Dell in Talks with Google over Using New Chrome Operating System

Dell is in talks with Google (News - Alert) over the use of the Chrome operating system on its laptops, a Dell company executive told Reuters, the news agency reported on Monday.

'We have to have a point of view on the industry and technology direction two years, three years down the road, so we continuously work with Google on this,' Amit Midha, Dell's president for Greater China and South Asia, told Reuters (News - Alert) in an interview.

'There are going to be unique innovations coming up in the marketplace in two, three years, with a new form of computing, we want to be on that forefront ... So with Chrome or Android (News - Alert) or anything like that we want to be one of the leaders,' Midha said.

There are no firm announcements about Dell using Chrome, but talks between the companies were underway, Reuters reported.

Google plans to release its Chrome operating system later this year, with recent reports the release could be in "late fall." Google sees the Chrome operating system as a competitor to the popular Windows from Microsoft (News - Alert).

Recently, Google software engineer Gary Kacmarcík posted a message on a Google site that the new Chrome operating system will have a feature "unofficially named 'chromoting.'" The New York Times has defined "chromoting" as "remotely accessing your PC applications via the browser. Or, in other words, it's a remote desktop app for your new cloud computer."

Reuters also reported that Midha told the news agency that Dell would release a new smartphone for the China market in coming months that would run on the TD-SCDMA network, China's third-generation mobile network. The new smartphone would be released with China Mobile (News - Alert) and would be a full-featured smartphone with an inbuilt TV tuner, he said, Reuters reported.