Chrome OS is an operating system developed by Google based on the Linux kernel. It uses the Google Chrome browser as its primary interface and focuses on cloud storage and web applications. Chromebooks running Chrome OS boot very quickly, in 5-7 seconds, and rely on being constantly connected to the internet for apps and storage via a user's Google account. Chrome OS emphasizes security through sandboxing each web page and app and verifying the OS hasn't been tampered with each startup. However, it has limited offline storage and support for non-web programs.