Splashtop OS Featuring Chromium Browser and Bing Search Now Available for Download on Major Notebooks and Netbooks
Worldwide leader of instant-on computing brings browser-centric OS to the masses
FEBRUARY 23, 2011 — San Jose, CA — Splashtop Inc, the worldwide leader in instant-access computing, today announced the immediate availability of Splashtop® OS, a lightweight, web-centric operating system optimized for notebooks and netbooks. First introduced as a beta last November, Splashtop OS is a browser-based “companion OS” that co-exists with the Windows operating system. For savvy users eager to try “living in the cloud”, Splashtop OS delivers a simple yet familiar environment based on Chromium, the open source project behind the Google Chrome browser.
The new Splashtop OS, version 1.0, provides broad support for a wide array of PC models, as well as an updated version of the Chromium-based browser featuring one-click access to the Chrome Web Store for easy installation of thousands of web apps, games, extensions and themes. Splashtop OS also delivers instant search, powered by Bing, allowing users to start typing a search query within seconds of turning on their computer. It is available as a free download from Splashtop.
“For people who spend all their time using web apps and services like Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox Google Docs and Gmail, adding a fast, safe and secure browser-centric environment to the traditional desktop-oriented environment makes total sense,” said Phil Sheu, CTO and co-founder of Splashtop Inc. “With Splashtop OS, users don’t need to buy new dedicated hardware, and they don’t need to wait for six months – they can get it today. If Splashtop OS had a middle initial, it would be ‘N’ for ‘now’.”
Unlike previous Splashtop products that have been white labeled, pre-installed and distributed on tens of millions of PCs from major OEMs like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and LG, the new product will be Splashtop-branded and available directly to end users via download from the company’s web site. Splashtop OS is streamlined: it will include no native applications beyond the Chromium-based browser, and boots directly into a start screen featuring a Bing-powered search box in seconds.
Key benefits include:
Fast – starts in just seconds, way before Windows;
Easy – featuring Instant Search, powered by Bing for instant search queries;
Safe – combines a lightweight Linux platform with the Chromium browser;
Convenient – includes allcore plug-ins, such as Adobe Flash, pre-installed;
Smart – automatically imports critical settings from Windows for streamlined set-up;
Personal – allows you to easily customize the environment with thousands of web apps, extensions, games and themes from the Chrome Web Store.
Availability & Platform Support
Splashtop OS is available today directly from the company’s web site. The Splashtop OS “boot menu” allows users to choose between Splashtop OS and Windows upon start-up. No separate installer is required. The company estimates Splashtop OS can be successfully installed on the majority of PC notebooks and netbooks that have shipped in the last three years.
About Splashtop
Splashtop Inc. (formerly known as DeviceVM, Inc.) was founded in 2006 with the goal of optimizing the computing experience so that people everywhere can quickly access content and applications. The Splashtop OS product, first introduced in 2007, is an award-winning instant-on platform that allows users to get online, access e-mail, and chat with friends seconds after turning on their PC. Splashtop Remote, the best-selling business app in the US as designated by Apple App Store sales and downloads, allows users to enjoy their full computer experience from a Smartphone or a tablet, while away from their PC.
Today, Splashtop-based products are available on more than 60 million PCs from leading manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG and Sony. Splashtop has received numerous awards, including the prestigious “Most Innovative Product” award from PC World, the “Best of What’s New” award from Popular Science, and “Best of 2011 CES” award from LAPTOP Magazine. Splashtop Inc. is headquartered in San Jose with offices in Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Taipei. For more information, visit www.splashtop.com
Media contact:
Splashtop PR Team