Saturday, December 11, 2010

Google delays launch of Chrome laptop as firm gives sneak preview of new tablet

Google has been forced to delay its laptop computers which run its new Chrome operating system by six months to give engineers more time to fine-tune the software.
The internet giant now expects the first machines powered by the operating system to go on sale in the middle of next year.
The company previously promised to have its Chrome operating system ready by the end of this year.
Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management for Google,
Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management for Google, holds a netbook that runs the company's Chrome OS last night
At an event last night, Google also gave a sneak peek at its new tablet, which is being developed by Motorola and will run the new Honeycomb version of its successful Android software.
 
The device, which looked to be around ten inches in size, will see Google take on Apple's iPad in tablets while it takes on Microsoft with its operating system.
Google Mobile Platform vice president Andy Rubin refused to give away any details of the device apart from displaying its homepage and saying it will run a dual-core computer chip.
The homepage for the new Google Chrome operating system is displayed
The homepage for the new Google Chrome operating system is displayed
He joked that the new tablet, which has not yet been named, will cost $10,000 but it is expected to be priced to take on the iPad.
Google is recruiting consumers and a handful of businesses to test a 'very limited' number of laptops using the Chrome operating system, which revolves around the company's two-year-old Chrome web browser.
The unbranded computers will be sent to the people chosen to participate in the pilot programme by the end of January.
The first Chrome OS laptops will be made by Acer and Samsung. Google said the manufacturers will determine the prices of the first Chrome OS machines next year.
The Chrome OS computers will have a 12.1 inch display screen and standard-size keyboard, but no hard drive, just like the Mac Air.
That means they will need access to the internet to run more programmes.
Google is teaming up with Verizon Communications to sell internet access over Verizon's wireless network when there is no other way to connect to the web.
The data plans will cost as little as $9.99 (£6.30) per month and will not require a long-term contract. They will be rolled out only in the US at first.
Google also unveiled a new site for selling applications that run on the internet. It opened yesterday with about 500 applications, hitting the end-of-the-year deadline Google set when it announced the idea in May.


source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

No comments:

Post a Comment