Google to launch PC operating system

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Google to launch PC operating system


From correspondents in San Francisco

July 08, 2009 04:52pm

GOOGLE will overnight announce plans for a personal computer operating system, the New York Times reported, in what will be another clash between the Internet search king and software giant Microsoft.

Details on the system were unavailable, other than it would be based on Google's Chrome browser.

The Mountain View, California company was set to make the announcement on its blog, the Times said, citing sources briefed on the plans.

Chrome was launched in September but has failed to enjoy the spectacular success of Google's search engine.

The company floated its first US television advertisements in recent months for the browser, which has captured just a tiny share of a market dominated by Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

Microsoft's new search engine Bing was launched in a bid to hit back at Google's gains in the search market, but still lags behind its rival.

Web analytics firm StatCounter said last week that Bing had carved out an 8.23 per cent share of the US search market in June, up from 7.21 per cent in April and 7.81 per cent in May.

By contrast, however, Google continued to dominate the search market with a huge 78.48 per cent share last month.

Google already has an operating system called Android.

While the system is only used for mobile phones at the moment, the open-source operating software with Internet capabilities has showcased Google's obvious interest in expanding beyond its search engine base.

In the US, telecom carrier giant T-Mobile said last month the latest version of a touch-screen smartphone featuring Android would be available in August.

It is being seen as Google's answer in the highly competitive smartphone market to the newly released Apple iPhone 3GS, the Palm Pre and the latest Blackberrys.

[klr]

Yet another PC OS?

I've seen 'em come and go and I've seen them die
And long ago I stopped askin' why ...

- Johnny Cash, San Quentin