Cloud computing will become the core of Chrome OS OS

Google's new Chrome OS OS for netbooks and PCs will provide a new, cloud-based operating system architecture, according to foreign media reports.

Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, at a recent meeting announced key differences between Google's two new operating systems, Android and Chrome OS. Android is used to drive portable touch-screen devices, and Chrome OS is for devices that are primarily used to configure traditional keyboards, Schmidt said.

Unlike traditional operating systems, the Chrome OS will build on the cloud computing model, in some ways more like a browser than an operating system. Applications such as word handlers will not be stored on devices, but rather allow the Chrome OS operating system to coordinate directly with user devices and cloud-based online applications.

Apps such as Google Docs, Gmail and Picasa are already running in a similar mode through Web browsers. The Chrome OS will integrate this technology directly into an operating system level.

Google Chrome browser was first released in 2008 and has since become an important competitor for Microsoft IE and Mozilla Firefox and other browsers. According to Google, the Chrome OS OS is expected to be released by the end of 2010.