Chrome OS

[masochist 111]

A couple of days ago, Google officially announced its plans to release an open-source operating system called (predictably) Chrome OS.  According to the official Google blog, Chrome is targeted primarily at netbooks, and so will be very lightweight, allowing users to fully boot up and be on the web as quickly as possible:

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. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And 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.

Here's a link to the full article:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html

What do you guys think will come of this?  Think we might see something like this on regular laptops and desktops in the near future?

[Ntq€310 1]

I doubt much will come up from this. Which besides that I don't really understand the move. Google knows what it's good at, almost anything related to the Internet. Gmail is good, google search is still on top by a long shot, they have a lot of other web based stuff people love, why get into the OS market?

[doorknob60 11]

I think on the netbook market it could do well. The only version of Windows that can run smoothly on netbooks is XP, which is 8 years old, and netbooks were originally designed to be used with Linux. All we need is a company like Google to provide a good distro (Chrome OS) that will run well and do what people want it to do on netbooks.

[Ntq€310 1]

However, even though netbooks were made for Linux, XP is the biggest OS used for netbooks. Count that Windows 7 is coming out in october, I would not be surprised to see that by the time this does come out, Windows 7 could be the dominate OS in the market. Depending on Sales, and upgrades.

[Duke87 1,070]

Oy. Google really should have quit while they were ahead. Instead, they're following up their browser made of fail with an OS made of fail. Which is probably also going to spy on everyone using it big brother style. Do not want.

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

Any competition to MS is a good thing. Its overall success remains to be seen.

[Random_ben7 0]

TBH, There are already enough os's on the market.

Linux OS

MS OS

Mac OS

[Jillybean86 38]

How is the Chrome browser made of fail? It seems fairly full of wicked-awesomeness from where I'm sitting - which is in front of a computer using Google Chrome as a web browser...

[Ntq€310 1]

There can never be enough choice and competition, and in the netbook, and os market in general, I welcome another OS to the stage. But I doubt this could go anywhere, even with the tech community suddenly going crazy over it.

On Google's browser, I don't really trust google as a company. Ive heard great things about there browser though, but as far as I heard there market share is still less than 2%, even with the google name behind it.

[hamsterTK 93]

I think it's going to be weird in the coming years with the so called cloud computing trend. Your stuff might not be so private anymore, even on your personal computer.

[your_adress_here 11]

If it works well, I don't mind using it over Microsoft.

[sstyrnol 21]

First of, I doubt it will be a fully fledged OS on which all software will run satisfyingly. As far as I have read on several sites, it will be a stripped-down Linux distribution with a new GUI. Moreover, I am quite wary of Google's "Big-Brother"-approach. Already Chrome reports quite a bit about your browsing behaviour (Firefox by the way does too). Now Google throws an OS on the market, which may be also able to monitor your overall computer usage behaviour (maybe even moreso than Windows is able to right now?)? No thanks!

[kingdiz_55 12]

I think that Google is on the right path. I mean. If manufacturers could get Chrome OS at a lower price than Windows, this will go well. Because right now, Windows is controlling even the specifications that go into these netbooks. Google Chrome OS will definitely show promise. The only thing I am concerned of, however, is the cross compatibility of application between Windows and the Chrome OS.

[Random_ben7 0]

Originally posted by: kingdiz_55

I think that Google is on the right path. I mean. If manufacturers could get Chrome OS at a lower price than Windows, this will go well. Because right now, Windows is controlling even the specifications that go into these netbooks. Google Chrome OS will definitely show promise. The only thing I am concerned of, however, is the cross compatibility of application between Windows and the Chrome OS.quote>

Have you not heard of linux?

Take Ubuntu for example, it is a free OS and comes with the 'eeePc' as well as other small laptops. People don't like using other OS's, they prefer the simple windows, yet complain about it :S

[Explodingsims 3]

Because we needed more proof that Google wants to rule the world.

[gml_josea 2]

It will fail, I'm sure of that. The fact that it is designed to get you into the internet as fast as possible may sound fun at first, but I'm sure that once it is released it'll shown it's dark side of incompatibilities and other nasty things. Besides, everyday I trust Google less, heck, at least Microsoft is after your money, but these Google guys are looking for something worse: your privacy.

[Loney 22]

If you guys are so worried about Google's OS spying on your activities, there is always that handy lawyers' phone numbers book.

Unless if Google stated that their OS is a freeware and are not responsible for any damages it cause, then you can't really sue them.

[Zelgadis 638]

What with the terrible browser, mediocre search engine, and hypocritical business practices, Google has achieved what I had previously thought impossible; I actually kind of like Microsoft now.

I have every intention of entirely ignoring their new OS just as thoroughly as I ignore everything else they dump on the internet.

I got a good combo going here now. Mac for my computers, OS, and data storage, Microsoft for all my web tools. (Except the browser. Somehow, Apple, Microsoft, and Google all stink in that department...)

Oh, and could somebody contact the MS marketing department and tell them that their new search engine is really good but "Bing" is the dumbest name ever? Thanks.

ISF

[simmaster07 1,221]

This is the evolution of their internal OS, Goobuntu. Anyone heard of it? Google uses it internally and said they wouldn't market it, then this happens...

Chrome is... meh, decent. It can't load stuff like ST Chat without having to refresh it a few times and it can't render pages correctly, so I'll expect the same with this OS.

[CryptoQuick 0]

Hey folks, long-time lurker here. I'm a web developer, and I have nothing but positive things to say about Chrome. Any browser that supports a faster JavaScript engine is a friend of mine, and I especially appreciate Chrome's ability to take advantage of multiple processes, so that the kernel can take care of memory management, something that Firefox really struggles with. I use the Chrome development trunk, along with Safari 4 & WebKit, and, of course, Firefox (and Firebug) for my experiments with web technologies, and I can say that Chrome is a very slick browser-- from a developer's standpoint. I haven't yet explored what IE 8 has to offer, to which I remain hopeful in the long-term, but have a long-held distaste towards as well.

I think the best quality of Chrome is that it emphasizes the fact that this is not your Dad's internet; these are full-fledged Web Applications you're using nowadays. However, it doesn't take this to the next level, where these applications are fully integrated with the OS. This will be what will happen in Chrome OS. I fully intend to support this, and perhaps I'll buy a netbook to test this on.

I've always liked Google and their adoption of open web standards. Apple and Microsoft have always been in a perpetual 'standards war', whereas Google has remained fully supportive of the open source community-- well, at least, much moreso than either Apple or Microsoft.

I say, good job, Google. Cloud-based OSes will soon become more common, as children become accustomed to the cheaper netbooks that parents will buy, which are already coming with Linux as a cheaper alternative to Windows. Who knows-- although people may be wary of this system now, our next generation may indeed be using something like Chrome OS with applications based more on the 'cloud' than on the desktop.

[Ntq€310 1]

The points on the Cloud, as in Cloud Computing, should be noted, just a shame google was beat to the punch, as Microsoft is set to put Windows Azure on the market this year. Thats nearly a year before google's OS.

I think one of the key here is that google seems to have always been late with this. If it came out after Vista, it would have quite a good chance to win some market share, seeing as people for one reason or another "hated" Vista, and were more willing than ever to try something new. But to come out with it by late 2010, well after the Vista fiasco, is lazy on there part. But the devil is always in the details, who knows, even with the bad timing, google could still come out stronger than before.

[CryptoQuick 0]

Originally posted by: Ntq$310

The points on the Cloud, as in Cloud Computing, should be noted, just a shame google was beat to the punch, as Microsoft is set to put Windows Azure on the market this year. Thats nearly a year before google's OS.

I think one of the key here is that google seems to have always been late with this. If it came out after Vista, it would have quite a good chance to win some market share, seeing as people for one reason or another "hated" Vista, and were more willing than ever to try something new. But to come out with it by late 2010, well after the Vista fiasco, is lazy on there part. But the devil is always in the details, who knows, even with the bad timing, google could still come out stronger than before.quote>

The thing is, that's not Chrome OS's target market-- a $300 computer isn't going to run Vista very well, but it will run Linux and XP. This will be where Chrome OS will shine. Considering that the netbook market has doubled over the past year, Chrome might really step up to the plate here at just the right time. Especially since Microsoft is putting weird restrictions on OEMs, like killing the MSI hybrid netbook, and keeping the cheaper Windows 7 off of netbooks running Atom, but are off of a certain spec. These sort of things have turned OEMs off to MS products, as can be told by HP Mi and Dell's Ubuntu netbooks.

As for Azure, it's also for a completely different market. Considering it's meant to run .NET & SharePoint services, the platform is most likely geared towards corporate thin clients, rather than netbooks.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: Zelgadis

Oh, and could somebody contact the MS marketing department and tell them that their new search engine is really good but "Bing" is the dumbest name ever? Thanks. quote>

Name aside, their map service is inferior to Google's.

And you'll have to explain to me how their search engine is better than Google.

Besides, you don't "bing" things, you "google" them!

[sneakeypete 16]

Originally posted by: Zelgadis

What with the terrible browser, mediocre search engine,quote>

...

so 60% or whatever googles share of the world are idiots?

[Zelgadis 638]

Yeah.  60% of the world are idiots.  That's exactly what I'm saying.   

As a business teacher, I can say reasonable certainty that there is almost never any corrolation between popularity and quality.  In computers, familiarity is everything.  Even if someone released the most amazing OS ever, people would still shrug and buy Windows.  It's familiar.  Google got started when search was still in its infancy and basically every engine out there was utter garbage.  At the time, they were the only good search out there.  They had no credible competition.  Yahoo was the only bump in the road, and they were too busy trying to be everything.  People searched with Google, got familiar with it, and stuck with it, even though they've long since been surpassed in quality.  Their market share is entrenched. 

My problems with Google:

1)  Popularity.  It's pretty clear that that which is most popular is more often manipulated.  Companies pay IT teams to make sure their company is on top of Google search rankings, giving skewed results.  Though it's not necessarily Google's fault that this is happening, they sure aren't doing anything to discourage it.  Not that the other search engines are unbiased, but they're not nearly manipulated to the degree that Google is.

2)  Wikipedia.  Google something.  Good chance that Wikipedia is #1 on your list of results.  Really, hasn't Wiki wiped enough of the internet with its slimy entrails?

3)  Redirection:  Again, another popularity issue.  When you click on an image result in any search engine, you're taken to the page with the image in the frame of the search engine you used.  Many people have written software to automatically take you out of this frame in Google.  I often have to double or triple click the back button to take me back out to the main search page again.  Ask and Bing don't really have this problem since they are evidently not popular enough to bother with.

4)  Results.  Bottom line, this is by far the most important.  When I search, I get better results overall with Bing and Ask.  Less with Yahoo.  (Wow, there's a company that went downhill fast.)  Can I prove it?  Well, I reckon I could, but it's not worth the effort.   

In the end, I don't think Chrome OS will go anywhere.  Google has the basic problem that the term "OS" is basically synonymous with "Windows."  And, of course, Microsoft has the problem that "google" is synonymous with "search."  Yes, you google things.  Why not?  It's a good, catchy name.  Microsoft has never been good with names.  I mean, they called the company "Microsoft."    Wow, that kinda gives you warm, fuzzy feelings all over, doesn't it?  

ISF

[CryptoQuick 0]

To address your list of points...

1) What you're referring to is called SEO, and it's part psychological, part technological, but it's not a bad thing to do, it's a smart thing to do. If you write half your site in Flash and wonder why it's not showing up on Google, it's not because there's manipulation going on.

2) Chances are, the information you're looking for is already in a wiki.

3) Technically, that's not URL redirection. But I'll agree that frames are annoying.

4) Now I know why you don't like Wikipedia. Their search engine sucks and you have to be able to prove everything you write.

For your last (Fifth) point, I seriously think Microsoft will have a harder time re-branding themselves as an internet company than Google will have while making a browser OS.

Thinking of Google as "just a search engine" is soooo 2006. Seriously, that ended when they bought YouTube, and Maps became more popular than MapQuest, and then when they acquired Writely and produced Docs-- which is actually very functional and useful nowadays. Google is an internet company. Microsoft, on the other hand, does not have a firm grip on the internet. Marketshare of Live services is negligible to the point where you could liken it to Linux and Windows-- but in reverse. This is not the 90s, when you installed software on a CD and ran the program from your hard drive. Heck, these days you don't even need CDs.

The netbook market is growing much faster than notebooks, and as I've already said, Microsoft has put themselves at a disadvantage for a number of reasons (stated earlier).

[fukuda 351]

2) Wikipedia. Google something. Good chance that Wikipedia is #1 on your list of results. Really, hasn't Wiki wiped enough of the internet with its slimy entrails?quote>

What's so wrong with wikipedia?

[warrior 169]

My perfect OS would be one where I can log onto my user account anywhere in the world over the internet on almost any device and be able to run almost any program I want, including ones like advanced 3D games, without any lag or limitations. Now that will take a while because governments and ISPs etc need to get their act together and give us faster internet. But There is no OS that is anywhere near doing that. But it seems that Chrome OS is going to be the first OS to start towards that.

And to all those people who say "ohhh google is going to watch me", 1 if you don't like being watched, don't go outside, board up your window and doors incase any number of CCTV cameras are recording you. 2 Your ISP probably already can see roughly where you are going on the net. 3 Just like "if you don't want something to be copied, don't put it on the internet", "if you don't want to be seen on the net, don't go on it". I personally find people who think Google are watching them like a hawk annoying, chances are if they watching they won't know who you are (think about how many people use google every day, and then how much of an effort it would take to keep all those details). Als you shouldn't think your self so important that they actually care what you as an individual are searching for on the net.

Also if they are "watching" us anonymously to see trends and such then the same thing happens in the real world like when you go into shops, they can see when you enter and exit a shop, how long you spending in it, where you are looking the most and what you buy.

So I am looking forward to Chrome OS and will be gettign ASAP.

Jonathan

[Ntq€310 1]

I still think everything it timing, and Google has picked a really bad timing when coming out with a OS, as well other disadvantages against Google.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: Zelgadis

Yeah.  60% of the world are idiots.  That's exactly what I'm saying. quote>

Only 60%? Damn.

Wikipedia.  Google something.  Good chance that Wikipedia is #1 on your list of results.  Really, hasn't Wiki wiped enough of the internet with its slimy entrails? quote>

It's only the #1 result because it's what people look at more than anything else.

Go ahead and bash wikipedia if you wish, I along with many others findi it invaluable.

Though I will give you this much: if I was looking for the wiki article, I'd go directly to Wikipedia. If I'm googling it, that means I'm looking for something I don't already know where to find.