ConsumerIT - For Europe's High Volume PC Retailers, Distributors & Builders

Born 2010. Died 2012.

Life is so fragile, even for those born to rich parents.

The creator of Gmail (and founder of FriendFeed) says Chrome OS will perish or be merged with Android next year. The fact he now works for Facebook makes this look like sour apples (a New York way of saying he is motivated to make negative comments).

But Sergey Brin, Google co-founder, actually says Chrome and Android will merge over time. We're thinking Chrome OS will live through 2011, but not much longer...

The search giant reveals its latest 2 innovations-- Chrome OS netbooks and a web store for the Chrome browser.

The netbooks' OS is cloud-based-- it pulls users' Chrome themes and settings as soon as it's online, and set up takes 4 steps (and less than a minute). The OS itself is loaded on read-only memory (and can't be altered without physically accessing it).

It supports multiple user accounts, as well as a guest option running in incognito mode. By default, it encrypts all all user data.

Of course, all software is app-style, purchased through the Chrome web store. All apps are to be built for HTML5 offline to work, with some synching with the cloud when back online.

So far, only Chrome OS test machines exist, codenamed CR-48-- black, brandless and carrying 12" screens. The company will be running a pilot program (US only, of course), where it sends machines to qualified users, developers, schools and businesses.

Several business are already on board-- Logitech, American Airlines, Intercontinental Hotels, even the US Department of Defense.

Google says Chrome netbooks (from Acer andaa Samsung) will be on sale by 2011's first half, with more manufacturers and form factors to follow.

Sounds like Sun's take on the "thin client" from 1999? It should-- Google CEO Eric Schmidt draws the comparison himself.

In other Google-news-- the Chrome web store is now live and kicking. Purchases are tied to users' google accounts, and run from any browser (and offline).

Current selections are somewhat limited, but the system shows promise. Think of it as iPad apps for browsers and mice/keyboards.

Go Chrome OS, Web Store Announcement

Samsung stacks memory chips on top of each other in its new 8GB DIMM and increases memory density by 50% (compared to conventional DIMM technology)

The new registered or buffered (RDIMM) product is based on Samsung's own Green DDR3 DRAM and 40nm circuitry.

The industry refers to the process as through silicon via (TSV). It creates vertical micron-sized holes through the chip silicon (instead of just horizontal) to create a denser architecture.

Samsung says the technology saves up to 40% of power consumption, and will apply it to memory with 30nm-class (and smaller) circuitry.

The memory is aimed for high-density, high-performance server systems

The company says its major system-making partners are already successfully testing the new RDIMM product. It is expected to start shipping in 2011's second half.

Go Samsung Readies Memory with Chip Stacking Technology

DRAMeXchange predicts tablets will take over the sales spotlight this year, as more vendors push their tablet device launches.

It also expects most new tablets to be available after CES 2011.

Following the Taipei IT expo, the analyst concludes consumers are moving away from notebooks as the price difference between notebooks and tablets decreases.

It also expects OEMs to team up with telecomms to offer attractive subsidised prices and 3G internet packages.

DRAMeXchange predicts the tablet market to reach 15m units by 2010's end, while 2011 will grow dramatically-- reaching 52m units.

While the iPad is likely to dominate the tablet market (with over 95% 2010 market share), Google's Android will improve further and become more tablet-friendly.

The analysts conclude the iPad's 2011 market share should decline to 80-85% as non-iPad tablets gain more exposure.

Go DRAMeXchange Tablet PC Report