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By now you’ve probably heard about Google’s announcement that they will be rolling out an open-source operating system targeted for use in netbooks–portable, low-power computers mainly designed to be used with various web utilities living in ‘the cloud.’

Looking at what’s next, Technologizer’s Harry McCracken notes a few critical questions about the new Google OS and what it means for the open-source, mobile computing, and the web in general:

Here’s one of those breaking stories that’s stunning at first–until you think about it, whereupon it feels like it was always inevitable. Google announced tonight that it’s working on an operating system for PCs, turning a hypothetical scenario that’s been around for years into reality. Almost by definition, it’s the most direct attack possible on the Microsoft hegemony, since it puts Google into competition with Windows itself.

Google isn’t revealing much in the way of specifics, other than that the OS is an open-source project based on its Chrome browser with a Linux kernel, and that it’s working with multiple hardware manufacturers to bring it to x86- and ARM-based netbooks in the second half of next year. It says the goal is to build an OS that boots in seconds and runs Web apps really well.

Like many big Google announcements (such as the unleashing of Chrome itself last September) this one prompts more questions than it answers. Such as the first eleven that popped into my head…

1. Why would Google do this? The blog post says it’s to make computer users happy and productive:

We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear — computers need to get better. People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files. Even more importantly, they don’t want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates. And any time our users have a better computing experience, Google benefits as well by having happier users who are more likely to spend time on the Internet.

Very noble. But the digs at Microsoft are unmistakable. I think it’s in Google’s blood to go after markets that Microsoft dominates, introducing alternatives that are simpler, Webbier, and free. Hence Gmail, Google Docs, and Chrome–and now Chrome OS.

For a company that’s Microsoft’s greatest rival, Google is currently profoundly dependent on Microsoft, since the vast majority of people who use Google services and software do so via a Microsoft operating system. By developing its own operating system, Google gets a shot at having a direct relationship with consumers in a way that only Microsoft and Apple do today.

Read the rest of Harry’s Eleven Questions about the Google OS here