If reports are to believed, Google is set to release own-brand notebooks by year's end featuring touch screen technology.

According to the China Times, all of the orders for hardware for the product's manufacture have been placed directly by Google, rather than through a partner such as Asus (with whom it builds the Nexus-7 tablet) or Samsung (with whom it builds the Galaxy Nexus tablet).

The report suggests that Google will produce a limited run of 20 million units and could start selling the computers before the end of the year. Cutting out the middle man could be a good move for Google as it would enable the company to sell products at a slightly lower price and to build up its own brand as a hardware manufacturer at the same time. A move that would even more closely align it with Apple in terms of creating hardware and software.

The Google Chromebook, which to date has been built by Samsung and Acer, has proved popular since its launch two years ago and its two sub-$250 models, both unveiled earlier this year, sold out within days of going on sale.