Chrome OS

Google recently announced the launch of the Chromebook: a notebook PC loaded with its Chrome Web browser as a bare-bones operating system. This Web-based portable is a direct attack on Microsoft's core businesses: the Windows OS and the Office suite. But how much of a threat is it?

Google reportedly is in the midst of developing its own tablet computer and aims to launch its Chrome OS-based iPad killer on the busiest shopping day of the year -- Black Friday -- according to a report at the website Download Squad.

First Microsoft Bing-ed Google's dominant search service. Now Google is striking back by announcing a operating system called Chrome, which may challenge Microsoft's Windows OS. The technology industry is a battleground as two of its biggest companies go after each others' meal tickets. Google...