The core of the ChromeOS is open, <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/releasing-chromium-os-open-source.html" rel="nofollow">http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/releasing-chromium-os...</a>.
Chrome OS is espousing a new style of computing which is all done through the web browser. Chrome OS has a standards based, no gatekeeper method of delivering new applications to users. It's called HTTP.