The oft-discussed Google Chrome operating system is being prepped for tablet devices, and now, thanks to a YouTube video posted by Francois Beaufort, we have an idea of how the operating system will look in the tablet environment.
Beaufort posted the video over at his Plus account, the curiosity that led him to the video’s creation was centered on the touch interface:
This morning, I was wondering if Google Chrome Team worked a little bit more on the Touch UI during my holidays. Answer is not so much sadly.
The video, which leads this post, shows a good bit of the operating system, and if tablets are your thing, but you’re looking for an alternative to the iPad, you’ll definitely want to give the video a shot. Over at Tabletbite, their initial review, naturally based on Beaufort’s video, is generally positive. They really seem to like the keyboard, which does look to be a suitable size for tablet typing:
The QWERTY on-screen keyboard also looks pretty decent, again with big keys and slightly rounded edges. Also, the keys appear to have good response speed and overall they look clean and elegant… Aside from the virtual keyboard, the Chrome OS for tablets, as it is shown in the video, offers quick access to four other options, Web Store, Bookmark Manager, Chrome Web Store and Cloud Print. The browser doesn’t look very different from the computer or laptop versions and presents the same basic options that a browser should include…
Tabletbites goes on to say the video indicates Chrome for tablets is in the very basic of stages, and probably won’t be ready for primetime consumption for some time.
Business Insider, however, is a little less forgiving:
Instead of figuring out how to port the basically-useless Chrome OS to tablets, why not figure out how to port the absolutely stellar Google Chrome browser into Android as an app for smartphones and tablets?
For 90% of Chrome OS to work, you’ll need an internet connection. How many people are willing to buy a more expensive tablet with an antenna for data, as well as a pricey monthly plan? You’ll need a hefty hunk of data when you’re only using the tablet for internet use.
Um, aren’t you required to purchase the data plan when you buy an iPad? Why would a Google Chrome OS tablet be different in that respect? Furthermore, I’ve yet to see an iPad with “an antenna for data,” and yet, they connect to the web just fine.
Maybe BI just doesn’t like Google dabbling in an area Apple currently has control over, because they absolutely hated the Google Chromebook.