Dell thinking about releasing a tablet on Google Chrome OS

Android isn’t the only Operating System Google has in the works, and their new Chrome OS is getting people pretty excited.

It spells competition for the iPad and also for Microsoft which has dominated the operating system market in PCs and lately in netbooks. There isn’t a successful tablet on Windows yet, and it spells trouble for Microsoft if computer-making giant Dell is looking elsewhere for the inside of its computers in this new form-factor.

The HP Slate, which promised Windows 7 in a multitouch tablet interface, has gone all quiet and companies are looking to Google for their tablet offerings.

With Android’s massive reputation in the tech world, any OS made by Google is likely to be pretty popular. What does the Chrome OS offer?

In short, an operating system built to work with the web:

“the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an
era where there was no web. So today, we’re announcing a new project
that’s a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome
Operating System. It’s our attempt to re-think what operating systems
should be.” [Google blog]

Key features include:

– an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be
targeted at netbooks
– fast and lightweight, it should be capable of starting up and getting
you onto the web in a few seconds
– the user interface will be minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the
user experience takes place on the web.

Dell have pricked up their ears. Watch this space.

More on Google Chrome OS