[UPDATE] The person claiming the leak has confirmed that the info and screenshots are fake.
Recently we posted about "Google Chrome OS", a new OS from Google which is set to launch in 2010. It would be open source OS and would focus on simplicity, security and speed. It'll run on both x86 and ARM chips. It'll run within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.
Now it seems that someone has leaked a few screenshots of this new OS which is under testing atm.
The owner of "Chromeosleak" blog claims that he works for a company which supplies parts for Acer laptops and a Google rep visited his company and showed a demo of Google Chrome OS.
Here is what he says:
The OS installation was performed on a Acer Extensa 4620Z laptop to show it can install quickly on laptops from late 2007 to early 2008. The install from Vista to Google Chrome OS Dev Beta was only 10 minutes and was very elegant. Only one restart required.
A wizard asks you for basic info on the first boot up. Google was still in progress of developing the wizard so we just skipped most of this. Google at the moment installed only the Google Talk application. They did this because the Rep said “At the current time, Google has not completed compatibility tests with some laptops and netbooks.”.
This beta was extremely stripped down. However, it was amazingly fast. They did one reboot and it rebooted from Desktop to Desktop in about 25ish seconds.
There is a button on the Chrome Bar (At least that is what the Rep called it.) that is basically the blue center of the chrome logo. This button pulls up a Start Menu clone essentially. The Reboot, Programs, and Main Directory is located here.
The navigation uses two options. “Exploration” or “Browser”. Explanation is much alike the Windows Explorer. The Browser uses search options. In Browser Mode, the Google Chrome Browser comes up and you can search and also use the “Most Visited” features for your files. This part was rough feeling and Google Stressed this Dev Beta is extremely early and has much to work out.
There is a clock on the Chrome Bar. It is very stationary and looks very plain. However, it does work.
The icons are large but can be shrunk and grown to your preference much alike the dock in a Mac. May we also note a new icon for Google Talk. Strange but that is how it is.
Also, a internet wizard is very quick and shows a signal bar beside the clock.
The Chrome Bar also auto hides. It can be brought back up by the Windows key and Space (The Rep Mentioned in Google Chrome OS laptops this key will actually be a fully colored and 3D Chrome Logo in some Netbooks)
The rep also mentioned some of the Linux aspects including the option to have a status bar on the Chrome Bar for Devs.
In addition a search bar can be implemented on the Chrome Bar. Programs appear in a Windows 7 Esque icon fashion.
And here are the screenshots of Google Chrome OS Desktop containing Google Talk icon and Chrome Bar:
That's all. We can't say whether this info and screenshots are legit or not but its definitely interesting read. Comments are welcome...
This article was posted in Google Chrome.
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Tim
Come on, days after the Google OS is announced, you expect pictures? If there's pics from before the announcement, then awesome show those ones to me. Otherwise, now we're going to have to wait quite a while before we see some official screenies.
Chad
hah... This is a HOT TOPIC on Twitter! Everyone talks about, Like "Can It Run Photoshop?", "I Bet Goggle Chrome OS will suck..." and etc...
Purps
@VG- can you create a Vista visual style that is similar to what is shown in these screenshots? Maybe with a Chrome Orb as the Start Button, and the "Chrome Bar" as the Taskbar? Thanks!
Drazor
@ Jagannath
Windows is also something MS has been working on for some times... all all that seems to be happening is rolling further down the hill to the gutter...
The whole point of an operating system is for it to be a system you can operate and although windows might be the best OS for people of a busy or lazy lifestyle (until vista which applies to none!) MS certainly aren't making windows any easier to operate.
security checks are all well and good. but you shouldn't have to be prompted for administrator confirmation each time YOU perform an action. especially if you already know you are the admin of the system - not very user friendly :S
from recently using UNIX it has broadened my thoughts about OS functionality from being a simple windows fan.
Google's OS sounds ok and i will give it a try. but im not too keen on the "cloud"'s security at all