30 replies to this topic

[lee.n3o]

Google is developing an operating system (OS) for personal computers, in a direct challenge to market leader Microsoft and its Windows system.

Google Chrome OS will be aimed initially at netbooks, the low-cost portable computers that have turned the PC world upside down.

http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/8139711.stm

[jonbey]

Good news! Should be more secure than Windows and provide more developed features than Linux.

Will they develope web servers though, or will it all remain in he clouds?

GAMP?

[Jem]

The Google blog announcement has more detail:
http://googleblog.bl...-chrome-os.html

[glyn]

The whole thing will be based on PPC.

[notepage]

I thought their whole purpose was to categorize, search information, how does this fit in?

[jonbey]

Google have much greater plans than just search and advertising. It may bring in the money, but it is not all of what they are about. Just like many of our businesses, the advertising revenue drives development of other areas, which in turn builds a larger customer base, thus driving more business.

How does Picasa, Google Earth, Panoramio, Google Docs, readers, blogs, checkout, Android mobile, Sketch up, Gogole desktop, Gogole Health, Talk, translation etc. etc. fit in with the Search and PPC business model?

[fisicx]

It's going have about the same impact on the world that chrome has done to the browser market.

Are you really going to trust all your important documents to SAAS - leave your precious pictures and financial docs on a server somewhere in the world?

The number using gmail and other google services is tiny compared with the overall internet usage. Maybe a higher percentage of cre8asite members use them but for the rest of the world it's completely irrelevant.

If you read the google blog post it turns out that it's of no value to anyone who does anything offline. So if you want to use notebook to experiment with a script or use photoshop to touch up grannies wedding pictures or write your life story in an isolated cottage it's of no use whatsoever.

It's going to be damp squid. Just like the 30 million chrome users - whoo! That's nearly 1% of the worldwide internet users.

Edited by fisicx, 08 July 2009 - 06:29 AM.

[glyn]

oops posted to wrong thread, deleting message!

Edited by glyn, 08 July 2009 - 07:05 AM.

[A.N.Onym]

The thing is, though, SAAS seems to be the thing of the future. In a few decades offline work may not exist.

Of course, for ppl to trust G their sensitive data (basically, all their data), it has to be atrociously secure and efficient (better, than other OSes). I don't see it to be like that for a few years.

[DrPete]

I'm all for competition, but it would be nice if wasn't always the big players competing with each other. Unfortunately, a Google OS for netbooks is more likely to cut into the Linux market than the Microsoft market, I'm guessing. I think we can expect an Apple netbook and OS soon, so it'll be a 4-way battle.

[jonbey]

I think it plans to integrate the whole mobile/home/cloud computing thing.

Imagine, you take a photo on your Android G1. It then is saved to your Google account photo album. You get home, turn your pc on, and the photo is automatically downloaded to your photos drive. Same for emails, videos, documents etc. And works all ways.

For netbooks (is a laptop different?) this could make managing nad backing up data much easier. In theory, if you leave your home PC switched on, you could then easily save documents written while out and about to your home PC via Google apps. I guess. Maybe.

[fisicx]

Except I'm in wales and there isn't a signal (of even just West of Colchester).

If all I've got is the GoogleOS I'm stuffed, but with a trusty laptop I can download, plug into the telly and look at all my piccies. I can then write up my diary or blog post ready for when I'm in signal range again. And when I'm done it's time to fire up Fallout3 or watch a DVD.

I undestand why SAAS is useful and why the majors want us to keep everyhing online but I don't think the infrastructure will be robust enough for many years. In addition, the increase in bandwidth if everyone does everything online - your weedy wifi dongle connection is just going to collapse under the strain of streaming a film while working on a database and downloading a OS update.

[DrPete]

@Fisicx - Practically speaking, I agree. I had an issue with syncing contacts/calendars on my iPhone to Google, because then it wants to use the server all the time and not maintain a local copy. Great for redundancy and syncing to my desktop, but really lousy when I need to pull up a calendar entry or contact and have no 3G signal (which is still pretty frequently). Infrastructure has a long way to go before we'll all be living in the cloud.

[Jem]

If you read the google blog post it turns out that it's of no value to anyone who does anything offline. So if you want to use notebook to experiment with a script or use photoshop to touch up grannies wedding pictures or write your life story in an isolated cottage it's of no use whatsoever.

I can't see anyone using Photoshop 'seriously' on a netbook - they're just not designed for that kind of usage. (Don't confuse netbook and notebook - netbooks are the tiny things usually with basic specs and a low price point, notebooks/laptops are the bigger brother )

Personally I look forward to it. I got my netbook so that I could check my email and do a bit of light coding on the go. I'm currently running Linpus, which has some stupid software dependencies that slow it down. The other serious alternatives are Windows XP and Ubuntu Netbook Remix - both of which are too bloated for my simple needs.

Obviously I'm not necessarily indicative of an entire market, but I definitely look forward to seeing what other developments this prods into action.

[fisicx]

Agree Jem (got myself a bit confused therre). Which does reduce the effect of the googleOS even more - only a tiny fraction of the online population use netbooks so it's not really a challenge to the main OS. Even if the popularity rose dramatically it still won't make a dent in the IT market.

Don't do coding on the go but checking email and browsing is a doodle on an iphone - can't see google breaking into that market just yet.

[wiser3]

A true OS is to big a project to take on all at once. I can see Google starting with netbooks then adding more features to the OS in order to expand the system to notebook and desktop use.

[iamlost]

Google has a history of release and iterate and minimal support. That has/is proven very problematic in Local/Maps. The security (including uptime) of cloud computing is currently borderline. Now an OS.

Frankly, I do not believe their corporate mindset is up to the task.

[jonbey]

A lot of the criticism seems to be based on what Google does now. Are we really sure that it will only work with a permanent internet connection? I know that mail and chat does not require internet to run on Android. I do not beleive that the OS will crash as soon as it goes out of 3G / wireless range. I am hoping that all the usual apps will work, but only require a connection when actually transmitting data. i.e. docs, spreadsheets, mail, photos etc.

[fisicx]

But that's the whole problem, you can't get to your docs without a connection and can't do any editing because the application only works online - there isn't anything loaded on your netbook except a browser and the connencting software.

[Jem]

I don't know, I think jonbey raises a good point - are we going to see Google integrating and developing Google Gears further? After all, Gears is supposed to "Let web applications interact naturally with your desktop" and if Google want to bring the cloud to the netbook, it's going to need some sort of offline fallback.