That Google's ambitious cloud-computing endeavors are growing in magnitude is evident from the fact that Google has announced its own operating system - Google Chrome OS - compatible both with x86 and ARM systems.

Announcing its Google Chrome OS on its blog late Tuesday, the company said that netbooks from undisclosed manufacturers will include the operating system in the second half of 2010. It added that while Linux will run under the covers of the open-source project, the applications will run on the Web itself.

In the blog post, Google's VP of product management Sundar Pichai, and its engineering director Linus Upson said: "Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," thanks to its "new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel."

The lighter-in-weight open-source OS from Google will quite definitely pound XP and Windows 7 in the cost area; and the minimal user interface will ensure that most of the user experience takes place on the Web.

Even from the developers' perspective, the Google Chrome OS would be a welcome change as it would not necessitate any new platform to write for - practically any browser-based app will work with Chrome, similar to the way it works with any browser on any OS!