Google delays market debut of Chrome OS computers

SAN FRANCISCO: Google is delaying the market debut of the first computers running on its highly anticipated operating system while its engineers continue to fine-tune the software.

Under a new timetable announced Tuesday, Google Inc. now expects the first machines powered by the operating system to go on sale in the middle of next year. The company previously had promised to have its Chrome operating system ready by the end of this year.

Google is recruiting consumers and a handful of businesses to test a ``very limited'' number of laptops using the operating system, which revolves around the company's 2-year-old Chrome Web browser.

The first Chrome OS machines will be made by Acer and Samsung. They will have a 12.1 inch display screen, but no hard drive.