Open-source Google Chrome OS will be available only on closed line-up of devices

All right, so TechCrunch was off about Google launching the much-hyped Chrome OS this week; but what Google has done is make the source code for it available for download to anyone interested. So basically, the people at Google and external coders can now work on the underlying operating system at the same time, said Sundar Pichai, Vice President of Product Management.

In a demonstration of the new Chrome OS at the Google headquarters at Mountain View, California, Pichai mentioned a few things that are worth noting. First, that the operating system is, as expected, a glorified version of the Chrome browser itself. The look and feel are pretty much the same, with just more eye-candy and features in the Chrome OS.

Also, the Chrome OS will work only on Solid State Drives, said Matthew Papakipos, Engineering Director for Google Chrome OS. That’s right, no hard disks with moving parts will be supported. So if you planned on running this on your computer with a dual-boot system, think again! More importantly, Pichai said that the amount of hardware supported will be selective and Google will support only ‘referenced hardware’. The company will be tying up with hardware manufacturers to offer the new Chrome OS on selected devices – netbooks, tablets, laptops or anything else. An open-source operating system on a closed line-up of devices? Irony, thy name is Google!

One extremely impressive factor of the demonstration was the boot-up time. From a cold boot on what looked like an Asus EEE netbook PC, Chrome OS was at the login screen in seven seconds. Google said it will take only another three seconds to be on the Web and browsing. Quite cool, that…