Google I/O 2011: Day Two Keynote Is All About Chrome -- The Web Browser, Web Store, Chrome OS & The Chromebook

Tweet

Day two of Google I/O 2011 is now under way and today is all about Chrome. So far we have learned of some Chrome user stats as well as a little bit about the Chrome Web Store expansion, Chrome OS, Chromebooks and even that we will be able to purchase Angry Birds (with special perks) by way of the Chrome Web Store.

Lets first begin with the stats. According to Sundar Pichai who is the Senior VP of Chrome, they now have 160 million active users. And to add a bit of flare to that number, that is up from 70 million from this time last year. Yup, Chrome has more than doubled their active users in just one years time. And speaking of the Chrome browser, for those who make sure to always stay up to date, Google announced that they Chrome team is moving to six week release cycles and that Beta 12 should be launched this week.

Moving onto the Chrome Web Store and we learn that Google will have that available for all 160 million Chrome users in 41 different languages as of today. And of course, this is where the Rovio Mobile team came into play, and actually came onto the stage to announce Angry Birds on Chrome.

From there, things moved onto Chrome OS and the Cr-48, which seems to have been given a new name — the Chromebook. Of course, the features for this seem to be the same with instant on, always connected, an all-day battery, built-in security and Chrome Sync. Speaking of the Cr-48, Google noted they had 1 million people apply for the Pilot Program and that they have shipped “thousands” around the world.

In terms of Chrome OS, some of the highlights mentioned here include that Google has been “working closely” with Netflix and that other streaming services should all work by default. That said, Google is demoing the SD card slot and the ease up uploading from the card to the web as well as offline use for items such as Gmail, Calendar and Google Docs. Sadly though, that offline access is not expected to arrive until this summer.

And with that, a bit of news we had been waiting for — the official Chromebooks, which will be coming from Samsung and arriving with a 12.1 inch display and built-in 3G connectivity. But perhaps the silver lining, they will be available in the US on June 15th and come priced at $429 and $499 for a Wi-Fi only and 3G model respectively.

Lastly, Google has also confirmed that monthly subscription pricing, though it seems there will be a $20 per month cost for education and a $28 per month cost for business users. And again, these will be available beginning on June 15th. Wow, $20 per month for a computer, it seems Google wants everyone to be able to afford to get online.