Google to launch new operating system, a move targeted at Microsoft

The new software, called the Google Chrome OS is a natural extension of the firm’s Chrome internet browser released last year.

It will first appear on netbooks in the second half of 2010. Google is already talking to netbook manufacturers and will open-source the software later this year.

Sundar Pichai, a Google Vice President, and Linus Upson, engineering director said, "The operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. The Chrome OS is our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be."

Promise of security and speed
Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips. It promises security with no need for separate virus blockers.

It is also expected to be quick to boot to ensure that internet is faster to navigate, making it easier to share content between friends and family.

“Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS,” said Sundar Pichai in a blog post.

“We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you on to the web in a few seconds,” he added.

"This is Google dropping the mother of bombs on its chief rival, Microsoft," declared the TechCrunch blog.

"And it's a genius play. So many people are buying netbooks right now, but are running Windows XP on them. Windows XP is eight years old."

Sundar Pichai stated that Chrome OS is a new project different from Android, the search gaint’s OS for small mobile devices.

Google said, “Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems.

“While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.”

Rivalry between the two companies
Google’s new operating system is designed to take on Microsoft’s Windows XP which runs about 90 percent of the world’s personal computers.

Google and Microsoft have often locked horns over the years in a variety of markets, from internet search to mobile software.

The rivalry between the two companies extends to Web browsers, Internet search and business applications such as word-processing and spreadsheet programs.

First Google launched a web browser Google Chrome, in competition with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Then it further trampled on Microsoft’s territory by releasing Android, a direct challenge to Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, which is used on the majority of smartphones.

Google rose 1.4 percent to the equivalent of $402.13 in German trading in Frankfurt. Microsoft slipped 0.2 percent to the equivalent of $22.49.

Google’s shares have climbed 29 percent in U.S. trading this year, while Microsoft has gained 16 percent.