Google has launched a program to trial notebooks running its upcoming web-based browser, Chrome OS.
The company is taking registrations for the pilot, which will see it give unbranded notebooks to users, developers, schools and businesses in the US, executives Linus Upson and Sundar Pichai revealed in a blog post.
Google hopes the trial will help it iron out bugs in the operating system, the pair stated, revealing that the software “is at the stage where we need feedback from real users.”
The company demonstrated the prototype notebook at a recent press event in San Francisco, Rethink Wireless reported.
However, the launch of the first commercial devices from Acer and Samsung has been delayed by around six months, and are now due to launch in 1H11, the research firm said.
Chrome OS notebooks will come with an integrated CDMA, GSM and Wi-Fi chip from Qualcomm, and US carrier Verizon Wireless has announced service plans for devices running the software, GigaOm said.
Upson and Pichai said Chrome OS could also be used in devices beyond notebooks.
Google yesterday also launched the Chrome app store, offering around 500 apps.
The search firm will allow developers to set their own prices and take a 5% cut on apps sold through the store, and, Reuters reported.
The browser, which forms the basis for the Chrome OS, now has around 120 million users, up from 40 million in 2009, Google said.
Google vice president Andy Rubin demonstrated a prototype Motorola tablet running a variant of its Android operating system earlier this week, WSJ.com reported.