LG to release first Google Chrome desktop computer

South Korean tech giant LG has unveiled the first desktop PC to use Google’s operating system, Chrome.

Before now, the OS – which is based on the open source Linux platform – was only available on laptops and netbook devices.

Machines which run on Chrome are often considerably cheaper than their Windows counterparts, partly because Google doesn’t charge computer manufacturers to include the software. They are, however, limited in terms of applications.

Users can’t, for example, access popular software such as Apple’s iTunes, Adobe Photoshop and Skype.

Instead, Google encourages Chrome-based device owners to make use of a range of web-based programs, many of which are designed to be alternatives to the unavailable applications.

Experts have suggested that the popularity of LG’s new release may well depend on its final price, which is yet to be announced. The 21.5in model, which has a 1080p, HD screen, is similar in appearance to the set-ups found in the Hewlett Packard’s Spectre One series and the hugely popular Apple iMac range; these computers start at around £700.

It is thought that the price may be released when the new machine is formally unveiled at Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show next month.

Samsung, which is also based in South Korea, already has a handful of Chrome-based laptops in its range, and has experienced success in terms of sales.

According to research specialists IDC, devices running ChromeOS saw growth of more than 1,500 per cent over the last 12 months, despite laptop and netbook sales falling by 12 per cent, and the PC sector in general experiencing a 10 per cent decline.

With PC shipments dropping steadily over the last few years, it’ll be interesting to see what Google can do in the market with the help of LG. The firms’ recent collaboration on the Nexus range of smartphones was a major success.