Google’s Chrome browser is probably our first choice, since most of us are probably using an Android device right now. Chrome is a great browser, for me it’s faster and much more stable than Internet Explorer and Firefox. Which is a major reason why I love the Chromebook and Chrome OS idea so much. Since I spend most of my day inside Chrome, that’s really all I need. Or at least most of what I need.
The Verge is reporting this afternoon that over the past few weeks Google has been updating their developer version of the Chrome browser to run what’s essentially Chrome OS within Windows 8’s “Metro” mode. Normally, Chrome just runs natively on the desktop like it does in previous versions of Windows. But you can also set it to launch within the Windows 8 “Metro-style” mode. These updates are massively different from what’s in the stable build right now, and it’s creating essentially a Chrome OS experience on top of Windows 8.
The latest developer channel release the interface and functionality is identical to Chrome OS. There’s even a shelf with Chrome, Gmail, Google, Docs, and YouTube icons that can be arranged at the bottom, left and right of the screen. You can also create multiple Chrome windows and arrange them however you’d like. Additionally there’s an app launcher in the lower left-hand corner.
It’s quite interesting to see Google doing this, but then again it’s not like Chrome OS is all that different from Chrome in general. It’s mostly just the desktop and taskbar that are different in Chrome OS, which you now have in the Metro version of Chrome. It’s also great for those that are thinking of getting a Chromebook. If you have Windows 8, you can try out Chrome OS right there on your computer and see if Chrome OS is right for you without purchasing a Chromebook. Sounds like an awesome idea.