According to industry sources cited by DigiTimes, Acer plans to launch a netbook based on Google's Chrome operating system in the second half of 2010. The tipsters said that Acer has been developing the device since mid-2009, which is around the time that Google officially announced its new OS.

If true, Acer will be one of, if not the first company to officially release a netbook with Chrome OS. Similarly, the computer maker was also quick to introduce an Android-based Aspire One. Although that device has mostly been forgotten, it hasn't affected Acer's willingness to develop netbooks outside the realm of Microsoft's Windows.

If you can't wait until next year to get your hands on Chrome OS, there are a few ways to try it now. For starters, you could run the OS from a USB boot drive, but driver support is still rather limited. To experience Chrome OS in a more "complete" capacity, you could install this version on a Dell Mini 10V.