Sometimes I need to look before I leap. A few minutes ago I posted a blog pointing out the pros/cons of Google Chrome OS to Canonical and Ubuntu. But I overlooked the biggest fact of all. Google has contracted with Canonical to help develop Chrome OS.

Google, as expected, has taken its Chrome OS effort and offered it up as an open source project called Chromium OS. As you may recall Chrome OS will target netbooks and other thin mobile devices - core markets that  Canonical is pursuing with Ubuntu. Should Canonical be worried?

...the tech world is rocked with the latest announcement made by Google: "...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 Chrome OS is aimed at people who spend most of their time on the web and will initially be targeted at netbooks.

This is something I have never heard of. I was trying to install Google Chrome in Ubuntu and in the download page a small note came into my notice. It goes something like this "Installing Google Chrome will add the Google repository so your system will automatically keep Google Chrome up to date".

The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks.

Google has indicated it will offer native code browser applications from the Chrome web apps store that's due to launch later this year. The Chrome Web Store is designed for use with Google's Chrome browser and the company's upcoming Chrome OS, and it would appear that the store will make its debut when the OS hits netbooks in the fall.

Reports of the popular Linux distro ditching Firefox get clarified.

The next edition of the Ubuntu Linux distribution could come with added Google, with rumours circulating that Canonical is looking to replace Mozilla's Firefox with Google's Chrome browser.

The hype over this operating system has been so heavy that failure would be a heavy blow. Google introduced Chrome OS July 7, promising a lightweight, Linux-based operating system for netbooks that will enable speedy Web applications. The move was a major shot at Microsoft, whose Windows desktop operating system Google intimated was antiquated.