Google Takes It to Microsoft With Chrome OS

Updated from 1:38 a.m. EDT

Google(GOOG Quote) has upped the ante.

The search giant is developing its own operating system in a direct challenge to Microsoft's(MSFT Quote) dominance of the personal computer market.

In a post on its company blog late Tuesday, Google said the Google Chrome OS, an extension of it Chrome Web browser, is an open source, lightweight operating system that initially will be targeted at netbooks. The company said later this year it will open-source its code and netbooks running the operating system will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. ...