The wait is almost over for the Google Chrome OS. After months of wait, the Internet is abuzz with news that Google has narrowed the launch of its Chrome OS to fall, this year. It was originally slated for a 2011 release. The OS designed around a browser is targeted at laptops and might soon find its way into tablets, desktops, and other computers.

The announcement comes in 24 hrs after a report in the Financial Times stating that the search giant has imposed a company ban on Windows and is moving staff to use Linux, Google’s own OSes or Mac. According to reports, the Chrome OS will be available for free. Although an exact date has not been decided, Sundar Pichai, Google’s head of Chrome, said that the OS would be available by “late fall”, while he spoke at the Computex 2010. He also said that they are selective on how to come to the market because they want to deliver a great user experience, and they are thinking on hardware and software levels.

The Chrome operating system will be centered around the web browser. All software including high-end applications such as those used in photo and video editing will be housed in external servers known as a cloud. Google is hoping that a number of applications, including games, will work inside the browser.  In fact it is one of the few OS’s in which most applications work already. For example, Gmail or Facebook does not have to be redesigned or require new apps for Chrome to work.

Questions as to where will Android OS (mobile platform which has powered laptops) fit in, the kind of hardware the OS will need to run and whether or not manufacturing companies want to include the operating system on their machines have been raised.