Google Inc, the world’s No. 1 Internet search provider, yesterday launched a Chrome OS center in Taipei, tapping Taiwan’s hardware makers to build an ecosystem for its much-touted notebook operating system (OS).
The company already has engineers working at the center to further develop the two-year-old OS, and will hire more people next year, Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Chrome, said at a press conference in Taipei.
He refused to give details or partner names, but said the center is hoping to engage more Taiwanese original design and equipment manufacturers over the long term to scale up the Chrome project.
Google is partnering with Intel Corp, and has engaged Samsung Electronics Co and Acer Inc (宏碁) to produce “Chromebooks” — portable PCs that run on Chrome OS.
Samsung announced it will start selling the 12.1-inch Chromebook in seven countries this month — the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy and the US.
Prices for the Samsung product will start from US$429.
Acer’s Chromebook is an 11.6-inch model that will start at US$349.
Google is flexing its muscles into the portable PC arena with its Chrome OS, competing for market share in an area that is dominated by Microsoft Corp, whose Windows operating systems run on 90 percent of the world’s PCs.
Google has been successful with its Android OS, which is widely used by tablet PCs and smartphones made by firms such as Acer, Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) and HTC Corp (宏達電).
The Web titan is aiming to lure users of its Chrome Internet browser to its Chromebooks. It's Chrome browser currently has 160 million global users, up from 120 million in December last year.
The Chrome OS interface is similar to the Chrome browser, with no desktop, taskbar or separate app browser. It utilizes applications such as e-mail and spreadsheets on the Web, instead of storing software such as Outlook or Word on the device.
Pichai said Google doesn’t plan to merge Chrome and Android, as Chrome is tailored to the notebook form factor and it “wants to offer consumers choices.”
Despite Google’s excitement about Chrome, Acer chairman J.T. Wang (王振堂) yesterday told the Taipei Times he thought the Chromebook was “so so,” adding that exponential growth for Chromebooks was not currently foreseen.
Wang said Acer has partnered with Google in the Chromebook project over the past year and has shipped small volumes.
Separately, Google chairman Eric Schmidt is set to embark on an Asian tour, including a stop in Taiwan, in the second half of this year. He will visit Taiwanese clients and partners to help increase Android’s penetration.
Schmidt revealed the travel plan during a teleconference with Taiwanese reporters last week.
He said global partners have launched 310 different Android-based devices, translating to a sale of 400,000 Android-equipped products a day.
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