Apparently, Holbrow sees netbooks becoming nothing more than a "single processor" that people carry around and use to access data from various sources -- letting folks use a wireless keyboard and display at home and have the UI adjust automatically, for instance, or what Holbrew calls "superconvergence." Of course, Holbrow isn't making any firm promises just yet, although he does say he can "see world in two or three years' time where mobile devices start to eat into the world of laptops and netbooks."

Moblin 2.0 beta impressively demoed on video

by Nilay Patel, posted May 20th 2009 at 1:36PM

We'll admit, we were pretty skeptical that Moblin would ever amount to much after seeing the 1.0 build, but it looks like the elves at Intel have been plenty busy: the 2.0 beta is now available, and it's looking pretty sharp. Unlike the first build's more traditional Linux interface, 2.0 drops you into an attractive unified application shell reminiscent of HP's MIE that also allows you to run regular Linux apps. Apps are grouped into "zones," which function like virtual desktops, and switching between zones is handled by a taskbar-like interface. Of course, even Intel isn't immune to sticking widgets all over everything, and the main screen (called the m_zone) has plenty of 'em, from calendars to Twitter to browser history thumbnails. All in all, it's really slick stuff -- check a quick video after the break.

[Via Hylke's Home; thanks Joey-Elijah]

Read - Ars Technica hands-on
Read - Moblin.org

Continue reading Moblin 2.0 beta impressively demoed on video