GoodOS announces Cloud - an internet-based operating system for netbooks

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The Netbook World Summit took place in Paris on Monday (no, us neither) and GoodOS used the opportunity to announce its cloud-based operating system called, oddly enough, Cloud.

Cloud is a web browser-based operating system that’s runs independently to Windows XP or Linux, but it isn’t really intended as a replacement to these popular netbook OSes. Instead, it’s almost a ‘pre-OS’ OS much like the ExpressGate application found on Asus laptops and motherboards – it (reportedly) launches in seconds and is essentially a barebones framework that provides access to various online applications.

Cloud’s interface consists of a web browser window (that looks suspiciously like the still-in-beta Google Chrome) with a dock for quick access to Gmail, YouTube, Skype and other online apps. It’s not a fully fledged operating system and only offers a limited set of features, but these are the ones that most people need access to in a hurry – and you can boot straight into the netbook’s main operating system at any time.

Gigabyte is the first OEM to sign up for Cloud and GoodOS demonstrated the operating system in action yesterday on what appeared to be the Gigabyte M912V tablet netbook, which will be on sale early next year. Cloud will only be available to OEMs though, so don’t go looking for a download you can install yourself (well, yet...).

GoodOS will be announcing more details at CES 2009 in January, so we should know more by then. In the meantime, here’s the GoodOS Cloud presentation from yesterday’s demo, together with some images of the Gigabyte netbook for good measure.

[GoodOS Cloud]