Chrome OS hits RC status, final code near?

Google’s Android platform has been getting plenty of attention in the mobile world lately -- and its rise has even led some to wonder if a separate OS for portable devices is really necessary -- but the company nevertheless looks set to launch its web-centric Chrome OS before the end of the year. The latest evidence comes from the project's developer forums, where several comments suggest that the code is in Release Candidate (RC) status and identify the most recent build as 0.9.78.1.

In further discussions a Google employee states “We will push this after November 11” when asked about a specific feature of the operating system. Although there’s been no official confirmation, some believe November 11 could be the deadline for the final product launch or its code-freeze stage, with shipping scheduled shortly thereafter. This would put the launch at little over a year since its original unveiling in July 2009.

Previous rumors have also pointed to a tablet running the new operating system landing on November 26 from HTC, and let’s not forget that the Chrome Web Store is due out this month, which we fully expect to work with Chrome OS devices of course. We’ll have to wait a few more weeks until Google makes it official, but with the company’s credibility as an operating system provider garnering strength on the success of Android, we can probably expect at least one carrier and manufacturer to be on board with the launch before the end of the year.