The journey began on July 7, 2009, when Google announced Chrome OS as a Linux-based operating system designed to work almost exclusively with web applications.
At the time, Google specifically positioned Chrome OS for netbooks and lightweight laptops. The i686 1.0.628 build was designed to boot in under 10 seconds, resume from sleep instantly, and run smoothly on modest hardware like Intel Atom processors with 1–2 GB of RAM. It was a "thin client" OS, shifting the computational heavy lifting to the cloud.
In early 2010, several "OEM Beta" or "Cherry" builds circulated on file-sharing sites and forums. These used a versioning scheme (like 1.0.x) that preceded the official Google Chrome OS release on the CR-48 prototype in late 2010. Technical Breakdown of the Name Google Chrome OS Linux i686 1.0.628 OEM Beta x86
: Distributed as an ISO file for Live USB or DVD installation. Key Distinctions Cr OS Linux (1.0.628) Official Google ChromeOS Developer Third-party enthusiasts Base Distro Gentoo Linux Hardware Any x86 PC/Netbook Authorized Chromebooks Cloud-Only No (included local apps) Primarily cloud-based
: The "OEM Beta" label signifies that this version was likely intended for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and was in the beta testing phase. It was not yet ready for public release but was used for testing on specific hardware configurations. The journey began on July 7, 2009, when
When you booted 1.0.628 from a USB drive (or the OEM recovery SD card), you were greeted not by a desktop, but by a login screen that looked suspiciously like the Chromium browser. The entire "desktop" was a maximized browser window.
Centered entirely around the Chromium web browser as the primary interface. It was a "thin client" OS, shifting the
Exploring the Roots: Google Chrome OS Linux i686 1.0.628 OEM Beta x86
i686 (32-bit x86). While modern ChromeOS is almost exclusively 64-bit, early versions were optimized for the 32-bit Intel Atom processors found in netbooks.
Key features that landed in .628: