Google invites public to test its Chrome OS notebook

Search giant says it's offering users a viable alternative to Windows and Mac

Google has ramped up its rivalry with Microsoft by announcing a public beta trial of a notebook that runs its own Chrome OS operating system.

The Cr-48 notebook features a 12.1in screen, full-size keyboard, 802.11n Wi-Fi and a Verizon 3G modem, and offers a claimed eight hours of operation or eight days on standby from a single charge.

According to the Financial Times, corporations such as American Airlines and food giant Kraft are lining up to test the new machine in the hope of significantly cutting their PC costs.

Google said the Chrome OS notebook differs from other systems in that it draws completely on the information and computing power of the web, rather than using 'native' software.

Chief executive of Google, Eric Schmidt, described the software as "a viable, third choice in real operating systems" to stand alongside Microsoft and Apple.

Plans for the system were first announced 12 months ago, and it was originally thought Chrome OS-based devices might be on sale by this Christmas, but this has now been ruled out.

Selected users of Chrome, YouTube and Facebook will get a free Cr-48. Some Chrome users will receive an invitation on their web page, while fans of Chrome's Facebook page have been offered entry into a competition to win one of the new systems.

"This is the first step, but there's a long way to go," Ray Valdes, an analyst at Gartner, told the FT.

"People will probably be concerned about compatibility and functionality - will it meet their needs?"

According to Google, its primary issue with perfecting the system is figuring out how to ensure all hardware devices are compatible, as any camera or printer plugged in needs a compatible software driver.

Acer and Samsung hope to start selling versions of the notebook running Chrome OS by the middle of next year.