Chrome OS impacts

[flyingsilverfin]

so, what do you people think?

[GrofLuigi]

It's still a spark in Larry and Sergey's eyes.

GL

[cluberti]

The problem I see for something like a ChromeOS is that this isn't the typical Google market. They still make their money on search, and they're the king there because the product is good, and they were the first to provide a good product in that space. The desktop/netbook/whatever OS market is vastly different, and I see this being just like the Android push - a good idea on paper, but once it's out there it'll fizzle. It's not like going into the web search, or even the mobile phone/smartphone market - this is the OS market, where Microsoft (and to a lesser extent, apple) rule. Linux hasn't made a dent in Microsoft's share, and it could be argued that Apple's dent hasn't made any real movement in the market at all (they're stuck at ~10%, with no real signs of changing any time soon).

Google's ChromeOS might be great, but it'll make about as much a splash long-term as Linux has.

[flyingsilverfin]

i was thinking that chrome isnt going to have something that really ccan catch a normal Linux user.... for instance ubuntu is great for everything i need and is ppretty fast; it boots up in about 30 seconds, firefox and opera are quite fast, etc. also, chrome os is going to have to think of something catchy besides being really fast to catch a windows user... my brother optimized vista to boot in 45 seconds, about 25 seconds faster than the XP he had on it before. AND windows 7 is coming out soon. With new apps availiable more support (as in it grows with time), and is (should be) faster i think

[Idontwantspam]

While I think there's potential for them to gain some ground in the netbook market and possibly the old grannies market, there is absolutely no way a Google OS is going to get anywhere in the area where Windows dominates: the corporate world. It sounds like the Google OS will be moving users almost entirely toward web services. Many companies are hesitant to use externally handled services (like google apps) in the first place, and not very many are willing to even consider desktop linux. So, moving to an OS which is essentially a portal to the web isn't going to fly. Windows will be around for quite some time... I doubt Google's going to come up with any good alternative to AD, Exchange, Sharepoint, etc, that integrates so well.

[DigeratiPrime]

ChromeOS = Chrome browser on Linux.

[clavicle]

MS Windows has almost become a staple diet of all the computers. Wide hardware support, ease of use over the years and above all easy OEM bundling has been instrumental in spread of windows. So chances that chromeOS takes place in second partition rather than the first are more!

[flyingsilverfin]

yea i agree that i wont impact windows desktops and laptops much, maybe make a dent in the netbook market though... i dont think that it will take most of the linux market becuz about 1/2 of the linux running machines are supercomputer, servers etc cuz they cant get viruses and depending on the distro are fast... they also have pretty good server support, something i dont think that chrome os will have anytime soon

i hope it advertises linux though i find it great and use it for more than half my stuff (not to mention i dont have to worry about viruses and it doesnt get overloaded when i open 5 appliaction at once lol)

[Sl@y3D for my n@me]

i hope it advertises linux though i find it great and use it for more than half my stuff (not to mention i dont have to worry about viruses and it doesnt get overloaded when i open 5 appliaction at once lol)

Don't tempt me to reply to that statement and cause a Windows vs Linux flamewar!

To be honest, I very much doubt that any new operating system that doesn't come bundled with a popular PC will become popular. That is where Windows has the advantage over its competition, with the possible exception of the Mac OS. I'll write more when I have the time...

[beats]

ChromeOS = Chrome browser on Linux.

Just the Linux kernel though. Google uses a custom (java) framework. They don't even use glibc, so it won't be compatible with Linux distro's as we know them.

[DigeratiPrime]

ChromeOS = Chrome browser on Linux.

Just the Linux kernel though. Google uses a custom (java) framework. They don't even use glibc, so it won't be compatible with Linux distro's as we know them.

Hmm I knew Chrome browser in't available on Linux so I was wondering how they were going to do it on Chrome OS. The significant point about using the Linux kernel is it means Google OS will have the same hardware compatibility and exploits. Linux has some problems on current netbooks including wireless, display, and power drivers; I don't think a Google distro is really going to improve that much. Besides why not just use a "full" and "free" distro, why restrict yourself into Googleland? It's contrary to the ideals of Linux.

[Sl@y3D for my n@me]

I'll have to go with what a lot of people seem to be saying, "Chrome OS" sounds very much like a cloud OS.

We have all heard in the tech news how people envision the future of computing. A lot of the time, the subject of "the cloud" comes up. Now, Google are a huge internet presence, if anybody has the potential (or the will) to create an entirely internet based OS, then it's them. They already have cloud applications such as Google Apps gaining momentum in the market. Now, what if these apps became tied to the OS, just as we have heard in the news?

No longer would you need massive hard drives to store your data, because it is all stored online at Google's servers. You wouldn't need a particularly fast processor, not a huge amount of RAM, just an internet connection. Low power machines, heard that before?

Netbooks. Linux, as we know, is well capable of running on a netbook. Linux is modular, highly customisable, and has some form of compatibility with certain machines, netbooks in particular. Linux is a fine internet OS (sometimes, don't get me started on wireless support), well suited for the job. It is freely distributed.

But I find it really hard to speak positively about a cloud OS, so I shall have to stop there. I'd still rather use Windows XP Home on a netbook any day, I think a lot of people might agree.

[beats]

"The network is the computer"... Sun was saying that... about 15 years ago?

[woody.cool]

I doubt it'll have any affect on any OS market.

The only people who'll give it a go is people like me who are curious, and if it's any good, will stick with it, till it gives us a problem, which means we'll format and reinstall whichever OS is in our comfort zone (usually an NT based Windows version for me, such as NT/2000/XP/2003)

I think it's probably a case of Google being a bit late in the OS market. Most home users will have no inclination to change their OS as their exisiting Windows XP/Vista/7 is working for them fine as it is.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[nimd4]

which users will switch mostly?

none.

Edited April 21, 2010 by nimd4