• TechCrunch et al., Friday, November 13, 2009 3:38 PM

Rumor has it -- once again -- that Google's highly-anticipated operating system Chrome OS will be available for download next week, which would no doubt be bad news for Microsoft and Mozilla. "What can we expect?" asks TechCrunch. "Driver support will likely be a weak point ... We've heard at various times that Google has a legion of engineers working on the not so glamorous task of building hardware drivers ... And we've also heard conflicting rumors that Google is mostly relying on hardware manufacturers to create those drivers ... having a robust set of functioning drivers is extremely important to Chrome OS's success.

"Implausible?" asks the Tech Report. "Not really ... When Google first announced the project in July, it pledged to make the Chrome OS source code available later in the year."

Seconds Gizmodo: "Would it be earlier than expected? By a lot. But given how long Google usually takes to test their products -- and how long Android was public before the G1 launched -- Techcrunch's report that Chrome OS is imminent isn't totally ridiculous."

Yet, "This is the second rumor saying an early release of Chrome OS was imminent," PC World writes. "Last month, various sources in China were claiming devices running preview builds of the OS would be available for purchase as early as November," it adds. "It also follows a string of premature reports of sightings of the OS in the wild that all turned out to be incorrect reports."

"The piece is a little light on fact and high on speculation about the unveiling," the Boy Genius Report says of TechCrunch's news. And even if the reports are true, "Would a Chrome OS powered netbook motivate any of you to jump in the market? Or is the thought of a cloud-centric OS a little to much to swallow right now?"

Still, "Another indication that this rumor might be true is the fact that Google might be rushing it, especially now that Windows 7 is starting to make some good vibes in the market," writes Search Engine Journal. "We're betting of course that this early version of Google Chrome OS will run smoothly as possible on netbooks."

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