Cell Bytes

We know you love you some Android, and the mobile OS has become pretty darn dominant over the past three years, but it’s no secret that Google has some other tricks up their sleeve besides Search Engines and Androids. While Chrome Browser hasn’t taken off in terms of adoption and market share like the search giant had hoped, it IS one of the primary options of an oligopoly driven market. And if you can remember, it wasn’t too long ago that we were talking about Chrome neck-and-neck with Android, wondering if one of them would swallow the other one in the long run.

This is a friendly reminder that while Android seems to have taken over mother earth recently, Chrome could be a dark horse this holiday season. Last night we saw the launch of Sony Internet TV, essentially an iteration of Google TV, featuring Android 2.1 and eventually featuring Android Market. But Google TV is also pumped full of Chrome juice, something that you can’t really miss when searching your Google TV (Omnibar FTW).

I’ve been surprised at the lack of excitement for Google TV in the Android universe but I think the phans will come around once the product is in the streets. And when Android Market lands on the units – watch out. But while Android and Chrome combined to form their Google TV love child, it doesn’t say much about Google’s overall Chrome initiative.

What initiative you might ask? A little something the world forgot about called Chrome OS. To jog your memory, perhaps you should watch this video from November 19th, 2009 where they show sample products and promise Chrome OS products in one year time, including launch plans.

It’s almost a year later and Google has confirmed that Chrome OS hardware will launch before the end of the year:

In terms of Google Chrome OS schedule, we are very happy with the progress of Chrome OS and expect devices will be available later this year. We’ll have more details to share at launch.

In August, Google filed for the Speedbook Trademark, and it’s looking like Chrome OS Tablets could be included in the mix along with Netbooks. I’ve said before that the launch of the iPad will only help Android and Chrome have success on Netbooks, Tablets and other form factors. But now, as Chrome hardware waits silently and patiently in the shadow of Android, I think it’s a great time to revive the discussion about the intersection of Android Avenue and Chrome Court.

While Sergey Brin said they “will likely converge over time,” Eric Schmidt had this to offer:

In fact the Chrome OS is a different product and a different target market. One way to think about it is that Android is really targeted towards people who are phone centric… and we all understand what phone-centric means: it’s a mobile device, it has a Wi-Fi connection and you carry it. If it isn’t a phone it’s something like a phone – a tablet or something like that.

The Chrome OS is really targeted at the PC/Netbook-centric user. And that’s somebody who is at a desk, they’ve got a keyboard or something like that, they’ve got a reasonable screen and a they’ve got a good processor.

The uses are different and we don’t think the two completely overlap.

That was November 23rd, 2009 and things were a lot different then. That’s when Google still thought they could revolutionize the method of mobile phone buying. They’ve since abandoned that and more recently taken a different approach that pretty much admits defeat in terms of selling phones direct.

Android has, up until now, been mainly featured on smartphones with 4.3-inch screens or smaller. With the launch of Google TV, the biggest takeaway was that the largest screen in your house wasn’t getting the attention it deserved. Google TV would make better (and awesome) use of your television… with the help of Android and Chrome together. But what about screen sizes in between? What ABOUT netbooks? What ABOUT tablets?

Android netbooks have, thus far, failed pretty miserably. Android tablets it appears, with offerings like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, could become pretty popular. It’s clear that the use-case for Chrome OS is different than that of Android, but might creating Android this and Chrome OS that further confuse consumers who are still trying to figure out what “Droid” really means? Or could Google be working on a hybrid solution for larger devices that makes use of both Android and Chrome, similar to the nature and integration of Google TV?

I don’t have all the answers, but if Google makes good on their promise to release Chrome OS products later this year we won’t have long to wait. But as we saw with the Nexus One experiment, Google isn’t too proud to admit they miscalculated and take a newer and re-calculated approach, and they should be applauded for that. Either way, until we know the bottom line, I’m asking you again one year later…

What will we see from Chrome and Chrome OS this holiday season and how will it affect Android?

Ladies and gentlemen, this is history in the making. Someone finally got internet TV right. OK, so technically Google TV got internet TV right, and the experience mirrors the Logitech Revue almost identically (more on that later), but when you package it in some beautiful Sony hardware it’s enough to make a grown man turn into a comatosed drool machine. That is what will set Sony’s offering apart from the likes of the Revue, right on down to the beautifully designed, PS3-inspired remote.

You may have already read Rob’s boyish gushing over the remote controller, and hopefully this isn’t the last time we see Google TV and PS3 associated, because a next-gen console with the Android-based service would probably be so awesome it would create a blackhole and suck the universe we know directly into it. But enough of my incessant rambling, we want demos!

So, like I said, you can see what you are getting inside the box is pretty much the same Google TV we saw hashed out from Logitech. But let’s talk a bit more about Sony’s hardware. For starters, Sony’s line of Google TV-enabled devices all feature 8GB of internal flash storage. From what we gathered, this space is reserved for apps, bookmarks, and other OS-related functions rather than media, but that doesn’t mean you can’t access stored files from a network drive. The media player lets you get your pictures, images, and videos right on a beautifully crafted HD screen.

And speaking of that screen, the Sony Internet TV will be available in four sizes: 24 inches at $599, 32 inches at $799, 40 inches at $999, and 46 inches at $1399. No monster 50+ inch set, but still a serviceable range for almost any use. Need one for a bedroom? The 24 inch and 32 inch couldn’t be better. The 40 and 46 inch sets are perfect for the living room. All but the smallest iteration feature LED backlighting bringing out the gorgeous picture on their LCD screens. And believe me, Sony didn’t cut any corners in terms of build quality and picture reproduction. Just because the focus is on the “Internet” part doesn’t mean Sony overlooked the “TV” part. These sets will rank right up there with other high-end HDTVs from the company.

But what if you just bought a new HDTV? No problem, that’s where the Blu Ray player comes in, though at $399 if you already own a PS3 or BRD player, you are probably better off grabbing the Logitech Revue to score the exact same functionality for a hundred bucks less, though I am almost tempted to justify an extra BRD player in the living room and an additional portrait of Benjamin Franklin simply to secure Sony’s remote, which will only be compatible with Sony’s devices. Still, aside from some stylish looks and the ability to play HD discs, the Blu Ray option doesn’t offer much in the way of unique features.

If I was in the market this would be my next HDTV. Hell, I might jump into the market just to pick one of these up. The 32-incher would look perfect in my room. If somehow Google TV flops I will be surprised, because the hardware and software are just too darn well-executed for this thing not to be a success. Check out a little walkthrough and hands-on below.