News

• The Chromebook FAQ

  One of the big announcements at Google's I/O developer conference is the release of notebooks running the search giant's Chrome OS.

• Google I/O so far: Android, 'Chromebooks' and smarter cars

  Google's I/O developer conference, held 10-11 May in San Francisco, has already been the site of a swathe of announcements by the search giant and its partners.

• How to turn Chrome into gold

  Though Google is pitching it as an operating system for netbooks and lightweight notebooks, Chrome OS is essentially the Chrome Web browser bolted on top of a bare minimum version of Linux. The following extensions can improve the user experience of Chrome (OS or browser) to give you some of the functionality found in a traditional operating system.

• First look: Chrome OS beta's Achilles' heel is its reliance on the Web

  Computers and their software today are too complicated, and users are increasingly looking at iPads and cloud-based services such as Google Docs to handle the basics that most of us stick to: document editing, photo management, emailing, Web browsing, and the like. Running Office on a PC or Mac is beyond overkill for most people. Google proposes we do away with the PC altogether, at least part of the time, and replace it with Google's cloud-based laptop -- an appliance in which the Chrome browser serves as operating system. With the Chrome OS, all actions occur in the browser and the cloud.

• Google's Chrome OS doesn't support Java yet

  Google's prototype Chrome OS laptops do not yet support Java, and support for Flash Player 10.1 is being called a "work in progress."

• Google's Chrome OS is no Windows killer just yet, analyst says

  Google's Chrome OS is moving closer to reality, but does Google's new operating system pose any threat to Windows?

• Inside Google's new Chrome OS 'Chromebook'

  It's been a year since Google first said it would deliver a browser-only operating system for laptops called Chrome OS. Today, Google previewed the real thing at a time the iPad slate concept has already gained remarkable traction by businesses and users alike. (InfoWorld.com is covering this event live. Return to this story to get the latest updates.)

• Google Chrome Web Store opens

  Google opened its Web application store for Chrome browser users on Tuesday, offering highly interactive, graphically rich applications from a variety of sources, including National Public Radio, Amazon.com, Electronic Arts and Sports Illustrated.

• Google ponders Android vs. Chrome for future tablets

  Google is being somewhat circumspect about whether Android or Chrome will run on future tablet computers, with two top executives hinting recently at different possible directions. Analysts also disagree in their predictions.

• Chrome 6 beta may hint at mythical Chrome OS tablet

  The latest beta of Chrome 6 is out, and its menus have been optimized for touch--complete with buttons for copying, pasting, as well as zooming in on a page. Could this be a taste of what the rumored Chrome OS tablet will be like? Maybe.

• Rumored Google tablet raises Chrome vs. Android question

  Well, there's little doubt that tablets running Google's Chrome operating system are coming soon--the only question is when.

• Dell in talks over Google Chrome OS, report says

  Talks are under way between Google and Dell to bring Chrome OS, the search giant's cloud-centric operating system, to Dell's computer lineup, according to a Dell executive.

• Chrome OS to achieve Windows support via 'Chromoting'

  Google is hard at work putting the finishing touches on the Chrome OS--expected to hit the streets as a netbook operating system before the holidays. A new feature dubbed "chromoting" hopes to bridge the divide between Chrome and Windows, but the sketchy details thus far don't make it sound all that compelling.

• Acer to launch Chrome OS devices at last?

  Remember Chrome OS, Google's stripped-to-the-browser operating system? It's reportedly ready for prime time, with Chrome OS devices from Acer leading the way.

• Chrome OS move heats up Microsoft-Google rivalry

  The already intense Google-Microsoft rivalry heated up considerably last month with the long-expected release of Google's Chrome operating system to the open-source community.