Update: The Chromebook, the Google laptop has arrived In recent days, many news sites, many bloggers and even traditional sources of information, such as newspapers or news programs have reported the upcoming release of Google Chrome OS, Google's cloud-based operating system which is based on the Google Chrome web browser and a Linux kernel modified.
Google Chrome OS is expected to appear on netbooks and other mobile devices in mid-2010 and many, to make effective titles, have written that it will compete with Microsoft Windows.
In this article, in addition to being more realistic and being careful with certain affirmations (such as "Chrome killer of Windows!") We also see how to install this new operating system, easily and with a procedure within everyone's reach, on a virtual PC as Virtual box or on a Live CD to be started when the computer is booted.
According to qunto, we read on the official website of Google Chrome OS, it is a very light and fast opensource system, initially aimed at the market of netbooks, mini portable PCs.
The operating system was designed to start, view and browse the web in seconds with a minimal user interface, bringing all programs for online use.
To make headlines and attract readers, journalists have mistakenly compared Chrome OS to Windows by saying that Google wants to compete with Microsoft for the monopoly of operating systems.
Meanwhile, Google initially aims at the netbook market, which, despite the great expansion, represent only a narrow focus.
Then, since it is mainly based on surfing the internet, it has nothing to do with a complete system like Windows that can run programs and games of all kinds.
Not to mention the fact that in Chrome companies it will not be an alternative for at least several years and I strongly doubt there will be expansions in this sector.
The prediction therefore is that Google Chrome Os will be a niche product, used on secondary PCs and netbooks and aimed only at going on the internet.
To find out more about Google Chrome OS, there are news in another article.
After this long introduction for me, let's go to the practical one and see how to install a Google Chrome OS on a virtual pc with Virtual Box (you can also use VMWare) or on a "Live" cd .
This is not a first official version and neither can we speak of an Alpha or Beta version but it is only an embryo, a demonstration of what it can be.
The reasons for installing Chrome OS today are curiosity, the desire to learn and to amaze friends and colleagues by bragging, showing them that on the computer we use Google Chrome.
To get started, you can download Google ChromeOS for virtual pc at the Download page.
At this point you can either create a live cd by burning the ISO image on a cd-rom (I recommend making it bootable at boot) or you can install the version for Virtual Box or VMWare so that you can try it on your computer.
If you have no idea what Virtual Box is, I recommend reading the guide to install and start Linux on a virtual PC.
A virtual computer are nothing more than programs that emulate, in all respects, independently of the real PC, a different operating system.
To install Chrome OS on VirtualBox it is also very easy because, the above guide, already describes the operations to do that are valid also in this case.
For clarity, the steps are:
- Download the file. ISO file and unzip it (see what is an iso file and how to unzip and open it).
- From Virtual Box create a new computer by giving a name and putting "other" as the system.
- Set the size of the base memory (RAM) giving half of what you have on your computer; this parameter can also be changed while running.
- Create a new virtual hard disk with 2 Gigabyte space.
- Go ahead in the wizard and start the Google Chrome OS virtual machine to proceed with the installation.
- Start the installation by selecting the ISO image of Chrome
Finished, the next time you start the virtual pc you can play and use Chrome OS to test it, try it or do whatever you want.
Alternatively, you can try the installation of Google Chrome OS with CLoudReady, fully supported.
