Google To Introduce A New Operating System

[shayd]

Google is planning to roll out a new Operating System dubbed Google Chrome OS. The aim of the project is to develop a Linux-based, lightweight OS that revolves around web based activity and productivity, instead of the traditional desktop environment. Chrome OS will feature the familiar minimalistic User Interface Google has long employed in its search engine and other applications. Google is first aiming to use the lightweight OS on netbooks and laptops, with the eventual goal of moving on to the now dwindling in number desktop computer.

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

Thoughts on the announcement or the project itself?

I know there's going to probably be a good deal of anti-Google sentiment, but first they announce Gmail and the other Lab apps are out of beta, and now this announcement? I have to say, I'm quite intrigued, and definitely excited to see and try this new project. Somewhere is Redmond, a company is getting a bit nervous

 

[busenbust]

"web based activity and productivity" :1orglaugh


^^They never give up, do they??

 

[Hot Mega]

Google is planning to roll out a new Operating System dubbed Google Chrome OS. The aim of the project is to develop a Linux-based, lightweight OS that revolves around web based activity and productivity, instead of the traditional desktop environment. Chrome OS will feature the familiar minimalistic User Interface Google has long employed in its search engine and other applications. Google is first aiming to use the lightweight OS on netbooks and laptops, with the eventual goal of moving on to the now dwindling in number desktop computer.

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

Thoughts on the announcement or the project itself?

I know there's going to probably be a good deal of anti-Google sentiment, but first they announce Gmail and the other Lab apps are out of beta, and now this announcement? I have to say, I'm quite intrigued, and definitely excited to see and try this new project. Somewhere is Redmond, a company is getting a bit nervous

Unless there's some new device around the corner I would say the only practical or worthwhile use of such a concept is with WAP enabled mobile devices.

Too many people still rely on desktop word processing, spreadsheet, etc. applications to simply have a machine who's OS revolves primarily around web use....even if the majority of the use of most machines today is web usage.:2 cents:

 

[24788]

Google will one day control everything on the web. Hopefully they'll let us have our freedoms.

 

[busenbust]

^Absolutely. I protest!


Revenge!!! :yahoo:

 

[shayd]

Unless there's some new device around the corner I would say the only practical or worthwhile use of such a concept is with WAP enabled mobile devices.

Too many people still rely on desktop word processing, spreadsheet, etc. applications to simply have a machine who's OS revolves primarily around web use....even if the majority of the use of most machines today is web usage.:2 cents:

Actually, the sheer amount of desktop computer usage has dropped dramatically in the past 3-4 years. With the rise in popularity of netbooks, there is a solid market for just this type of OS, which they'll expand upon to put onto higher end computers.

The whole plan with the OS is to change the way the Internet is used. The idea being, instead of waiting for your computer to boot up and then waiting to open a browser, Chrome OS will take care of that in a new way: on your desktop. Google offers all of the services you mentioned, word processing, spreadsheets, calendars, email, etc... all of that is offered by Google. The object of the project is to essentially embed those services on your computer. One of the exciting prospects of this (at least I think so) is to make data processing etc... better, and then allowing you to keep a copy online so that if you want to access it say from your work computer, you can.

Google will one day control everything on the web. Hopefully they'll let us have our freedoms.

That may be true. But my question is, why is everyone so afraid of Google all of the sudden? All they've done in their close to 10 year existence is stand up for the consumer, give them better choices, and support the open source community. Where's the disconnect here? It seems like they're the anti-Microsoft in every way possible.

 

[Hot Mega]

Actually, the sheer amount of desktop computer usage has dropped dramatically in the past 3-4 years. With the rise in popularity of netbooks, there is a solid market for just this type of OS, which they'll expand upon to put onto higher end computers.

I didn't mean physical desktop or tower type computers. I meant GUI apps.

 

[busenbust]

Yeah, and anti-person also

 

[shayd]

I didn't mean physical desktop or tower type computers. I meant GUI apps.

Ah, I see. I think my last post sort of sums up my feelings on that.

Yeah, and anti-person also

How so? What have they done that is so terrible?

 

[Hot Mega]

Ah, I see. I think my last post sort of sums up my feelings on that.

In that case the stumble could be that the overwhelming majority of simple pc users are addicted to MS Office Suite....and I for one being a pro-privacy type am not interested in the idea of online file management systems.

 

[busenbust]

^Pro-privacy: By and large, me neither. Thus far, I'm not that impressed with any 'Cloud' Computing (including that of Google's). I really hope FireFox does not respond:thumbsup:

 

[shayd]

In that case the stumble could be that the overwhelming majority of simple pc users are addicted to MS Office Suite....and I for one being a pro-privacy type am not interested in the idea of online file management systems.

I'm pretty certain if they do anything with backing up, it'll be optional. But more to the point, MS Office and Google Docs are pretty similar. I think in the end, a lot more people will probably be enticed by the lack of price for Google's services vs the money they'd shell out for Office.

 

[Hot Mega]

I think in the end, a lot more people will probably be enticed by the lack of price for Google's services vs the money they'd shell over for Office.

Price is irrelevant when the overwhelming majority if not all simple pc purchases involve a basic user and a Windows/Office machine.

You can put a price point to zero but if the end user doesn't understand it or is quite unfamiliar with it they won't buy it.

Practically if you offered a laptop with GC OS for $100 and the same machine with Windows/Office on it.....I suspect the vast majority of people would still buy the Windows machine for a variety of intangible reasons.

I mean, an application can be as similar to MS Excel as possible but if it's not Excel it has to be somewhat different from a proprietary standpoint and if it's different, in the minds of simple users....it ain't Excel.

Not to mention transferring documents, spreadsheets, etc. to systems that don't have compatible apps..

 

[shayd]

Price is irrelevant when the overwhelming majority if not all simple pc purchases involve a basic user and a Windows/Office machine.

You can put a price point to zero but if the end user doesn't understand it or is quite unfamiliar with it they won't buy it.

Practically if you offered a laptop with GC OS for $100 and the same machine with Windows/Office on it.....I suspect the vast majority of people would still buy the Windows machine for a variety of intangible reasons.

I mean, an application can be as similar to MS Excel as possible but if it's not Excel it has to be somewhat different from a proprietary standpoint and if it's different, in the minds of simple users....it ain't Excel.

Not to mention transferring documents, spreadsheets, etc. to systems that don't have compatible apps..

I think Apple might have something to say about that. I think you're looking at this the wrong way. The biggest impact of this project, if successful, won't have to deal with those who prefer to use Office. The implications are much higher worldwide. The current world economic, (and especially in the US) situation is such that people worldwide are looking to get what they can for the cheapest they can. The netbook crazy would seem to illustrate that point. And you're absolutely right, there are people who'll opt to stay with Microsoft for familiarity and what have you, but the advantage here to the people who don't is that Google's products are similar enough to practically be the same. The people who don't choose to see that aren't really of consequence anyway. I mean, this is sort of the debate that arose when netbooks came out in the first place, that is, whether people will opt for something cheaper and easier to use, or whether they'd stay with what they had for the sake of familiarity. Point is, the potential of this project is quite large, especially when you consider that these services will be available in a quicker, easier fashion.

 

[busenbust]

"online file management systems"

^^Google probably label it as 'off-line caching' :1orglaugh :yahoo:

 

[tittenman]

Google is planning to roll out a new Operating System dubbed Google Chrome OS. The aim of the project is to develop a Linux-based, lightweight OS that revolves around web based activity and productivity, instead of the traditional desktop environment. Chrome OS will feature the familiar minimalistic User Interface Google has long employed in its search engine and other applications. Google is first aiming to use the lightweight OS on netbooks and laptops, with the eventual goal of moving on to the now dwindling in number desktop computer.

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

Thoughts on the announcement or the project itself?

I know there's going to probably be a good deal of anti-Google sentiment, but first they announce Gmail and the other Lab apps are out of beta, and now this announcement? I have to say, I'm quite intrigued, and definitely excited to see and try this new project. Somewhere is Redmond, a company is getting a bit nervous

Intruiging indeed. Had a quck read of the statement, they claim you can be on the web from switch on in a few seconds. This I would like to see, I suppose it will be from a form of standby mode and not cold start. M$ has been promising the kind of start up time times only really enjoyed by Mac OS, and a stripped out Linux install, but has yet to deliver on that promise.

I have used most flavours of Linux since their first introduction into the market (free + commercial) so will be very interested in seeing what their final proposed offering looks like. Stripped out an minimalistic, the Google ethos is definitely the way to go rather than the bloated M$ way.

Looks like they are trying to target developers in a big way by trying to market the web apps functionality which seems to be at the core of this offering. That is one of the most interesting bits of the statement to me, being a developer by profession.

What are the proposed costs of this, will it be free to own. In the statement it also specifies that it is target mainly to desktop type markets, with some overlap between it and Android OS, so does this mean that the two may merge at some point in the future? Interesting proposition if this was to be the case.

On the whole I am looking forward to this as I do with many Google offered products.

 

[busenbust]

"....they claim you can be on the web from switch on in a few seconds. This I would like to see, I suppose it will be from a form of standby mode and not cold start. M$ has been promising the kind of start up time times only really enjoyed by Mac OS, and a stripped out Linux install, but has yet to deliver on that promise."


^^Astute points Titten :thumbsup:

 

[tittenman]

Heres the BBC story, covering it

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8140594.stm

 

[busenbust]

Google gonna mess things up again?? :shocked:

 

[tittenman]

Google gonna mess things up again?? :shocked:

Yes they're an internet company that's their job! Besides we cant have these new upstarts like M$ and Apple have all their own way!