The only file you can really do anything with is a .deb—that’s a Debian-based Linux installer package—meaning that Debian (and Ubuntu) users can install it with a few clicks. Note: On Ubuntu 9 I got a dependency issue when I tried to install, but it was easy to fix: I just enabled the Universe and Multiverse repositories in Synaptic, and upgraded the library it told me too.

As for the browser itself, it’s not unlike regular Chrome, barring a few telling differences. For one, the clock is on display in the titlebar, as if this browser is going to be the only app you see when using Chrome OS. There’s also a frustratingly enigmatic little Google logo in the top left corner, which looks like a menu. When you click it, it pops up with a prompt to log in with an @google.com email address. Oh well. In any case, downloads are still working from here; feel free to post more mirrors in the comments. [Living in a Google World via Techcrunch]

This is all total speculation, but a writer on ReadWriteWeb suggests that it may mean Google intends to lock down Chrome OS to only use Google software, in order to keep things simpler and easier. After all, it’s tough to use a single sign-in (SSO) cookie if you don’t control the software being signed in to. However, I don’t think this is likely—all of Google’s software (Gmail, Picasa, Chrome, Blogspot, Earth, etc etc etc) uses a single sign-in, and I think that’s all the phrase “login manager” implies. But the question remains: In a browser-based OS, what happens if you want to change browsers? We’ll have to wait for more information before we know. [ReadWriteWeb via Electronista]

First, the rumour is that Chrome OS will have a new windowing system. Basically, a windowing system where there are no windows, and all apps run always in full screen mode. Second, who in hell uses CRT monitors at Google or anywhere else? That just seems weird.

Still, it’s polished. I like the simplicity, and the always present search field. Makes me wish that Mac OS X Spotlight was connected to the internet at all times. [Mashable]

That’s not to say that Schmidt left over a tussle in the App Store, but that little shitstorm could’ve been a reminder that, as much as Apple and Google have worked together over the years, they are competitors in all kinds of markets, from online services to mobile phones to browsers to, soon, OSes. On this, the brief press release doesn’t mince words:

Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest. Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple’s Board

It’s hard to tell if this “mutual decision” was kind of thing where Schmidt just saw the big picture and said “Hey y’all, it’s been real,” or if the rest of the board just told him to pack his bags, but either way, I hear the rumbling of a hell of a war over the horizon.

Dr. Eric Schmidt Resigns from Apple’s Board of Directors

CUPERTINO, Calif., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today announced that Dr. Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of Google, is resigning from Apple’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since August 2006.

“Eric has been an excellent Board member for Apple, investing his valuable time, talent, passion and wisdom to help make Apple successful,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest. Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple’s Board.”

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

© 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Gundotra mostly reiterated most of what we already know. Google believes the future of the computers lies in the browser, with apps coded according to web standards and data existing in the cloud. However, what stood out as interesting was that Gundotra, who isn’t directly part of the Android team, referenced all this in the same breath as the rapid evolution of mobile browsers and mobile data plans. While he never explicitly referenced Chrome OS, it seemed evident that the upcoming, browser-based platform was in his head as he spoke.

He also spoke on how browsers and web standards are advancing so quick, that web apps will be more powerful than people realise.

“Steve Jobs had it right when he said build for the web. But timing was an issue.”

He also praised Apple for making unlimited data plans mandatory for the iPhone, and said that going forward, it will be essential for the mobile space.

We know Google said there would be some overlap between Chrome OS and Android, but exactly how much overlap are we talking here? Is Chrome OS going to pop up on our phones? [Chrome OS]

Abu-Hadba’s statement that “Most of what Google does is defensive” isn’t actually the tech world’s most hypocritical statement (when was the last time Microsoft created something that wasn’t a version of an already-successful product?). He means that everything Google does is designed to keep their core business, search and advertising, growing and dominant. The impetus behind Chrome OS, according to him, isn’t to encourage simpler and easier computing, but weirdly enough, to distract other companies from attacking its own cash cow.

This is an interesting conversation because Microsoft has been doing just that, attacking Google’s core, with Bing—yet Abu-Habda doesn’t see Bing as a similar distraction to stop others from attacking Microsoft’s core business, Windows. So why is Microsoft allowed to venture into new-for-them waters with projects like Xbox, Zune, Silverlight, Bing and more, while Google is an inherently defensive company for announcing a ballsy new project of their own?

Microsoft might just be a bit nervous about Chrome OS, which we don’t think is really warranted at this point. Microsoft’s got an outrageously dominant OS marketshare, and seeing as how we know just about nothing about Chrome OS, it’s quite a bit soon to be launching attacks at a product that may well not be a competitor at all. [Venture Beat via Crunchgear]

Google CEO Eric Schmidt is now admitting that it took him quite a while to warm to the idea of Chrome the browser, even longer to come to terms with the possibility of Chrome the OS, and in both cases only after Larry Page and Sergey Brin literally nerded him into succumbing:

I just gave up, but there is no question I am hugely supportive of Chrome and Chrome OS. They are game-changers. They change the way you think about your computer.

Meanwhile, Android’s perceived role in the world was expanding. After all this soul-searching, though, Schmidt must have a vision for parallel, non-conflicting roles for Android and Chrome OS, right?:

Although it appears they are two separate projects, there’s a great deal of commonality. Eventually they may merge even closer.”

This is somewhere between “oops!” and “I have no idea.”

But hold on! There could be a third way! Digitimes is reporting that Intel is in talks with Google to help adapt Android for use in MIDs, the so-far ill-fated bridge devices between netbooks and smartphones. Technologically, this actually seems like a reasonably secondary use for Android. Commercially, though, MIDs are something of a ghetto; a category broached by few manufacturers, and unfamiliar (or unattractive) to most customers.

The most obvious conclusion to all this is for Android (and Android enthusiasts) to draw back ambitions and focus on what we know it’s good at: mobile phones, and possibly portable media players—something that will probably happen organically, but only after a few more news cycles worth of bewildering quotes and announcements from Google. [WSJ, Digitimes]

Here’s the creator’s explanation, in his own (poorly written) words. It was all just a prank, for some unknown reason!

I am sorry if you beleived it. It was a really bad attempt. You all are smart people. I never planned on it getting this big. But it did. (Come one, I know the Google logo. I am actually a graphic designer, I just wanted to see reactions if it was a crappy back.)

Oh, right, I also DO know CSS and HTML. Just clarifying that. I never was going to let this go on longer than 12 hours.

We’re mostly just disappointed, since a more professional mockup would’ve been so much harder to disprove. Couldn’t he have waited one day and gotten the damn Google colours right? [Faker's Blog via PC Mag]

As an employee of a parts supplier for Acer, one of Google partners for Chrome OS (true!), he was privy to a brief demonstration of a Private Developer Beta. They showed a full installation, which took about 10 minutes. After installation was done, desktop to desktop reboot took about 25 seconds.

As for the desktop, it was minimalist: at the bottom of the screen is the Chrome Bar, which is the system’s dock, start menu, or whatever you’d like to call it. The glowing blue icon, which looks like the centre of the Chrome logo (also true!), opens the main menu, and hides when not in use.

Now, some reasons to be suspicious: these shots come a little soon for my comfort, just one day after the announcement; the shots could easily be mocked up in an existing Linux desktop environment (this one looks a bit like XFCE, actually); the shots don’t necessarily look like they were taken in an Acer conference room (floral table tiles? really?); and, most damningly, the colours in the word “Google” are ordering incorrectly. Lastly, the demo was carried out on a Acer Extensa 4620Z, not a netbook, which is Google first target.

But you can see the same pictures I can, and description in the leak is quite long, so just have a look for yourself. I’m just not overly hopeful. [ChromeOSLeak—Thanks, Matt!]

The full list: Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments. Google is quick to note that it’s a partial list, but we can see a range from primarily small-form computer makers like ASUS to bigger PCs like HP and Lenovo, and the addition of Qualcomm and TI means they’ve got low-powered chipset makers on board. Adobe is an interesting pull—can we expect heavy use of Flash in the OS’s core?

The biggest name that’s missing is Dell, although smaller PC makers like Sony and Toshiba are also AWOL. We’re not sure what Dell is doing to leave them out of the equation: They make pretty popular netbooks and Chrome OS could be as big a boon for them as anyone else. We’ll keep you updated on future Chrome OS developments. [Chrome Blog]