Tip-off: Google Chrome

Today Google, with search, email, and a widening suite of Web-based apps, owns the web in much the same way as Microsoft’s Windows dominates computer operating systems.

But now it seems to have set its sights on Redmond: it recently previewed a new OS. Called Chrome, like Google’s browser (no coincidence), it will be open-source and its apps will all live in ‘the cloud’ (all the software it needs, bar the browser, will be hosted on the internet, as will all user-created files). It’s targetted at netbooks, and promises speed, simplicity and security. It will boot up and take you online in seconds, not minutes, it will take you to the Web-based apps you already use, and malware will be dealt with by the big G (security updates will happen online, instantly). Even if your netbook was stolen, your data would be safe.

Negatives? You need a guaranteed fat-pipe connection, because netbooks using it will be pretty much useless for anything but browsing. You’d save a bundle on software, but you’d have to convert and upload all the data you need from previous computers. There’ll still be a lot of stuff you’ll want to do on old skool machines, so these netbooks will be, at most, second PCs.

Chrome will be open-source and its apps will all live in the cloud

You won’t be able to buy a Chrome-powered machine for Christmas — the first ones are expected in the second half of 2010 — but conversations have already been buzzing. See google.com/
googlebooks/chrome/ for the party line.  For dissenting views, just, erm, Google.