Splashtop is a light Linux-based OS that aims to provide a secondary OS to people that serves as a shortcut to the cloud.
Often times one needs to boot into their OS simply to check an email or perform some trivial task on the internet. Chances are you will start that monster that is Windows, which will take a couple of minutes to reach the point where you can actually begin surfing. This is cumbersome, inefficient and slow!
Splashtop gives Windows users an alternate OS that forgoes other tasks in favour of simply letting one reach the internet. There isn't much else this OS can do, since it is specializing on this task only, however the installation, configuration and software update experience that Splashtop brings, is worth mentioning.
Before that though, let us take a look at the OS itself. If you have used Google's Chrome OS at any point, Splashtop is just a stone-throw away. Since it is not intended to be your primary experience on your computer, but rather a quick way to get online, it is focused on fast booting, fast power off, and fast operation while you are there rather than providing significant features, or an experience rivalling that of a desktop.
Since the OS is designed for Windows users, it comes in a convenient "exe" installer package. The installer is just 2MB since it downloads the latest version of the OS and proceeds to install it on your primary drive. The OS is rather light download at just 400MB, although it expands to around 1.7GB on install for user data etc.
The installer automatically adds a entry to the Windows boot loader, allowing the user to select between booting Windows or booting Splashtop while starting. This is similar to how the Wubi installer installs Ubuntu or Linux Mint through Windows itself.
The OS itself is based on Meego, although this is not betrayed by the interface, which is minimal. Splashtop uses Google Chrome as the browser (albeit an outdated v8) and there is no option to select another. With Google Chrome 8 comes the Google Chrome app store, web apps and extensions. Web apps are well integrated with the OS.
A simple status bar adorns the bottom of the interface, and even it can be set to autohide. There is no task manager as such, sine the only task you are likely to be running will be your browser.
Everything about the interface is screams simplicity. Any interaction that are not required from an OS just for browsing are removed! There is no minimize or close button on the browser window. There is no desktop with any icons. There is however one single maximize / restore button that can be of use if you use multiple windows. On the Chrome window open when the OS starts you cannot even use the tab tear away features that Chrome supports.
Additional Google Chrome windows that you launch do however have a close button and support tab tearing. Since you will never be able to close Google Chrome, there is no interface to launch it.
See Splashos in action in following video.
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