"Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. (...) Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems."

This will basically make the desktop obsolete. Sounds great.

EXCERPT:

The inventor of the netbook says that Buddhism helped him conceive the device that spawned a $10 billion industry. Jonney Shih, chairman of Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Asustek, is known for planning new technologies while meditating -- then working relentlessly to bring his visions to life. "Most people think Buddhism is passive or about escape," he says. "It's not. It's about confronting what's in front of you with a clear and flexible mind."

This section describes the motivations, assumptions, and directions behind Chromium OS's user interface design. Its goal is to explain the current design in a way that further work can be developed in-style, and so that our assumptions can be challenged, changed, and improved.

Concept

Screenshots

The implementation, the concept video, and the screenshots are presenting different UI explorations. Expect to see some variation.

UX themes

Content not chrome 

• A system UI that uses as little screen space as possible by combining apps and standard web pages into a minimal tab strip: While existing operating systems have web tabs and native applications in two separate strips, Chromium OS combines these, giving you access to everything from one strip. The tab is the equivalent of a desktop application's title bar; the frame containing the tabs is a simple mechanism for managing sets of those applications and pages. We are exploring three main variants for the window UI. All of them reflect this unified strip.
• Reduced window management: No pixel-level window positioning, instead operating in a full-screen mode and exploring new ways to handle secondary tasks:

• Panels, floating windows that can dock to the bottom of the screen as a means of handling tasks like chat, music players, or other accessories.
• Split screen, for viewing two pieces of content side-by-side.

Web applications with the functionality of desktop applications

• Enhanced functionality through HTML 5: offline modes, background processing, notifications, and more.
• Better access points and discovery: On Chromium-based browsers, we've addressed the access point issue by allowing applications to install shortcuts on your desktop. Similarly, we are using pinned tabs and search as a way to quickly access apps in Chromium OS.
• While the tab bar is sufficient to access existing tabs, we are creating a new primary access point that provides a list of frequently used applications and tools.

Search as a primary form of navigation

• Chromium's address bar and the Quick Search Box have simplified the way you access personal content and the web. In Chromium OS, we are unifying the behavior of the two, and exploring how each can be used to make navigation faster and more intuitive.

I'm really excited for the future of web apps and the direction Google is taking with Chromium OS.

We built litl to enjoy the web at home. When you see our main navigation screen, you'll immediately know how to use it. Just point and click. Litl eliminates menus, icons, and folders. In fact, we've removed all computer administrative debris between you and the web.

Driving litl is a joy. We’ve built the browser right into the user interface so it’s instantly available. A search box stands ready at all times. We always give you a full screen view; you never resize or juggle overlapping windows. And no matter where you are, hit the litl blue button and get back home.

When you flip litl into easel mode navigation remains easy. Inspired by an old television dial, we use a wheel to change channels. And for the remote, we've replaced a billion buttons with the same wheel design. Simple.

看起來很有趣的新筆電概念，不過我覺得獲得重大成功的機會並不明顯。稍後有時間再來多研究一下。

This is an idea that I don't see a big chance to win, but it's interesting. Will take more time to look into it later when I'm available.