Google's move into operating systems was unexpected and a little tricky to fathom at first, though giving away an OS is a tactic that's maintained the search engine giant's dominance of the internet as new connected devices come along.

So, with its web services-based Chrome OS now out in the wild, Google has been working hard to insist there's no conflict between it and Android, despite Android also now branching out from smartphones and appearing on devices such as netbooks - surely the natural domain of Chrome OS.

Speaking to Cnet after the Chrome OS presentation, Google co-founder Sergey Brin wasn't too concerned about the apparent cross-over of technologies however, saying "Android and Chrome will likely converge over time".

With new chip set technologies on the horizon that are likely to kick start a new generation of powerful smartphones and netbooks, running a full computer-sized operating system probably won't prove too taxing.

And although Google's official stance on the two open-source projects seems to differ from Brin's, one OS seems likely to eventually out perform the other and take the lead.