Having unveiled an early version of its fast, Linux-based, low-overhead Chrome operating system a few weeks back, Google is expecting the OS to lay down new standards in the operating systems of netbooks, once the pre-installed systems hit the markets next year.

The Google Chrome OS, which boots directly into a Web browser enabling users to get online extremely quickly, runs exclusively on solid-state drives. Tests have shown that the OS takes only about 7 seconds to reach a login screen, and almost immediately snaps into the browser.

Further, Google's newly-introduced Chrome extension called Quick Scroll makes a quick skip to the most relevant section of a page, thereby allowing users to use Google search on pages other than Google. com.

Moreover, the tab-based Chrome OS will enable users to keep their favorite Web apps handy at login. Giving the users the option to pin tabs to the left side of the tab bar, the OS ensures that the tabs once pinned stay in the same location every time a user logs on.

Lacking the ability to install apps, the closest Chrome OS gets to the task is revealing a list of bookmarked Web apps through an icon in the upper-left corner. In fact, the inability to install apps actually works as a protection against viruses and malware - no installation of apps means no Trojan horses and no malicious codes!