Chrome OS vision

Google has three top priorities for Chrome OS: speed, simplicity, and security. All three are aided by the fact that Chrome OS runs on a limited set of approved hardware, available next year only from cooperating manufacturing partners. For speed, Chrome OS uses only flash memory-based solid state drives (SSDs), which are faster and more power-efficient than conventional hard drives with rotating magnetic plates. Chrome OS also uses a simplified software suite because the only application it has to run is the browser.

November 19, 2009 5:46 PM PST

Photo by: Stephen Shankland/CNET

| Caption by: Stephen Shankland