Chrome OS represents a major paradigm shift in computing and a potential treat to Microsoft. Announced in summer 2009, Chrome OS combines the operating system and the Web browser, making them one in the same. Most files, meanwhile, would be stored not on the computer, but on the Internet -- or, "in the cloud."
It's a marked departure from the traditional operating system, such as Microsoft's Windows. An operating system is a thick layer of software that controls a computer's hardware, manages peripherals like mice and printers, facilitates networking and executes applications, such as Web browsers, that run on top of it. The graphical user interface is often considered part of the OS.
Google, however, feels that most tasks today can be done via a Web browser, anyway. Why not cut out the middleman, Google says, and make a browser that performs the essential tasks of an operating system?
Chrome OS To Be Released Soon
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