Google develops Chrome OS in Win8's Metro mode

Computer Store News: Google Develops Chrome OS in Win8 Metro Mode

Google recently launched the Chrome Apps project, which has enabled Chrome to break through browser limitations and evolve into a platform. In the past few weeks, Google has upgraded the development version of the Chrome browser to implement the Chrome OS system in the Windows 8 Metro mode.

Chrome used to run in Windows 8 desktop mode, but users can also set it on the Windows 8 start screen to enter a special "Metro style" mode. In Windows 8, the latest development version of Chrome is very different from the publicly released version, not a simple full-screen browser, but a user interface and functionality that includes Chrome OS. The interface has a list of Chrome, Gmail, Google, Docs, and YouTube icons that users can place on the left, right, and bottom of the screen. Similar to Chrome OS, users can create multiple browser windows, and there is an app launcher in the lower left corner of the screen.

Google develops Chrome OS on Windows

Although this version of Chrome is just an application for Windows 8, it takes advantage of Microsoft's browser Special mode. Microsoft allows browsers in Windows 8 to be launched in the "Metro Style" environment. Although these browsers appear as desktop applications in the Windows Store app store, some special rules allow browsers to emulate Windows 8 apps and take advantage of some of the special features of Windows 8. However, only Windows 8 supports such a mode, and Windows RT does not support it.

At present, there is still a software vulnerability in this new mode of Chrome browser in Windows 8, which may cause the browser to crash. However, this reflects the future direction of Google. Although Chrome Apps may become Google's "Trojan Horse", the Chrome OS system running on Windows 8 will help Google build its own application ecosystem on Windows. In addition, Google is also improving the touch control of the Chrome browser, making navigation in Windows 8 and Chrome OS more convenient.

It's unclear whether a model like Chrome OS will become a stable feature of Chrome for Windows 8. However, Google is developing its own ecosystem based on the Microsoft Windows platform, which will become another battleground for controlling desktop computing.