Why the first Chrome netbooks may not be so revolutionary

Acer and Lenovo will be among the first to release netbooks running Google’s Chrome OS. These netbooks, which will be dual-boot systems with Windows XP as well, could be available as early as next month in some markets, according to several reports. HTC, the smartphone manufacturer, could also release a branded Chrome OS netbook.

If the reports are accurate (there’s a lot of confusion over Chrome versus Android), that would be a big change in the timetable for the Chrome OS. Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently said that computer companies will announce products before the end of this year. Prior to that, Google had said netbooks based on Chrome would not be available until the second half of 2010.

In early June, Acer was the first to announce that it would release a netbook running Google’s Android. But a lot has changed in a month. Despite the hype, there were signs the industry was backing away from Android. Executives from chipmakers ARM and Nvidia suggested that Android still needed a lot more work. Then Google surprised the world by announcing a separate platform, Chrome OS, designed for “Web-centric” devices such as netbooks.

Like Android, the Chrome OS is based on Linux, but it is strictly for Web-based applications. Google is targeting devices that sound very similar to what Qualcomm refers to as smartbooks–small netbooks or Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) that boot instantly and are always online. Qualcomm worked with Google on the first Android smartphone, HTC’s G1 for T-Mobile, and is also working with Google on Chrome OS, which will run on mobile devices with either ARM or Intel x86 chips. Other companies involved with Chrome include Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba. Intel recently added itself to this list.
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