Google Chrome-Powered Smartbooks To Launch This Month: REPORT

Google-branded smartbooks running Google's Chrome operating system may be out later this year, according to a report from DigiTimes.

"[S]ources from component players" told DigiTimes that the Google Chrome devices will likely be manufactured by Inventec, built around an energy efficient ARM processor, and launching in November 2010.

"Google also plans to launch its own-brand Chrome notebook with a similar strategy as its Nexus One smartphone, according to sources from component players," DigiTimes adds. The company initially sold the Nexus One phone online, but the online store was shuttered mere months after it debuted and the Nexus One has been called a "failed experiment."

Chrome OS-powered devices will reportedly improve upon the previous generation of smartbooks, which suffered from "immature" technology, DigiTimes's sources said. Google's smartbooks, for example, will feature instant-on and a long-lasting battery, writes ZDNet.

Units from HP and Acer will follow in December, sources also told DigiTimes.

Pocket Lint advises readers to take the report with "a mountain of salt," at least for the next couple of weeks. If the rumors prove accurate, TechCrunch writes, releasing a self-branded device is a "smart move" for Google.