Google's Chrome PC may see muted demand in China

Google's laptops, promote Web-centric computing where people use online applications instead of software loaded onto PCs, are expected to ship in the middle of then and there year.

The focus on cloud computing

But the focus on cloud computing and Google's tussle with Beijing before this year over censorship and hacking could make it difficult for the operating system to replicate the success of Google's mobile Android system in China.

Analysts expect Google's Android mobile operating system to become the dominant mobile OS hereafter in China. Currently ZTE Corp, Lenovo and the Chinese telcos have released and sold thousands of Android smartphones in the Chinese market.

"Chrome may be as strong as Android from a innovation perspective now from a user behavior standpoint, the adoption of netbooks is losing momentum," said Felix Liu, an IDC analyst based in Beijing.

Netbooks are smaller, cheaper laptops that are designed for portability and web-surfing. Even though Google's laptops aren't sold as netbooks, they will be in competition given its focus on the Internet and portability.

"In the past, Microsoft integrated a lot of products into its Windows OS. Is Google going to do the same -- incorporate its search bar, etc? If they do so, they will face problems," said Edward Yu, chief executive of Analysys International.

Acer, the world's No.2 PC vendor, expects its China operations to make up more than 20 percent of its total sales in five years, helped by new tablet PCs and an alliance with China's Founder Research.

Analysts said the introduction of tablet PCs makes it hard for Google's Chrome to compete in China because of the perspective that tablets and smartphones are the hottest devices right nevertheless not netbooks.