The last time I considered Chrome OS I called it a dumb OS. Too simple. Nothing Unique. OK, you’ll never need to update those web-based apps (although you can expect downtime when apps are upgraded) but is that the compelling reason to use Chrome OS?

Clearly there won’t be room for an Android-like application store so it will rely on web applications written in JavaScript, html5 and other web components. Google has given us a glimpse of the way they want to package and market web-based apps in the Chrome Web Store that has just been announced. The Web Store will help users find ‘installable web apps’ and presumably it will track apps but the interesting thing is that is will be a point-of-sale service. If Google find a way to become the payment clearing house for web applications, that’s an interesting model that could encourage many to move into the online application business. Chrome Web Store really could be the missing piece in the business-case for online applications.

The Chrome Web Store will be opening later this year. Will it be the key to making Chrome OS interesting? This could form a useful part of the mobile toolkit for those that have good ‘cloud’ access when out and about.

Via NDevil

Chromium blog.

Web Store information

• Thoughts On The Amazon App Store Rumour
• New Web Browser. Chrome ‘Beta’ from Google. has Webkit and Mozilla roots. Google Window I suspect.
• Intel announces an app store for Moblin (better news than it might seem)