ChromeOS netbooks (aka Chromebooks)

[diogen]

...arriving
Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review -- Engadget

My biggest interest: can the OS be separated from the hardware
and installed onto an Asus Transformer to dual-boot with Honeycomb...

Diogen.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I have a Chrome OS virtual machine on my laptop, and while I get the idea of a completely-cloud-powered operating system, I can't say its really impressive. Its Google Chrome, with google and other "web" apps. At least on the version I have, the graphics, in terms of the text, is not really impressive.

But it certainly is a huge difference for an OS. It would be curious to see if it can be separated like you say.

 

[diogen]

At least on the version I have, the graphics, in terms of the text, is not really impressive.

I presume, that's Chromium, the open source part of it.
Fonts between those two - ChromeOS and Chromium - are different.

Diogen.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Good presumption. Although, the VM is called Chrome OS; but the About says Chromium, as does the log-in. Didn't realize there was a differnece. Is it a substantial one?

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Ah, never mind. Did a google, found a screen shot. HUGE world of difference, as there actually appears to be a desktop. What I have seems to just be a browser, with no way to minimize it to the "desktop." Strange.

 

[diogen]

It's the same as Android vs. Google Maps, Docs, Market, etc.
First is GPL, second - for license fee from Google.
Not that it can't be worked around...

Diogen.

 

[Symbol]

I am interested in a chromebook, love the form factor of the samsung but not being able to access windows apps and drives is a deal breaker unless there is some way of dualbooting both.

 

[diogen]

ChromeOS was long claimed to be for keybord equipped net/notebooks only.
Most likely Google tried to avoid confusion between Android and ChromeOS.

It turns out there is at least an experimental tablet (i.e. touch) version of the ChromeOS...
Chromium's experimental touch UI demoed on video, made for meaty fingers -- Engadget

Diogen.