Google announced Google Chrome OS last week.  Chrome OS is an ultra stripped down operating system that only runs one application: Google Chrome.  The OS is fast, secure and easy to use - but then again, it only performs one major function.

Some people have already criticized Chrome OS as being too stripped down and providing  not all of the features people really need in a personal computer.  But I think that Google is not only on to something here, but they may very well have identified the future of personal computing - at least for 99% of users.

Pros:

• Virus-free computing
  • Auto updates
  • Each executable and step of the boot process cryptographically signed
• Very fast performance:
  • 7 second boot time
  • Web apps that run at near native speeds
• Able to run on inexpensive hardware
  • By the time Google officially launches the product in late 2010, netbooks may only cost $99
• Runs the applications people actually use:
  • Facebook, Twitter, news, photo sharing sites, video (YouTube, Hulu, etc), audio streaming (Lala, Pandora, etc), Gmail

Cons:

• Does not run native apps, such as Word, Outlook or Excel
• Does not run Windows or Mac OS X (but that is not really a con)

At the end of the day, Chome OS is exactly the machine I want to use when:

• Sitting in front of the TV
• Sitting in meetings
• Traveling
• Surfing before I go to sleep
• Reading the news when I wake up

At $99 per machine, it is a no-brainer whether I will use Chrome OS.  Sure, I will still have my iMac for iTunes and I will store my primary set of photos in iPhoto, but Chrome OS will be what I use day in and day out.