Exclusive: Lenovo and Acer to launch Tegra devices with Google's Chrome OS

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Comments Posted on Sep 01, 2009 Posted by Song Jiang

Tegra-Chrome-SmartBook

The pieces have fallen into place. It's all about to finally happen: A new OS, installed on a new form factor, running on a brand new platform. According to our reliable sources on the Mainland, both Lenovo and Acer are planing to launch Tegra-based devices running Google's Chrome OS, and the word on the streets is that it could even happen sometime later this month. So far there's no concrete indication whether or not these devices will fall neatly in to the emerging smartbook category, although that certainly seems to be the most likely scenario.

Whether or not these devices will be the first true smartbook products remains to be seen, although it would seem to make sense. At least to me it does. I mean...Why push Google Chrome OS on a MID that would probably be fairly happy with Android, especially if Google wants the world to see its new Chrome OS in all its glory?

Nvidia's Tegra is due to make an appearance sometime soon according to reports, and at least seems to have landed a regular gig with Microsoft's Zune. So it perhaps makes sense that in the same week we find pics of Google's first true OS we also hear that two major OEMs, who are Google Chrome OS compatriots, are ready to pounce with devices that combine them both.

chromeOS1

chromeOS2

These are the Google Chrome OS images that have surfaced recently.

chrome-partners

You'll notice Lenovo and Acer featured here in this image showing Google's partners.

But where does this leave the gruesome twosome who have dominated this industry for decades? The Wintel duopoly will have no doubt been watching very carefully, scheming and hatching a counter-offensive of their own. Will the Shanzai care? They've been using ARM processors for years in cell phones and smart phones and (unlike most Taiwanese manufacturers) they have no loyalty or affinity to a specific platform or OS. If the consumer wants ARM-based smartbooks running a free Chrome OS, then that is what they'll have. By mid-2010 we'll have them in a myriad of designs and colors. Perhaps even sooner.

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