Ever since Google announced plans to launch a new computer operating system called Chrome OS a few months, we've seen an onslaught of so-called "leaked" screenshots of the operating system. But last night the Google Chrome Browser team posted a message on Twitter linking to a Google Chrome OS preview that looks like it could be the real deal.

Update 2 (see update 1 below): OK, it's almost definitely fake. The Twitter account in question is not affiliated with Google. Nice looking fake though.

The video makes the OS look slick, polished,and definitely looks like a web-based operating system based on the Chrome Browser. The only reason I'm still a bit skeptical is because the video was uploaded in July and the Tweet doesn't say explicitly that this is the real thing.

It looks like you'll have to login to Chrome OS with your Google Account credentials. Once you're in you're presented with a browser window and a dock with links to web applications including Gmail, Google Calendar, and GTalk. There's also a program launcher which gives you access to more applications, including Skype and other programs that I'm assuming need to run from the desktop, so Chrome OS isn't all about web applications.

The video also shows a chess match, which looks like it's being played with another user through Google Wave. Google Chrome OS is designed to be run as a netbook operating systems at launch and should be available as a developer preview later this year. It could show up on mini-laptops in 2010. You can find another photo and a video after the break.

Update: CrunchGear, which spotted this story before we did, determines that the video is fake since the chess match is identical to one being played in a Google Wave promotional image. That doesn't really mean anything though. It could just be the same shot used in two promos. But the fact that the video was posed in July still gives me reason for pause.