Chromoting: ChromeOS to run traditional applications?

June 11, 2010: 3:31 PM ET

As a legacy transitional tool, Google's browser-based ChromeOS will have  the ability to access to traditional PC applications according to a post on the Chromium discussion board by a Google employee.

It isn't certain how the Google service would work at this point, though like everything else in the Chrome OS, it would be through the browser.   The term 'Chromoting' implies some sort of remote desktop type of application.

There are already many remote access tools that operate through various technologies (ActiveX, Java, etc) in the browser so right out of the box, it would seem to have the capability to remotely access rote computers.

Google could also be teaming up with vendors like Citrix to allow remote access to Windows Virtual Machines.  Open source remote desktop applications like VNC are another likely option with the benefit of tools like Guacamole which allow HTML5 viewing and control hosting (video below) of a remote machine or virtual instance.

Another interesting option may come from some where like Codeweavers who run Windows applications in a Linux (ChromeOS is a Linux variant) environment.  That wouldn't necessarily be "inside the browser" but there is always wiggle room in defining the browser when it is the whole OS.

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Seth Weintraub
Seth Weintraub

Google went from searching the Web to worming its way into nearly every facet of business and government. Seth Weintraub unveils where the company is going, who it's competing with, who it's about to compete with and how market forces push the company to veer or adhere to its Don't Be Evil motto. For 15 years, Weintraub was a global IT director for a number of companies before becoming a blogger.

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