Xi3 has designed a modular PC powered by Google’s web-centric Chrome operating system.
Slated to launch during the second half of 2011, the ChromiumPC will be powered by a dual- or single-core 64-bit, x86-based processor and housed in a chassis measuring 4.0- x 3.656- x 3.656-inches.
“[Our modular] architecture is designed to support any x86-based OS, including Windows, Linux, Unix, and other open source-based operating systems,” said Xi3 CEO Jason A. Sullivan.
“Although we’ve been promoting and working on modular computers for some time, we feel the market is now ready for a desktop computer with a cloud-based operating system like the one offered by Google. If someone chooses to switch their ChromiumPC to run a different operating system, it’s as easy as swapping out one of the three boards inside the computer.”
According to Sullivan, the industry is experiencing a somewhat of a paradigm shift, as the vast majority of operating systems have historically been installed and run locally on computers.
“But as technology has advanced and people have become more and more comfortable with using Web-based applications and storing data away from their computer, specifically ‘in the cloud,’ it only makes sense that operating systems will become cloud-based.
“In fact, we expect that over time we’ll see many operating systems that are wire-bound and require the computer to be connected to the Internet to run, and we will likely support these new operating systems as well,” he added.
Xi3 will disclose additional ChromiumPC specs along with pricing information later this year.
