There has been a lot of announcements from Google this week, but the one that is getting the most buzz in the blog-o-sphere is Google Chrome OS. The Chrome operating system is designed to be completely cloud based with all applications running inside a web browser. All applications that you would typically install on your desktop will run in the browser. Google claims that this will significantly reduce computer start-up times. Perhaps more significantly, Google claims that having everything operate in the browser will significantly improve security. The improved security will be the result of the operating system’s code being verified every time your computer is rebooted. To learn more about the Chrome OS security functions, watch the video at the end of this post.

Chrome OS is not ready for the market yet and won’t be ready until next year. In the meantime Google has decided to open-source the project and release all of the code to the public. Anyone with an interest in the coding can learn more about it here.

The video below provides an overview of the general concepts of Chrome OS.

The video below provides an overview of the security concepts used in Chrome OS.

Applications for Education
If it works as intended, the Chrome OS seems like it will be perfect for netbooks that use a solid state drive. As an open source project the Chrome OS will be a cost effective alternative to using stripped-down versions of Windows products on your school’s netbooks.

Update: If you’d like to try Chrome OS right now (in a very, very, very beta stage) TechCrunch has directions.