Google Announces Google Chrome Operating System

[CountBrass]

Crude and Clunky

"When google does something... they usually do it right and i wont be surprised to see a google OS one day and with that said ill bet money that the OS will be very good as well"

That's interesting because my reaction was almost exactly the opposite. I think Google's Chrome is a remarkably ugly and clunky web browser: very much state of the art 10 years ago.

Specifically regarding Google mail and the Chrome OS: wild horses couldn't drag me into trusting my data to Google. For two reasons: firstly under US law the company owns *your* data and can do whatever the hell they like with it (in marked contrast with EU law which is almost the exact opposite) and because Google have demonstrated they are quite prepared to (ab)use their customer's data.

Edward

 

[mac jones]

They will advertise simplicity and ease of use and people will by it and later discover that they can't run some program and they will not be happy with Google

Just as people are finding out with the Linux netbooks, but with Linux there's no one to blame except themselves (or the place they bought it)

 

[Evangelion]

Yup, that global market share increase of about 1-2% over the last two years really has MS worried. As for Linux as a desktop solution: no-one really cares.

People who use Linux on the desktop do care .

I like OS X but it'll never compete against Windows in the mass market.

It will, it has been gaining popularity. But the point is that desktop-OS is an EXTREMELY entrenched market where it's very hard to gain market-share even if you have superior product. Just look at OS X. It's superior in just about every way, and even it has had difficulties at eroding Windows'es dominance. And it had the benefit of having existing userbase with all those OS9-users, Linux had to start from nothing. Since OS X was released, it has gained.... what, 4-5 percentage-points in market-share? That just shows how hard it is to go anywhere in this market.

 

[CountBrass]

Porsche?

not really, if it ends up having an audi engine with an porsche chasis

You mean like this abomination Porsche 924?

Personally I'd rather have a Porsche engine and a Porsche chassis.... oh wait, I do .

 

[CountBrass]

Texas: illegally acquired; universally admired.

Just curious, are you using "universally" here in the same that you Americans use "World" to describe your sports competitions, i.e. to mean "me and a couple of mates"?

 

[BongoBanger]

Hell, OS X has been beating Windows in stability, features and functionality for years, and it too is still limited to under 10% market-share!

Thanks. That gave me the biggest laugh of the day. I use them both and like the qualities they bring but please don't make ridiculous blanket statements like that if you want to be taken seriously.

But to say that all their new stuff sucks is quite dumb thing to say.

Except it actually does. Google Docs is, frankly, hopeless as a data management solution for example. You seem to assuem that the word 'Google' carries a badge of quality. It doesn't.

Besides, Microsoft is now directly competing with Google, and they are doing that with the money they get from Windows. Eroding the dominance of Windows benefits Google's search-business as well.

Uh, Google are competing - or trying to compete - with Microsoft and Apple here. Ask yourself this - if Google do bring out a safe, stable consumer orientated OS that works on multiple hardware configurations then what do you think that'll do to Apple's market given that Apple primarily cater to consumers not enterprise?

People who use Linux on the desktop do care .

And their numbers are so small as to be inconsequential. I know. I'm one of them.

It will, it has been gaining popularity.

1-2% over 2 years against the poorest received MS OS for a decade? No, it won't.

Just look at OS X. It's superior in just about every way, and even it has had difficulties at eroding Windows'es dominance.

Probably because it actually isn't superior in every way unless you count locked in, non 64 bit solutions to be superior. Windows is 'superior' because it's flexible accross multiple platform configurations in multiple software environments. When OS X can do that you might have a case.

Better on purpose designed hardware in a restricted operating environment isn't 'superior' unless we're talking a consumer based environment where it actually might be at least for quite a number of people.

And it had the benefit of having existing userbase with all those OS9-users, Linux had to start from nothing. Since OS X was released, it has gained.... what, 4-5 percentage-points in market-share? That just shows how hard it is to go anywhere in this market.

Globally it's less than two percentage points.

 

[Evangelion]

They will advertise simplicity and ease of use and people will by it and later discover that they can't run some program and they will not be happy with Google

You mean like all those people who get a Mac, only to discover that their Windows-apps don't work anymore?

Just as people are finding out with the Linux netbooks, but with Linux there's no one to blame except themselves (or the place they bought it)

The thing with Linux on the netbooks is quite interesting. It's a textbook example of OEM-incompetence, MS-bullying and FUD. To be exact:

OEM incompetence: OEM's had the option of using existing Linux-distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora etc.) with existing infrastructure (application-repositories, automatic updates etc.) and UI's that had had a lot of man-years poured in to them. But instead of using those, they created their own systems that barely worked at all. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Microsoft bullying: When Netbooks took off, they all basically ran Linux. MS panicked and dumbed XP on the market (after spending a lot of time and energy trying to replace it with Vista), and bullied OEM in to using it, instead of using Linux. OEMs made a 180 degree turn so fast that it's incredible. You can be pretty damn sure that it was a combination of dumbing and threats. Hell, I actually wanted to buy a Linux-netbook, but supply of those was very limited. Is it really surprising that people don't buy Linux-netbooks, if they are not available?

FUD: Some netbook-manufacturer (was it Asus?) made a press-release where they whined that no-one wanted Linux, and users who bought the Linux-version were returning it in droves. And people drew the conclusion that it's basically Linux'es fault. But when they asked Dell about it, they said that their Linux-netbooks had similar return-rates as their Windows-models had. The thing is that Dell used a standard Linux-distro, whereas the OEM who made the original complaint used their own half-baked system. People returned their Linux-netbooks because they sucked, but people who bought Dell-netbooks did no return them, since they did not suck. Basically OEM screwed up, but instead of blaming themselves, they blamed Linux.

 

[ajbrehm]

"Google" is a good name for a search engine, but does it strike you as a good name for an operating system maker?

But then again, "Micro-Soft" and "Apple" were also cute and stupid names when they were new. Would people who bought from "International Business Machines" or "Digital Equipment Corporation" have thought that one day they'd buy all their computing needs from companies with "micro" in their name or, worse, named after a fruit?

Weirdness...

 

[Jayomat]

Android is such a raging success that Google decided to expand their OS dominance.
Lethal

android is well adopted... plenty new android based smartphones are going to be released by major manufacturers in the upcoming month.

besides, there ARE MANY things which can be easily accomplished with Android which is not possible with Iphone OS. it is "totally" open, all apps can "talk" to each other without any restriction. every core function is avaible for your app....(be sure to understand that im talking about the non-jalbreak version, which is what "most" of iphone-owner's use. correct me if im wrong here...) Android is easy to develop for, it uses JAVA, which is much easier to handle for "beginners" than Obj-C....

 

[frabber]

will succeed if they get it right

Yes we have been there before , and yes it failed, but we are now witnessing more apis shift towards web technology (think RIA) which will replace desktop apis. With smart caching it will be as fast as we are used to but with the added benefits of Web (always up to date, on demand apps).
The timing is right to start replacing things by RIA apps and lightweight OS-s.
BUT, you have to just like apple does get things right in order for it become BIG. The whole experience should be butter sweet. Leave out what's not needed, do bring in what's needed. That's an art that is independent of technology and I am not sure if Google is good at doing just that...

 

[Full of Win]

Imagine this scenario...

You have a digital SLR, say a Canon 50D, the Google OS will read the data from your photographs and determine you take a lot of pictures at full zoom using the kit lens. Given this data, the web browser will target ads from Amazon for Canon Zoom lenses in the 100+ mm range.

Wow, what a future we might be living in.

 

[edesignuk]

Don't know quite what to make of this, but it will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[Bonte]

Then there are some programs that are more complex, but just because an OS is designed to be really simple does not mean that more complex software can't run on it. So even something like Photoshop would work, and since Adobe already plans to have an online version of Photoshop (they released a simple version well over a year ago), it's not unbelievable that Google could develop a really simple OS with an improved layout, that would make things simpler for most people.

A complex OS also has complex API's, core graphics and other helpful services so the developer doesn't need to program everything. the Chrome OS is basically the old networked computer, finally.

 

[Evangelion]

Thanks. That gave me the biggest laugh of the day. I use them both and like the qualities they bring but please don't make ridiculous blanket statements like that if you want to be taken seriously.

Comparing Vista to OS X is a non-starter. Hell, most people think that XP is better than Vista!

Except it actually does.

please don't make ridiculous blanket statements like that if you want to be taken seriously.

Google Docs is, frankly, hopeless as a data management solution for example. You seem to assuem that the word 'Google' carries a badge of quality. It doesn't.

Did I claim that everything they do is gold? No I did not. And even Google Docs have it's uses, but it might not be a replacement for dedicated word-processor.

Uh, Google are competing - or trying to compete - with Microsoft and Apple here.

Apple is primarily a hardware-company. OS X is a selling-point for their hardware.

And their numbers are so small as to be inconsequential. I know. I'm one of them.

Every product has a tiny market-share at some point.

1-2% over 2 years against the poorest received MS OS for a decade? No, it won't.

Like I said, it has been gaining popularity. The thing is that this market is extremely entrenched. You can't really be 100% compatible with the other OS'es out there, and if one of those OS'es has 90+% market-share, it's very very hard to gain any market-share against them. The fact that both OS X and Linux has been able to pull it off, is quite telling.

Probably because it actually isn't superior in every way unless you count locked in, non 64 bit solutions to be superior.

OS X is 64bits in ways that matter, and it's doing that in all versions, as opposed to some special 64bit version of the OS. And 64bitness is a means to an end, not the end of means.

Windows is 'superior' because it's flexible accross multiple platform configurations in multiple software environments.

Then by that logic, Linux is even better. It works in just about every configuration out there, across several architectures, and you instantly have thousands of apps available to you after you install your OS....

Better on purpose designed hardware in a restricted operating environment isn't 'superior' unless we're talking a consumer based environment where it actually might be at least for quite a number of people.

How is OS X operating environment "restricted"? And are you one of those who think that only enterprise-market matters?

Globally it's less than two percentage points.

Actually, I think it's about 4-5% globally, while having about 8-9% in the US.

 

[sushi]

I doubt it will be solely reliant on the internet, look at gmail you can now use it in off line mode.

I agree with you in that I doubt it will be solely reliant on the Internet. What I am wondering is if you will need an Internet connection to get the full feature functionality with applications. My guess would be yes.

Hopefully I am wrong in that assumption.

Don't know quite what to make of this, but it will be interesting to see what happens.

That much is certain.

As we become more web and cloud centric, while I like the Mac OS, having other options is nice.

 

[djellison]

Why would anyone say this is a negative story?

Great news - it'll be fascinating to see what they come up with.

 

[mabaker]

And I'm more than sure Apple has already an answer to that up their sleeve.

No worries, at least Google OS might well have been a good wake up call for Apple to deliver something truly innovative.

 

[miniConvert]

A truly web based computer OS will be awesome. It will liberate cheap computers, for sure, where M$'s bloated operating systems are a hindrance rather than a help.

Will Google succeed? Well, that's a different question altogether.

 

[OllyW]

Actually, I think it's about 4-5% globally, while having about 8-9% in the US.

The last published figures I saw were 3.4% for the global share.

It had gone down as low as 2% so Apple has nearly doubled it's global share in the last few years.

 

[4D4M]

Don't worry, they will just offer crap bootcamp drivers making their "other" os experience subpar.......

That other OS makes a good enough job of creating a subpar user experience on its own without any help from crap boot drivers.

 

[DoFoT9]

this could be very interesting!! i will be following closely, not sure of my view yet... it seems to have both positive and negatives

 

[Hattig]

There are a lot of people in the world who only do a few things with a computer, even in today's world:

- Watch porn.
- Check their email.
- Watch porn and buy viagra.
- browse the web.
- Watch porn.
- Video streaming via Youtube, Hulu
- Watch streaming porn.
- listen to music and sync their iPods
- Watch porn and put it on their iPod.
- documents and spreadsheets
- Watch porn with impressive statistics.
- organise and edit some photos.
- Watch porn.
- MSN, Skype, etc.
- Watch porn.

Fixed.

 

[Veri]

ln -s /usr/bin/chrome /sbin/init

Oh, right, NIH and user privacy/choice.

 

[4D4M]

The last published figures I saw were 3.4% for the global share.

It had gone down as low as 2% so Apple has nearly doubled it's global share in the last few years.

And at the end of the day, who cares? Let's keep it at 3%, I say! One of the reasons the Mac is so great is that the masses don't use it.

 

[0098386]

I'll be skipping this. I like OSX and XP because they're well established operating systems. On XP I can run DirectX games and on OSX I get all that brilliant memory management for big apps like Photoshop, Logic and Final Cut.

I won't be bothering with this Google OS.