tezza Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 It’s hard to say how popular Chrome OS, Google’s browser-centric operating system, really is. There can be little doubt, though, that Google is quite serious about this initiative. Today, Google launched the latest developer version of Chrome OS and this update sports the first major redesign of the operation system’s interface since its launch in late 2010. In this new version, Chrome OS almost looks like a traditional OS, with a full-blown desktop and window manager instead of just a browser and tabs. Aura, as this hardware-accelerated window manager is known, is Chrome’s next generation user interface framework and it is making its public debut in this new developer version of Chrome OS. This update is quite a departure from Chrome OS’s origins. Until now, Chrome OS basically just gave users access to a single browser window at a time (you could already have multiple browser windows open on separate virtual screens) and launching new apps meant you first had to open a new tab and then look for the app you wanted to start. Now, Chrome OS features a Launchpad-like app launcher, as well as a Windows-like taskbar (Google calls it a “shelf”). Apps, it is worth noting, still start in a browser tab and not as stand-alone windows, though. In short, Chrome OS now looks and behaves a lot more like the desktop operating systems it set out to challenge. In a way, this almost feels as if Google is admitting defeat here. When Chrome OS launched, Google’s Sergey Brin argued that traditional PC operating systems were “torturing users.” Chrome OS was supposed to be all about “speed, simplicity and security” and Google wanted to use it to “re-think what operating systems should be.” This new version, however, does away with a bit of this simplicity in favor of greater functionality. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, and may just help Chrome OS gain more mainstream acceptance as new users will surely find it to be a more familiar experience. While Aura is obviously the star of this update, it’s worth noting that the latest version also introduces support for files compressed in the tar, gz and bzip2 formats, as well as better support for multi-monitor setups. http://techcrunch.co...than-a-browser/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2ms Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 They mixed the iPad look with Windows "awesome bar"... not that innovative.. surprises that it comes from Google Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator DKT27 Posted April 10, 2012 Administrator Share Posted April 10, 2012 Sure, it looks very similar. But IMO, it brings Chrome OS back into the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anuseems Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Chrome OS updated with Aura UI, looks more like a traditional desktop Google is hoping to breathe new life into its browser-based operating system Chrome OS with a visual upgrade that makes it look more like a cross between Windows and OS X. The new "Aura" user interface marks a departure from the original idea of offering a single maximized browser window and nothing more, by allowing multiple overlapping windows instead and a few other features supporting the familiar desktop metaphor. The fist thing you'll notice is a taskbar (or shelf, as Google is calling it) that stretches across the bottom of the screen an provides quick access to a bunch of web apps and offers at-a-glance system information such as battery state, network connections, and time and date -- not unlike the one found in Windows. This shelf disappears when the browser window is maximized and reappears upon sliding the mouse pointer over it. There's also a new app and bookmark launcher that serves the same purpose as Chrome's new-tab page only now it is presented with a grid of icons right on the desktop, rather like OS X's Launchpad. All these shortcuts are still basically fancy links but now you can detach and re-attach tabs from the browser interface so you have more freedom to manage multiple windows and switch between them with the shelf. Also, windows can be resized by dragging any edge. Previously, you could have as many tabs and extensions as you liked, but they were always limited to the primary Chrome frame in maximized mode. According to Google, Aura is a "user interface framework for Chrome UI" that offers "rich visuals, large-scale animated transitions and effects that can be produced only with the assistance of hardware acceleration". The company also implemented multi-monitor support and better handling of compressed files and mentioned that Aura should "provide the foundation of a flexible windowing system and shell for Chrome and ChromeOS on a variety of form factors", suggesting that more Chrome OS announcements might follow. Chrome OS was launched in late 2010 with emphasis on "speed, simplicity and security" hoping to ride on the success of its browser. Back then, Google also took some shots at Windows 7 for being bloated or providing more power than typical users need. Whether the latest changes are an admission of defeat or not, it's clear that the web-based operating system hasn't taken off as Google would have hoped for, so we can't be too surprised to see the company steer the project into something a bit more consumer friendly. The latest Chrome OS 19 release is being pushed out through the Dev channel and will be available for Samsung and Acer Chromebooks; owners of the original Cr-48 Chromebook need not apply. via http://googlesystem....-chrome-os.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudrax Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator DKT27 Posted April 11, 2012 Administrator Share Posted April 11, 2012 Threads merged. Picked anuseem's title though, slight better. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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