Today saw the announcement of some very big news, the forthcoming release of Google’s OS and I could not be more excited. Secretly, its something I’ve wanted for quite some time; an open source, fast, lightweight and secure OS with the web and Google’s services (of which I use all) as its backbone.
The move by Google is sure to leave Apple and Microsoft shaking in their boots, and quite frankly, I’m certain this is the beginning of the end for Ubuntu & co. What I’d like to focus on here however is Apple, a company which just weeks ago I couldn’t see myself ever abandoning, and who had convinced me that beauty, elegance and reliability were my top priorities when it came to an operating system.
Since the increasing development and improvement of Google Apps (and web apps as a whole), the increased speed of Chrome, the release of Android and now, the Google OS. I’m left torn. Nearly everything I currently do is online, and I’d say approximately 80% involves Google Apps. I realise, your average non-geek Joe is a long long way from this, but I’ve never been more convinced that in time – everyone will use the web, an online word processor/spreadsheet etc.. (probably Google Docs) to work just as many have used windows and office for so long.
Commitment to Google Apps
My current commitment to Google Apps (until something better comes along of course) has left me frequently day-dreaming. Entertaining ideas of what it would be like to truly incorporate all my primary web services into an operating system designed to really make sure they work as best as they possibly can. An operating system so reliable, smooth, fast and secure that using the web would feel local.
My day-dreams came true today, and it means I’m left wondering what Apple can bring to the table between now and Google’s OS release, aside from a gorgeous UI and decent hardware that will pumped about Apple again. After two years with the iPhone I’m already considering abandoning the device for an Android phone, primarily because of its integration with Google’s applications. Android has a local Gmail client, maps is fully featured, everything is pushed, email, contacts and calendar events…its all slick and its all built in.
The point is this…
As long as Google and web applications continue to improve at the rate they are, Apple is the only company I can see with potential to retain its current user base, but to do it, they’re going to have to start thinking far more Google-like. Apple’s propriety strategy, I believe, is an advantage, but Google’s offerings are increasingly more attractive a proposition and unless Apple rethink their local OS strategy (as I’m sure they will by the way), this is the beginning of an era of Google dominance, the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
The company is slowly but surely taking over every aspect of our lives from email (a backbone to nearly all our lives), to how we work, video and photosharing, how we maintain voice communication, the operating system our phone runs on…for some its scary, for me… I’m excited. And for now at least, the one company I want to see step up to Google’s surge in dominance is Apple, and I predict they will, but its not going to be easy.
Although, I am writing Microsoft’s long term consumer market off now, and saying loud and clear that the future is Google vs. Apple. Robert Scoble has just posted on Friendfeed: “Why did Google announce Chrome OS this week? Well, of course, Microsoft has a big announcement coming on Monday (I’m embargoed).” So you never know, I could of course be very very wrong and Microsoft might just have a few tricks up its sleeve, one might work..I doubt it.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Chrome OS for the clueless: What it means for real people
Late Tuesday night, Google, the company that became a tech giant through search and advertising company, announced that it's branching out into an unrelated direction, the operating system business. It will release next year the Chrome OS, a free competitor to Microsoft's Windows operating system. It will be targeted at Netbooks, a class of small, inexpensive computers, although eventually it will make its way to full-powered notebooks and desktop computers. It will be designed for accessing Web applications (like Google's own GMail and Google Docs), and it will take a lot of design and technology cues, as well as its name, from Google's browser, Chrome.
What does this mean to people who are thinking about buying a new computer now, or next year? Is the Chrome OS something to get excited about, or even wait for?
We won't know for sure what the operating system looks like until it comes out, which answers the second question handily: do not wait. If you need a new computer now, spend the money and get the use out of the machine while Google figures out how and when to get the Chrome OS out the door.
But to the other question: yes, this is very interesting, and potentially could cause some transformations in the computer industry, although they may be more subtle than Google--and Microsoft's detractors--hope.
Who cares about operating systems?
Computers need operating systems. Even computers that do nothing but run Web browsers need one. An Application like a Web browser--Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome--needs to run on top of a platform that gives it access to the hardware resources of the computer (the memory, the persistent storage, access to the networking and communications hardware, the screen, the keyboard, and so on); to peripherals plugged into a computer (printers, cameras that connect, memory cards); to the other software on the the computer (like the system for storing files); and lastly, to you, the user.
Or do they? What if you combined the operating system's functions with a browser's functions, which include accessing and displaying Web pages, keeping track of bookmarks and passwords, and connecting to computer-attached resources like Webcams?
Google is answering that question with Chrome OS. Google is saying, with this product, that the modern computer user spends so much time working with Web-based resources that the main control system for the computer should be the browser, not the operating system. Furthermore, Google sources tell us that the Chrome OS experience will bear little resemblance to existing way that users interact with their computer's main control program. A person familiar with the Chrome OS project told us, "All existing operating systems predate the Web, and the user interfaces are stuck in a desktop metaphor." The Chrome OS, we're led to believe, will be very different.
How? We don't know. It's a safe bet that the Chrome OS will lean more heavily on so-called "cloud storage" products--like Google's own productivity suites, Google Docs--that let users store their data and documents not on their computers but rather on the systems of the Web apps they are running. The great thing about cloud storage is that it's untethered to any individual user's computer. Log in to your Google Docs account from anywhere, and there's your whole workspace, right in front of you. It's liberating.
Google may also take a cue from its own e-mail application, GMail, which blends the traditional idea of having folders for e-mail with the concept of "labels." In GMail, you can drag messages into folders to file them, or you can drag folders (or labels) over messages to categorize them. It's the same thing, but the hierarchy people are used to in operating systems, where a file is in one folder at a time, and the folder may be nested in another folder, is simply not there. Folders and labels are interchangable and far more fluid.
But in Windows 7, Microsoft's next operating system, Folders are also less rigid than they've been in previous versions of Windows.
We can also expect that the Chrome OS will borrow user interface elements from Chrome the browser--like a tabbed metaphor for switching between "apps," and the mind-reading command line (address bar in the browser). It may also evidence Google's traditional obsession with clean (if not necessarily attractive) design and speed. The Chrome OS should be fast.
A ruse by any name
But under the hood, the Chrome OS will still be a traditional operating system. It will be an adaptation of Linux, a free operating system lovingly maintained, in various versions, by a global community of programmers. The Chrome OS will likely borrow the gritty bits of the operating system, the parts that connect to the computer's CPU, the memory, and other hardware. Google's most visible contribution, in addition to the human resources it puts on the project of working at the core of the operating system, will be in the user interface and how the OS handles user data and files.
Will users buy it? They haven't so far. The first Netbooks came with Linux-based operating systems, and users shunned them (or more specially, returned them to their points of purchase) in favor of computers running yesterday's version of Microsoft Windows, XP. Even though XP adds cost to a computer due to the high licensing fee that the manufacturers have to pass on to consumers, those consumers voted to pay the extra money for the familiarity of Windows.
The Chrome OS could well be better than any of the Linux variants that have come before it. It will certainly be cheap--Google says it will be free to manufacturers. Google also says it will be safer, thanks to technologies like "sandboxing" from the Chrome browser that prevent one app from infecting or stealing data from another.
But no matter how much better the Chrome OS is than Windows, users are still accustomed to Windows, and the first target market for Chrome OS, the Netbook category, presents special challenges. First, it's a small market, and second, many Netbook buyers get the machines as secondary, portable computers. They already have a larger laptop or desktop and they want a mini-size, portable accessory to go with it. For those users, a radically different operating system is a stumbling block, no matter how good it is by itself.
The stakes are big enough that it's worth the shot for Google. Google makes money through targeted advertising. The more they know about what you do, the better the ads you get will perform. If Google knows what you do at the operating system level, they can deliver you more specific advertising content. Also, a Google OS would likely lead people to Google services--and not Microsoft's or Yahoo's. Also, this is a long-term game. Google doesn't need to knock Microsoft off its peg tomorrow, or next year. But over time, the company may be able to chip away at Microsoft's pre-eminence as the leading operating system vendor, or at the very least force Microsoft to make its own operating systems more Web-friendly, which benefits the most popular Web service provider there is: Google.
Google needs to start spreading the word on the Chrome OS now, and not a year from now when the product comes out, to get developers and computer manufacturers excited about the platform, and working on compatible products. That takes time. It's also an area where Microsoft has an excellent track record; the Windows company spends a ton of money and energy on developer relations.
The most likely short-term impact the Chrome OS will have on the Netbook market is that it may encourage Microsoft to drop its prices on the Windows 7 licenses it sells to manufacturers. But until developers start writing major software for the operating system (games, photo editors, and major productivity suites like Office), it's very unlikely that Google will have much of an impact on Windows sales.
Meanwhile, it's worth noting that Microsoft is hardly standing still. Its new Bing search engine is actually quite good in comparison to Google's most popular product, Google Search, and the upcoming version of Microsoft Office will have Web capabilities that put it in competition with Google's online word processor and spreadsheet.
A year from now, there will likely be Google Chrome OS Netbooks (and possibly larger laptops) available for sale alongside Windows-powered models. Will people like me recommend them? Maybe, for some users, in particular those on tight budgets and those with no or only limited knowledge of Windows or Apple's OS.
Building an operating system is a major project, but it's only part of the job. Even if the Google OS is fantastic, it will need to steal customers accustomed to using Microsoft and Apple devices. And even if those customers want to be convinced that Google's product is better, they may find it very difficult to make the switch.
What does this mean to people who are thinking about buying a new computer now, or next year? Is the Chrome OS something to get excited about, or even wait for?
We won't know for sure what the operating system looks like until it comes out, which answers the second question handily: do not wait. If you need a new computer now, spend the money and get the use out of the machine while Google figures out how and when to get the Chrome OS out the door.
But to the other question: yes, this is very interesting, and potentially could cause some transformations in the computer industry, although they may be more subtle than Google--and Microsoft's detractors--hope.
Who cares about operating systems?
Computers need operating systems. Even computers that do nothing but run Web browsers need one. An Application like a Web browser--Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome--needs to run on top of a platform that gives it access to the hardware resources of the computer (the memory, the persistent storage, access to the networking and communications hardware, the screen, the keyboard, and so on); to peripherals plugged into a computer (printers, cameras that connect, memory cards); to the other software on the the computer (like the system for storing files); and lastly, to you, the user.
Or do they? What if you combined the operating system's functions with a browser's functions, which include accessing and displaying Web pages, keeping track of bookmarks and passwords, and connecting to computer-attached resources like Webcams?
Google is answering that question with Chrome OS. Google is saying, with this product, that the modern computer user spends so much time working with Web-based resources that the main control system for the computer should be the browser, not the operating system. Furthermore, Google sources tell us that the Chrome OS experience will bear little resemblance to existing way that users interact with their computer's main control program. A person familiar with the Chrome OS project told us, "All existing operating systems predate the Web, and the user interfaces are stuck in a desktop metaphor." The Chrome OS, we're led to believe, will be very different.
How? We don't know. It's a safe bet that the Chrome OS will lean more heavily on so-called "cloud storage" products--like Google's own productivity suites, Google Docs--that let users store their data and documents not on their computers but rather on the systems of the Web apps they are running. The great thing about cloud storage is that it's untethered to any individual user's computer. Log in to your Google Docs account from anywhere, and there's your whole workspace, right in front of you. It's liberating.
Google may also take a cue from its own e-mail application, GMail, which blends the traditional idea of having folders for e-mail with the concept of "labels." In GMail, you can drag messages into folders to file them, or you can drag folders (or labels) over messages to categorize them. It's the same thing, but the hierarchy people are used to in operating systems, where a file is in one folder at a time, and the folder may be nested in another folder, is simply not there. Folders and labels are interchangable and far more fluid.
But in Windows 7, Microsoft's next operating system, Folders are also less rigid than they've been in previous versions of Windows.
We can also expect that the Chrome OS will borrow user interface elements from Chrome the browser--like a tabbed metaphor for switching between "apps," and the mind-reading command line (address bar in the browser). It may also evidence Google's traditional obsession with clean (if not necessarily attractive) design and speed. The Chrome OS should be fast.
A ruse by any name
But under the hood, the Chrome OS will still be a traditional operating system. It will be an adaptation of Linux, a free operating system lovingly maintained, in various versions, by a global community of programmers. The Chrome OS will likely borrow the gritty bits of the operating system, the parts that connect to the computer's CPU, the memory, and other hardware. Google's most visible contribution, in addition to the human resources it puts on the project of working at the core of the operating system, will be in the user interface and how the OS handles user data and files.
Will users buy it? They haven't so far. The first Netbooks came with Linux-based operating systems, and users shunned them (or more specially, returned them to their points of purchase) in favor of computers running yesterday's version of Microsoft Windows, XP. Even though XP adds cost to a computer due to the high licensing fee that the manufacturers have to pass on to consumers, those consumers voted to pay the extra money for the familiarity of Windows.
The Chrome OS could well be better than any of the Linux variants that have come before it. It will certainly be cheap--Google says it will be free to manufacturers. Google also says it will be safer, thanks to technologies like "sandboxing" from the Chrome browser that prevent one app from infecting or stealing data from another.
But no matter how much better the Chrome OS is than Windows, users are still accustomed to Windows, and the first target market for Chrome OS, the Netbook category, presents special challenges. First, it's a small market, and second, many Netbook buyers get the machines as secondary, portable computers. They already have a larger laptop or desktop and they want a mini-size, portable accessory to go with it. For those users, a radically different operating system is a stumbling block, no matter how good it is by itself.
The stakes are big enough that it's worth the shot for Google. Google makes money through targeted advertising. The more they know about what you do, the better the ads you get will perform. If Google knows what you do at the operating system level, they can deliver you more specific advertising content. Also, a Google OS would likely lead people to Google services--and not Microsoft's or Yahoo's. Also, this is a long-term game. Google doesn't need to knock Microsoft off its peg tomorrow, or next year. But over time, the company may be able to chip away at Microsoft's pre-eminence as the leading operating system vendor, or at the very least force Microsoft to make its own operating systems more Web-friendly, which benefits the most popular Web service provider there is: Google.
Google needs to start spreading the word on the Chrome OS now, and not a year from now when the product comes out, to get developers and computer manufacturers excited about the platform, and working on compatible products. That takes time. It's also an area where Microsoft has an excellent track record; the Windows company spends a ton of money and energy on developer relations.
The most likely short-term impact the Chrome OS will have on the Netbook market is that it may encourage Microsoft to drop its prices on the Windows 7 licenses it sells to manufacturers. But until developers start writing major software for the operating system (games, photo editors, and major productivity suites like Office), it's very unlikely that Google will have much of an impact on Windows sales.
Meanwhile, it's worth noting that Microsoft is hardly standing still. Its new Bing search engine is actually quite good in comparison to Google's most popular product, Google Search, and the upcoming version of Microsoft Office will have Web capabilities that put it in competition with Google's online word processor and spreadsheet.
A year from now, there will likely be Google Chrome OS Netbooks (and possibly larger laptops) available for sale alongside Windows-powered models. Will people like me recommend them? Maybe, for some users, in particular those on tight budgets and those with no or only limited knowledge of Windows or Apple's OS.
Building an operating system is a major project, but it's only part of the job. Even if the Google OS is fantastic, it will need to steal customers accustomed to using Microsoft and Apple devices. And even if those customers want to be convinced that Google's product is better, they may find it very difficult to make the switch.
Chrome OS: What Is Google's Goal?
Google’s announcement that it is working on a lightweight, Web-based operating system for netbooks, to be called Chrome OS, is a surprise only in its timing. As I wrote last September, when Google released the Chrome browser and Sergey Brin denied that its ambitions went beyond building a fast, simple browser:
Don’t believe it for a second. Although the first version of Chrome has a half-finished feel and runs only on Windows, a close look at its features and underlying design reveals a far more dramatic goal. Chrome aims to take on not just Internet Explorer’s 75% share of the browser market but Windows’ dominance of the desktop itself.
Chrome was designed less as a competitor to the feature-rich Internet Explorer and Firefox than as a container for running Web-based applications. That made it, in effect, the user interface for a Web-based OS. Add a kernel (Google, unsurprisingly, is using the Linux kernel as the core), a window manager, and assorted other pieces of OS infrastructure and you can have a simple, fast, and robust operating system without a massive development effort.
If Google's faith in Web applications is well placed, then it is right in thinking that big, rich operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS X
are doomed. I suspect the Googlers are half right: Rich client-based applications will remain important for games, content creation, and any computationally intense work, while Web based apps will dominate for content consumption, especially on the go. No operating system around today is really designed for this lightweight experience, which is one reason Google felt compelled to step in.
I also suspect that some at Google were not entirely happy with the the direction that its Android mobile OS project is taking. Numerous netbook makers have made plans to install Android on small laptops. But Android was designed for handsets and a move to bigger devices is problematic. At a minimum, porting Android to larger screens would require major modifications in the user interface and possible some deeper components, such as the file system. This would lead to what computer scientists call "forking," the splitting of an operating system into branches that have serious incompatibilities between them.
The push for Android on netbooks was being driven by manufacturers' dissatisfaction with both Microsoft and current Linux distributions. In some cases, the computer makers wanted to build netbooks based on the ARM processor, such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform, rather than an Intel or AMD x86 processor, and Android is designed for ARM. Done right, Chrome would satisfy those desires while helping Google protect the integrity of Android.
The bottom line is that Chrome could produce a hefty payout for Google without a massive investment. And that makes it look like a winner all around.
Don’t believe it for a second. Although the first version of Chrome has a half-finished feel and runs only on Windows, a close look at its features and underlying design reveals a far more dramatic goal. Chrome aims to take on not just Internet Explorer’s 75% share of the browser market but Windows’ dominance of the desktop itself.
Chrome was designed less as a competitor to the feature-rich Internet Explorer and Firefox than as a container for running Web-based applications. That made it, in effect, the user interface for a Web-based OS. Add a kernel (Google, unsurprisingly, is using the Linux kernel as the core), a window manager, and assorted other pieces of OS infrastructure and you can have a simple, fast, and robust operating system without a massive development effort.
If Google's faith in Web applications is well placed, then it is right in thinking that big, rich operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS X
are doomed. I suspect the Googlers are half right: Rich client-based applications will remain important for games, content creation, and any computationally intense work, while Web based apps will dominate for content consumption, especially on the go. No operating system around today is really designed for this lightweight experience, which is one reason Google felt compelled to step in.
I also suspect that some at Google were not entirely happy with the the direction that its Android mobile OS project is taking. Numerous netbook makers have made plans to install Android on small laptops. But Android was designed for handsets and a move to bigger devices is problematic. At a minimum, porting Android to larger screens would require major modifications in the user interface and possible some deeper components, such as the file system. This would lead to what computer scientists call "forking," the splitting of an operating system into branches that have serious incompatibilities between them.
The push for Android on netbooks was being driven by manufacturers' dissatisfaction with both Microsoft and current Linux distributions. In some cases, the computer makers wanted to build netbooks based on the ARM processor, such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform, rather than an Intel or AMD x86 processor, and Android is designed for ARM. Done right, Chrome would satisfy those desires while helping Google protect the integrity of Android.
The bottom line is that Chrome could produce a hefty payout for Google without a massive investment. And that makes it look like a winner all around.
Google's Chrome: Taking Aim at Microsoft — and the iPhone
No, Google's move into the operating-system space, long dominated by Microsoft, is not good news for Redmond, Wash. The last thing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer needs is to compete against Google's (presumably) free operating system, which supposedly can drive anything from a netbook to a PC.
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But here's a wacky thought: Maybe Microsoft is just collateral damage in this war. Maybe the real competitor to Google is Apple! Launching its Chrome OS in the second half of 2010 may be simply a bid by Google to keep the Web a viable, robust place — even as users (especially Apple users) are starting to be enticed away from it.
(See Google Earth's historical photos.)
Google's interests are perfectly aligned with a free and open Web. That's its brilliance. Google dominates the Web platform. The more you use the Web, the more likely you are to use its hugely popular search products, and the more ads Google will sell, targeted at you. It doesn't really matter which browser you use to get there — Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google's house browser, Chrome — as long as you use Google Search, Maps and any of the other suite of fine, free Google products.
The first real threat Google faced was Facebook. That's because when people are on the popular social network, they aren't using Google Search. Even worse, instead of asking Google Search where they should eat tonight, they're asking their Facebook friends. And the more of their personal stuff (pictures, videos and so on) they put behind Facebook's closed doors, the worse it is for Google, which also owns YouTube. That's why Google has attempted (so far, with limited success) to get into the social-network business.
(See the 50 best websites of 2008.)
But the Facebook threat pales beside the remarkable success of Apple's iPhone and the rise of a mobile computing platform that exists parallel to — but distinctly apart from — the Google-dominated Web. While it's true that the iPhone accounts for more Web browsing than any other smartphone, it's also true that browsing the Web on it is still a suboptimal experience. Anyone who uses an iPhone knows that native apps are infinitely better to use than the Web. The iPhone is all about apps — not browsing the Web. Virtually any site you can think of, from the New York Times to the Huffington Post, is exponentially better when viewed via a dedicated iPhone app than it is when visited via the iPhone's browser.
(See the top iPhone applications.)
So we can assume that as apps get better and better, iPhone-driven Web use on those all-important content sites will taper off.
But you ain't seen nothing yet. Apple is expected to unveil its own table computer (think of an iPod Touch on steroids) by the end of the year. While a larger-screen device cannot run the 50,000-plus iPhone applications without some modification, we can assume that Apple's engineers have a fix in the works. So when it arrives, it'll be a game changer, complete with a library of software that provides 50,000-plus reasons not to go on the Web. The biggest part of the game it will change will be to dilute the Google-dominated Web.
That's why it really makes sense for Google to come out with a free operating system. Google needs to keep the Web humming, and what better way than to ensure that there are plenty of supercheap Web tablets out there? It must be odd these days to be Eric Schmidt. Not only is he Google's CEO, but he's a board member of Apple.
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Top 10 Google Earth Finds
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But here's a wacky thought: Maybe Microsoft is just collateral damage in this war. Maybe the real competitor to Google is Apple! Launching its Chrome OS in the second half of 2010 may be simply a bid by Google to keep the Web a viable, robust place — even as users (especially Apple users) are starting to be enticed away from it.
(See Google Earth's historical photos.)
Google's interests are perfectly aligned with a free and open Web. That's its brilliance. Google dominates the Web platform. The more you use the Web, the more likely you are to use its hugely popular search products, and the more ads Google will sell, targeted at you. It doesn't really matter which browser you use to get there — Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google's house browser, Chrome — as long as you use Google Search, Maps and any of the other suite of fine, free Google products.
The first real threat Google faced was Facebook. That's because when people are on the popular social network, they aren't using Google Search. Even worse, instead of asking Google Search where they should eat tonight, they're asking their Facebook friends. And the more of their personal stuff (pictures, videos and so on) they put behind Facebook's closed doors, the worse it is for Google, which also owns YouTube. That's why Google has attempted (so far, with limited success) to get into the social-network business.
(See the 50 best websites of 2008.)
But the Facebook threat pales beside the remarkable success of Apple's iPhone and the rise of a mobile computing platform that exists parallel to — but distinctly apart from — the Google-dominated Web. While it's true that the iPhone accounts for more Web browsing than any other smartphone, it's also true that browsing the Web on it is still a suboptimal experience. Anyone who uses an iPhone knows that native apps are infinitely better to use than the Web. The iPhone is all about apps — not browsing the Web. Virtually any site you can think of, from the New York Times to the Huffington Post, is exponentially better when viewed via a dedicated iPhone app than it is when visited via the iPhone's browser.
(See the top iPhone applications.)
So we can assume that as apps get better and better, iPhone-driven Web use on those all-important content sites will taper off.
But you ain't seen nothing yet. Apple is expected to unveil its own table computer (think of an iPod Touch on steroids) by the end of the year. While a larger-screen device cannot run the 50,000-plus iPhone applications without some modification, we can assume that Apple's engineers have a fix in the works. So when it arrives, it'll be a game changer, complete with a library of software that provides 50,000-plus reasons not to go on the Web. The biggest part of the game it will change will be to dilute the Google-dominated Web.
That's why it really makes sense for Google to come out with a free operating system. Google needs to keep the Web humming, and what better way than to ensure that there are plenty of supercheap Web tablets out there? It must be odd these days to be Eric Schmidt. Not only is he Google's CEO, but he's a board member of Apple.
Giz Explains: What the Hell's Google Chrome OS?
Google. Chrome. OS. Just reading that makes my pants tingle. But, uh, what is it exactly?
Here's what Google says: "Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks" and "most of the user experience takes place on the web." That is, it's "Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel" with the web as the platform. It runs on x86 processors (like your standard Core 2 Duo) and ARM processors (like inside every mobile smartphone). Underneath lies security architecture that's completely redesigned to be virus-resistant and easy to update. Okay, that tells us, um, not much.
After all, Google's Android is a mobile OS that runs on top of a Linux kernel. But Chrome OS is different! Android is designed to work on phones and set-top boxes and other random gadgets. Chrome OS is "designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems" for "people who spend most of their time on the web." Hey wait, they both run on netbooks? Hmm!
Since the official blog post is all Google has said about Chrome OS and it doesn't say much, let's do something I learned in college, turning tiny paragraphs into pages of "deep reading."
It seems like there are two possibilities for what Chrome OS is, on a general level. The more mundane—and frankly uninspired—possibility is that it's essentially a Linux distro with a custom user interface running the Chrome browser. As someone quipped on Twitter (sorry I don't remember who), if you uninstall everything but Firefox 3.5 on Ubuntu, would that be the Firefox OS? What's the difference between Chrome OS and a version of Chrome with Google Gears on Intel's pretty Moblin OS?
The other possibility is more interesting. Look at this closely: "Most of the user experience takes place on the web." The software architecture is simply "Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel." That sounds familiar. A lot like Mike Arrington's CrunchPad, actually, which boots directly into the WebKit browser running on top of Linux.
Meaning? The entire experience of the CrunchPad takes place on the internet, and the web is its "platform" as well, essentially. Chrome is WebKit-based as well. (I'm surprised Arrington didn't mention this in his post, actually.) If I had to guess, I'd say Chrome OS is somewhere in between an entirely browser-based OS and a generic Linux distro, though leaning toward the former.
But running a full computer like Chrome OS, based entirely on web apps, is crazy, right—I mean, what if you're not online? There are two things that show it actually might not be completely retarded.
You can already use Gmail offline. I think that will be really indicative of other app experiences in a totally web-oriented Chrome OS with Google Gears. The same goes for Google Docs in offline mode, an option some people have been using for over a year. It's no coincidence that Google pulled "Beta" off of its web apps the day it announced Chrome OS.
Another reason it might work is Palm's WebOS on the Pre, where most of the apps, like Pandora, are written simply using web languages. (It, too, is running WebKit on top of Linux kernel.) As Harry McCracken notes, it seems like a prime opportunity for Google's long rumored GDrive online storage to finally rear its head, picking up on the line "people 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." That could make Chrome OS wildly more compelling. And don't get me started on all the app-like possibilities from HTML5 by the time Chrome OS launches in the second half of 2010.
Actually, the more minimal it is, the more I think Chrome OS could be better, in some ways, than Android. Google half-assed a lot of Android at launch (UI inconsistencies, missing video player, etc.). If Chrome OS really is just a glorified browser, Google can afford to be that lethargic—all they have to do is maintain the browser, and everyone else will take care of the web apps. Which developers will code, because they'll run on any OS with a browser—Windows, OS X, whatever—and because the web as a platform is the way things are going. Even Microsoft knows this, deep down, as their Gazelle browser project shows.
How will you sync an iPod, manage printers and network drives, or yank photos and videos from your camera? We don't know. Some things may be impossible. Will there be an uproar, like there was with iPhone 1.0, about the limitations of web apps? Surely someone will bitch.
But I can almost see a day where phones run Chrome OS, too, when wireless internet is truly ubiquitous. It seems obvious, now, that this is Google's long-haul play—not Android, even. Either way, Microsoft doesn't have to be scared today. But they might be in about a year.
Still something you wanna know? Send questions about web tablets, web apps, the wicked webs Google weaves and anything else to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line. Top image by Cobra Commander, from our totally insaney Google Chrome comic Photoshop contest.
Here's what Google says: "Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks" and "most of the user experience takes place on the web." That is, it's "Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel" with the web as the platform. It runs on x86 processors (like your standard Core 2 Duo) and ARM processors (like inside every mobile smartphone). Underneath lies security architecture that's completely redesigned to be virus-resistant and easy to update. Okay, that tells us, um, not much.
After all, Google's Android is a mobile OS that runs on top of a Linux kernel. But Chrome OS is different! Android is designed to work on phones and set-top boxes and other random gadgets. Chrome OS is "designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems" for "people who spend most of their time on the web." Hey wait, they both run on netbooks? Hmm!
Since the official blog post is all Google has said about Chrome OS and it doesn't say much, let's do something I learned in college, turning tiny paragraphs into pages of "deep reading."
It seems like there are two possibilities for what Chrome OS is, on a general level. The more mundane—and frankly uninspired—possibility is that it's essentially a Linux distro with a custom user interface running the Chrome browser. As someone quipped on Twitter (sorry I don't remember who), if you uninstall everything but Firefox 3.5 on Ubuntu, would that be the Firefox OS? What's the difference between Chrome OS and a version of Chrome with Google Gears on Intel's pretty Moblin OS?
The other possibility is more interesting. Look at this closely: "Most of the user experience takes place on the web." The software architecture is simply "Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel." That sounds familiar. A lot like Mike Arrington's CrunchPad, actually, which boots directly into the WebKit browser running on top of Linux.
Meaning? The entire experience of the CrunchPad takes place on the internet, and the web is its "platform" as well, essentially. Chrome is WebKit-based as well. (I'm surprised Arrington didn't mention this in his post, actually.) If I had to guess, I'd say Chrome OS is somewhere in between an entirely browser-based OS and a generic Linux distro, though leaning toward the former.
But running a full computer like Chrome OS, based entirely on web apps, is crazy, right—I mean, what if you're not online? There are two things that show it actually might not be completely retarded.
You can already use Gmail offline. I think that will be really indicative of other app experiences in a totally web-oriented Chrome OS with Google Gears. The same goes for Google Docs in offline mode, an option some people have been using for over a year. It's no coincidence that Google pulled "Beta" off of its web apps the day it announced Chrome OS.
Another reason it might work is Palm's WebOS on the Pre, where most of the apps, like Pandora, are written simply using web languages. (It, too, is running WebKit on top of Linux kernel.) As Harry McCracken notes, it seems like a prime opportunity for Google's long rumored GDrive online storage to finally rear its head, picking up on the line "people 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." That could make Chrome OS wildly more compelling. And don't get me started on all the app-like possibilities from HTML5 by the time Chrome OS launches in the second half of 2010.
Actually, the more minimal it is, the more I think Chrome OS could be better, in some ways, than Android. Google half-assed a lot of Android at launch (UI inconsistencies, missing video player, etc.). If Chrome OS really is just a glorified browser, Google can afford to be that lethargic—all they have to do is maintain the browser, and everyone else will take care of the web apps. Which developers will code, because they'll run on any OS with a browser—Windows, OS X, whatever—and because the web as a platform is the way things are going. Even Microsoft knows this, deep down, as their Gazelle browser project shows.
How will you sync an iPod, manage printers and network drives, or yank photos and videos from your camera? We don't know. Some things may be impossible. Will there be an uproar, like there was with iPhone 1.0, about the limitations of web apps? Surely someone will bitch.
But I can almost see a day where phones run Chrome OS, too, when wireless internet is truly ubiquitous. It seems obvious, now, that this is Google's long-haul play—not Android, even. Either way, Microsoft doesn't have to be scared today. But they might be in about a year.
Still something you wanna know? Send questions about web tablets, web apps, the wicked webs Google weaves and anything else to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line. Top image by Cobra Commander, from our totally insaney Google Chrome comic Photoshop contest.
10 things to know about Google Chrome OS
Google has finally confirmed that it will be releasing an operating system - with the Google Chrome OS arriving to offer competition to Microsoft, Apple and a whole host of Linux distros.
Although the public has been kept in the dark over Chrome OS, you can be sure that Google has been beavering away on its operating system for some time now, and perhaps the interest shown by netbook manufacturers in its Android mobile platform has indicated that the time is right.
So we've taken the details that we have so far about Google Chrome OS and assembled them into a handy fact list for your consumption.
1. What exactly is Chrome OS?
Google Chrome OS is the company's first attempt at designing an operating system for more powerful computers. The Google partnered Android has done well for mobile platforms, and it now wants to take the work it has done there, tie it up with the work it is doing on its still-fresh Chrome browser and make the first 'OS for the cloud' – with most of the work being done on the net rather than on the computer.
"Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS," said Google's statement. "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds.
"The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web."
2. When will we able to use Chrome OS?
Google has confirmed that it will be making code available to developers later this year and predicts that we will be buying the first Chrome OS powered netbooks by the second half of next year.
"Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010," said Sundar Pichai, VP Product Management and Linus Upson, Engineering Director on the Google blog.
"Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve."
3. So Microsoft need not worry about competition for Windows 7 then?
On the contrary; Google Chrome OS is a first foray from Google into a more powerful operating system, and by 'initially' targeting netbooks it is immediately going to be treading on Windows 7's toes. Microsoft designed Windows 7 to be scaleable – useable on everything from netbooks and high end desktops – and Google not only has the financial clout to compete with the Redmond software giant, it is also likely to gain favour by its cloud approach.
With people increasingly used to having their information and tools online, from webmail to docs, from calendars to chat, Google appears to be asking if we really need an OS that deals with our desktop, and not simply an interface for the web.
Plus, should it prove to be a success, you can guarantee that more powerful computers will begin to look at Chrome OS as a viable alternative to Windows 7. By using the word 'initially', Google is making a statement of serious intent in the OS arena.
On the plus side for Microsoft, it will have at least 9 months to get market share and persuade people that they don't need an alternative to Windows 7.
4. Will it run on my computer?
"Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year," says Google.
Compatibility is a big thing for Google, but by using a Linux kernel with a windowing system, and working with powerful partners, Chrome OS will be able to run on most PC platforms.
5. If it's so heavily web integrated, will it be secure enough?
Google certainly thinks so. Security is what many would term a 'hygiene' problem. You expect your computer to be secure and you notice, and notice hard, when it isn't.
"...as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work," says Google.
6. So is this being done entirely in-house by Google?
No. Google has already appealed to the open source community to get behind the project – which is built on the open Linux kernel.
"We have a lot of work to do, and we're definitely going to need a lot of help from the open source community to accomplish this vision."
By making the browser the central component to the OS, Google is extending an already huge platform - the web - meaning that anyone designing for web standards will be well catered for.
7. So how will this make my computing experience better?
Google is hoping that 'it just works' which is probably the mantra being rolled out at Apple and Microsoft HQs about their operating systems as well.
Chrome OS is heavily web based. It's perhaps the most focused on bringing the web into the mix and offering a 'cloud' operating system from the ground up.
"Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS," says Google. "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds."
So what is the functionality that Chrome hopes to bring?
"People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up," says Google.
"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."
8. What does this mean for Android?
Android is the Google backed mobile phone platform, whereas Chrome OS is designed specifically for more traditional computers. Although Android netbooks are appearing, Chrome OS may well shunt Android back to the mobile phone when it arrives next year, although Google is hedging its bets somewhat.
"Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android." explains Google.
"Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks.
"Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems.
"While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google."
9. Will this sound the death knell for Ubuntu and Fedora?
Google making its own Linux based OS will certainly be a major 'competitor' for other flavours of Linux, like Ubuntu, with the powerful company likely to attract a big swathe of developers into the Chrome OS camp.
More importantly will be the reaction of the consumers; netbooks have helped fuel a boost for several Linux flavours – gaining entry into homes that may never have considered an open-source OS, but Chrome OS will, no doubt, capture a large share of that particular market on reputation alone.
Saying that, the open source ethos of Linux will hopefully be retained in the Chrome OS project and that's a good thing for everyone.
10. How much will it cost?
It's Linux based, it's open-source; it will almost certainly be free. Of course Google may make money with corporate support, should it become competitive for enterprise.
Although the public has been kept in the dark over Chrome OS, you can be sure that Google has been beavering away on its operating system for some time now, and perhaps the interest shown by netbook manufacturers in its Android mobile platform has indicated that the time is right.
So we've taken the details that we have so far about Google Chrome OS and assembled them into a handy fact list for your consumption.
1. What exactly is Chrome OS?
Google Chrome OS is the company's first attempt at designing an operating system for more powerful computers. The Google partnered Android has done well for mobile platforms, and it now wants to take the work it has done there, tie it up with the work it is doing on its still-fresh Chrome browser and make the first 'OS for the cloud' – with most of the work being done on the net rather than on the computer.
"Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS," said Google's statement. "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds.
"The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web."
2. When will we able to use Chrome OS?
Google has confirmed that it will be making code available to developers later this year and predicts that we will be buying the first Chrome OS powered netbooks by the second half of next year.
"Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010," said Sundar Pichai, VP Product Management and Linus Upson, Engineering Director on the Google blog.
"Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve."
3. So Microsoft need not worry about competition for Windows 7 then?
On the contrary; Google Chrome OS is a first foray from Google into a more powerful operating system, and by 'initially' targeting netbooks it is immediately going to be treading on Windows 7's toes. Microsoft designed Windows 7 to be scaleable – useable on everything from netbooks and high end desktops – and Google not only has the financial clout to compete with the Redmond software giant, it is also likely to gain favour by its cloud approach.
With people increasingly used to having their information and tools online, from webmail to docs, from calendars to chat, Google appears to be asking if we really need an OS that deals with our desktop, and not simply an interface for the web.
Plus, should it prove to be a success, you can guarantee that more powerful computers will begin to look at Chrome OS as a viable alternative to Windows 7. By using the word 'initially', Google is making a statement of serious intent in the OS arena.
On the plus side for Microsoft, it will have at least 9 months to get market share and persuade people that they don't need an alternative to Windows 7.
4. Will it run on my computer?
"Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year," says Google.
Compatibility is a big thing for Google, but by using a Linux kernel with a windowing system, and working with powerful partners, Chrome OS will be able to run on most PC platforms.
5. If it's so heavily web integrated, will it be secure enough?
Google certainly thinks so. Security is what many would term a 'hygiene' problem. You expect your computer to be secure and you notice, and notice hard, when it isn't.
"...as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work," says Google.
6. So is this being done entirely in-house by Google?
No. Google has already appealed to the open source community to get behind the project – which is built on the open Linux kernel.
"We have a lot of work to do, and we're definitely going to need a lot of help from the open source community to accomplish this vision."
By making the browser the central component to the OS, Google is extending an already huge platform - the web - meaning that anyone designing for web standards will be well catered for.
7. So how will this make my computing experience better?
Google is hoping that 'it just works' which is probably the mantra being rolled out at Apple and Microsoft HQs about their operating systems as well.
Chrome OS is heavily web based. It's perhaps the most focused on bringing the web into the mix and offering a 'cloud' operating system from the ground up.
"Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS," says Google. "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds."
So what is the functionality that Chrome hopes to bring?
"People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up," says Google.
"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."
8. What does this mean for Android?
Android is the Google backed mobile phone platform, whereas Chrome OS is designed specifically for more traditional computers. Although Android netbooks are appearing, Chrome OS may well shunt Android back to the mobile phone when it arrives next year, although Google is hedging its bets somewhat.
"Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android." explains Google.
"Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks.
"Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems.
"While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google."
9. Will this sound the death knell for Ubuntu and Fedora?
Google making its own Linux based OS will certainly be a major 'competitor' for other flavours of Linux, like Ubuntu, with the powerful company likely to attract a big swathe of developers into the Chrome OS camp.
More importantly will be the reaction of the consumers; netbooks have helped fuel a boost for several Linux flavours – gaining entry into homes that may never have considered an open-source OS, but Chrome OS will, no doubt, capture a large share of that particular market on reputation alone.
Saying that, the open source ethos of Linux will hopefully be retained in the Chrome OS project and that's a good thing for everyone.
10. How much will it cost?
It's Linux based, it's open-source; it will almost certainly be free. Of course Google may make money with corporate support, should it become competitive for enterprise.
Google intros Chrome Operating System
Google has dropped the bomb it's been threatening to – an open source, lightweight operating system targeted at netbooks. It'll be available on hardware from late 2010.
Microsoft won't be impressed with the move, which could be a seismic change for the computing industry giving manufacturers the choice of another major operating system.
"It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser," explained Google's Sundar Pichai in a post on Google's blog. "However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be."
Already working with partners
Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips, and Google says it is already "working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year".
The company says the code will be open sourced later in 2009, with consumer availability in the second half of 2010. "Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve," continues Pichai.
The timing won't worry Microsoft in the short term though - Windows 7 will be released in October.
Google says that "speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds," adds Pichai.
But where does the project leave Android? Pichai explains that, too. "Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks."
"Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google."
Microsoft won't be impressed with the move, which could be a seismic change for the computing industry giving manufacturers the choice of another major operating system.
"It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser," explained Google's Sundar Pichai in a post on Google's blog. "However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be."
Already working with partners
Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips, and Google says it is already "working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year".
The company says the code will be open sourced later in 2009, with consumer availability in the second half of 2010. "Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve," continues Pichai.
The timing won't worry Microsoft in the short term though - Windows 7 will be released in October.
Google says that "speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds," adds Pichai.
But where does the project leave Android? Pichai explains that, too. "Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks."
"Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google."
Why Google Chrome OS is bad news for Windows
Somewhere in America, Steve Ballmer is chucking chairs and bellowing the C-word: Chrome.
Chrome is no longer just a browser: it's a heat-seeking missile heading straight for Microsoft's core business. If it's good, it could transform the PC industry; even if it's just Quite Good, it's going to be bad news for Windows.
Chrome OS is essentially Android for computers, an open source operating system that hooks you up to the cloud. It'll be faster than Windows, we're sure, and it won't suffer from the same problems of viruses and malware that plague Microsoft's platform. Of course it won't. It's Linux.
Google is bringing two things to the party: Google's expertise, and Google's brand. The latter is probably the most important. Linux's abject failure on netbooks isn't because Linux is bad; it's that the plethora of distributions is utterly confusing.
Google changes everything
Sticking the big G on top of Linux changes that. Most people don't know what a Debian is, or a Red Hat, or an Ubuntu, or a SUSE. But they know what a Google is, and they already use Google's stuff every day.
Targeting netbooks is a smart move, because they're selling like hotcakes. Right now, they're running an ancient OS in the form of Windows XP. That'll change in October when Windows 7 ships, but as Google's Sundar Pichal explains: "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds."
Unless Microsoft has done something astonishing since the Release Candidate, Windows 7 doesn't do that.
What Pichal didn't say was equally important: Chrome won't cost firms money, whereas Windows 7 will. You can just imagine the scenes in PC World: "OK, that one's running Microsoft, and this one's running Google. Wow, it's pretty fast, isn't it? And it's a lot cheaper. You say it doesn't get viruses? Wow. Google one, please!"
Google Chrome OS on desktop PCs
Where things get really interesting is in the increasingly blurry line between netbooks and "real" computers. If Chrome is nippy on netbooks, it'll be even faster on fully-fledged PCs - and once again Google's brand could finally persuade average PC users to install a Linux OS rather than a Microsoft one.
It won't tempt the hardcore gamers or the video editors, but they aren't the mass market. Joe and Jane Punter do most of their stuff online, with the odd bit of media, photo uploading and document editing from time to time. You don't necessarily need Windows for that.
The big question isn't whether Google can make Chrome OS work: of course it can. It's whether the general public is ready to fully embrace cloud computing.
If Google can make the offline experience as good as the online one and get decent application developers on board, Chrome's future could be as shiny as the metal from which it takes its name.
Chrome is no longer just a browser: it's a heat-seeking missile heading straight for Microsoft's core business. If it's good, it could transform the PC industry; even if it's just Quite Good, it's going to be bad news for Windows.
Chrome OS is essentially Android for computers, an open source operating system that hooks you up to the cloud. It'll be faster than Windows, we're sure, and it won't suffer from the same problems of viruses and malware that plague Microsoft's platform. Of course it won't. It's Linux.
Google is bringing two things to the party: Google's expertise, and Google's brand. The latter is probably the most important. Linux's abject failure on netbooks isn't because Linux is bad; it's that the plethora of distributions is utterly confusing.
Google changes everything
Sticking the big G on top of Linux changes that. Most people don't know what a Debian is, or a Red Hat, or an Ubuntu, or a SUSE. But they know what a Google is, and they already use Google's stuff every day.
Targeting netbooks is a smart move, because they're selling like hotcakes. Right now, they're running an ancient OS in the form of Windows XP. That'll change in October when Windows 7 ships, but as Google's Sundar Pichal explains: "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds."
Unless Microsoft has done something astonishing since the Release Candidate, Windows 7 doesn't do that.
What Pichal didn't say was equally important: Chrome won't cost firms money, whereas Windows 7 will. You can just imagine the scenes in PC World: "OK, that one's running Microsoft, and this one's running Google. Wow, it's pretty fast, isn't it? And it's a lot cheaper. You say it doesn't get viruses? Wow. Google one, please!"
Google Chrome OS on desktop PCs
Where things get really interesting is in the increasingly blurry line between netbooks and "real" computers. If Chrome is nippy on netbooks, it'll be even faster on fully-fledged PCs - and once again Google's brand could finally persuade average PC users to install a Linux OS rather than a Microsoft one.
It won't tempt the hardcore gamers or the video editors, but they aren't the mass market. Joe and Jane Punter do most of their stuff online, with the odd bit of media, photo uploading and document editing from time to time. You don't necessarily need Windows for that.
The big question isn't whether Google can make Chrome OS work: of course it can. It's whether the general public is ready to fully embrace cloud computing.
If Google can make the offline experience as good as the online one and get decent application developers on board, Chrome's future could be as shiny as the metal from which it takes its name.
l collaborated with Google on Chrome OS
l collaborated with Google on Chrome OS
Software
By Mike Magee
Thursday, July 09, 2009 18:15
vote
now
Buzz up!
Chip giant Intel told TG Daily today that it was in cahoots with Google on the Chrome OS project.
A representative confirmed this to us this morning.
He said: "We have been privy to the project for some time and we have worked with Google on a variety of projects, including this one. We welcome Google's move here."
The statement is likely to throw Microsoft into total panic. Intel and Microsoft were always "friends", but some have speculated they've always been enemies.
Intel put its weight behind a light weight operating system for netbooks, based on a Linux kernel, and called Moblin. Some had speculated that the Google move would throw Intel, as well as Microsoft, into disarray.
It seems not.
Now Intel has put its cards on the table, and it must be up to Microsoft to respond to the direct challenge.
Microsoft was unavailable for comment at press time. And could not be contacted for comment.
Software
By Mike Magee
Thursday, July 09, 2009 18:15
vote
now
Buzz up!
Chip giant Intel told TG Daily today that it was in cahoots with Google on the Chrome OS project.
A representative confirmed this to us this morning.
He said: "We have been privy to the project for some time and we have worked with Google on a variety of projects, including this one. We welcome Google's move here."
The statement is likely to throw Microsoft into total panic. Intel and Microsoft were always "friends", but some have speculated they've always been enemies.
Intel put its weight behind a light weight operating system for netbooks, based on a Linux kernel, and called Moblin. Some had speculated that the Google move would throw Intel, as well as Microsoft, into disarray.
It seems not.
Now Intel has put its cards on the table, and it must be up to Microsoft to respond to the direct challenge.
Microsoft was unavailable for comment at press time. And could not be contacted for comment.
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