Google Chrome OS Confirmed For Late-Fall 2010

Google has announced that it expects the first Chrome OS netbooks to launch in late fall, with Sundar Pichai – head of the Chrome project – using Computex 2010 to narrow down the previous "second half of 2010" window.  As the search giant has hinted at previously, they plan on being careful in how Chrome OS is delivered; "We will be selective on how we come to market because we want to deliver a great user experience," Pinchai said, "we're thinking on both the hardware and software levels."

While Microsoft has previously dismissed Google's open-source OS ambitions, Pinchai reckons their reasoning – that developers would need to create new versions of apps, and may be reluctant to do so – is unfounded since Chrome OS has at its core a standards-compliant browser.  "You don't need to redesign Gmail for it to work on Chrome. Facebook does not need to write a new app for Chrome" he suggested.

It remains to be seen who will be the first netbook company to produce a machine running Chrome OS, though both Acer and ASUS have said they intend to release such models.