14 DAY TRIAL // Google did dedicate most of its Chrome event to Chrome OS but the operating system and the devices running it are not becoming available for at least another half a year. Yet, there is one way of getting the full Chrome OS experience a lot sooner than that, get accepted into Google's Chrome OS Pilot program.
Google has some 60,000 Chrome OS netbooks ready to send to eager users. The netbooks, titled Cr-48, after one of Chromium's isotopes, will be a no-thrills device, no branding, no logos, just a plain black netbook.
Yet the device will be shipped for free to eager users and developers, provided they are eligible for Google's Pilot program.
"We’re launching a pilot program where we will give test notebooks to qualified users, developers, schools and businesses. We're starting with the U.S. and will expand to other countries once we get the necessary certifications. To participate in the pilot program, visit the Chrome notebook website," Linus Upson, VP Engineering and Sundar Pichai, VP Product Management, announced.
"The test notebooks exist only to test the software—they are black, have no branding, no logos, no stickers, nothing. They do have 12.1 inch screens, full-sized keyboards and touch pads, integrated 3G from Verizon, eight hours of battery life and eight days of standby time," the added.
There first big caveat is that you have to be from the US to be able to enlist in the Pilot program. You can sign up for a device even if you're from other countries, but Google specifically says that the program is only available to US citizens, at least for now, and won't ship devices to addresses outside the US.
For those in the US, there are several ways of applying. If you're a Google Chrome dev channel user, you might have seen a notification in the New Tab Page indicating that you can apply for a free netbook.
Google Chrome Facebook fans that completed a quiz on the social network, which became available a few days ago, have also been pre-selected for a chance to receive a Cr-48 netbook. The quiz is still available.
You can also head to the recently launched official Chrome OS web page and apply there. You'll have to answer a few questions about how you use the web, but the process is fairly painless.
A more creative way of applying for a Chrome OS netbook is creating a YouTube video about why you need the device and submiting it to the Google Chrome team.
Google will start shipping the devices soon, but the demand is bound to far out-number the supply so it is very likely that you'll have to wait until the devices from Acer and Samsung hit the stores mid-2011. If you are one of the lucky ones, here's what you can expect.