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If you had asked tech insiders earlier this year to predict the must-have gadgets for the holiday 2010 season, a few might have said a Chrome OS netbook. After all, in November 2009, Google said it would have a netbook running the Web-based OS in time for the holidays this year.

But that was before the Apple iPad. From the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the RIM PlayBook to the HP Slate and today's introduction of three new tablets from Acer, it seems that tablets have now captured the tech industry's attention. Google is, of course, in that space too – the Galaxy Tab and one of Acer's tablets are Android-based. But what about Chrome OS? With Black Friday and the start of the holiday shopping season just days away, the prospect of finding a Chrome OS device in your stocking is looking bleak.

For its part, Google insists that the project is still on track. "We are very happy with the progress of Google Chrome OS, and we'll have more details to share later this year," a Google spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

At the Acer launch this morning, Jim Wong, a senior vice president at Acer, said that Google would show a Google Chrome OS concept in December and Acer would follow that up with a commercial launch next year. When asked about that, Google said its statement remained the same.

PC Mag has the details HERE!