Google Unveils a PC Operating System

[Turborama]

Source: NYT

SAN FRANCISCO — In a direct challenge to Microsoft, Google announced late Tuesday that it is developing an operating system for PCs based on its Chrome Web browser.

The move sharpens the already intense competition between Google and Microsoft, whose Windows operating system controls the basic functions of the vast majority of personal computers.

In a post on its company blog, Google said the operating system would initially be aimed at netbooks, the compact, low-cost computers that have turned the PC world on its head. It said the open-source software, called Chrome OS, would be available in the second half of next year.

“Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS,” the blog post said. “We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the Web in a few seconds.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/technology/companies/08operate.html

---

Google's official blog with more details: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html

[drm604]

1. It'll probably track your browsing habits

so they can show you targeted ads. Why else would they be doing this?

[pkdu]

4. They and microsoft all do that already do

I find chrome has some great features that explorer doesn't have and is much more stable

[drm604]

6. Yea, but I suspect that this will be even more intrusive.

Why else would they be doing this?

[moggie]

10. It'll be open source

So any nasty habits it has built in will be quickly found by the community.

[geckosfeet]

20. Err. Why does micro-crap do it? Why does Apple?

[niceypoo]

27. Money

[Turborama]

8. I use Chrome and Firefox. Chrome is quicker but, strangely, YouTube is more stable on Firefox n/t

[WriteDown]

31. I use IE, FF, and Chrome...

They all have their advantages. I wish I could roll them into one.

[Greyhound]

7. To kill the other giant that makes their life difficult.

BTW, One of the main reason's that Windoze is (still, after 30 years, do you really think they are that stupid?) unsecured is so that M$ can suck info on what you do and where you go.

"Where do you want to go today?", we don't care because we'll be watching...

[billyoc]

11. Think about what you're saying.

[bleever]

2. "What a brave new world that has such creatures in it."

Spoken with all of Miranda's optimism.

[MrModerate]

3. Netbooks turned the PC world "on its head"? Funny, I hadn't noticed . . .

Someone was rushing for a deadline and one phrase short of a complete story.

[arcos]

16. They did... Microsoft never envisioned Vista as a netbook OS...

They never envisioned netbooks would become as popular, and Vista is a pretty demanding OS, so they had to backtrack and extend Windows XP's shelf life by quite a bit.

[MrModerate]

19. That doesn't quite rise to the level of "turned on its head," IMO . . .

But my point is that Netbooks are just one more gadget in a pretty crowded field, and not exactly game-changers.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

21. Netbooks are the ultimate disruptive technology,

and have made life extremely difficult for both Microsoft and Intel who have been forced into a very uncomfortable position with Windows XP and the Atom processor. Microsoft has to continue to support XP for fear of Linux and Intel has to mass-market an embedded processor that is a frontal-assault on their high-margin mobile processors. It is a gun to their heads, they don't want any part of it... but if they step back they lose their place in an ascendant product category to Linux and VIA. Or even worse for Intel, in the absence of Windows a non-x86 processor entirely.

They are also universally disruptive to previously high-cost and high-margin ultra-portable notebooks. Vendors like HP and Dell have had to launch their own Netbook products or risk marketshare to Acer and Asus.

[MrModerate]

22. I don't buy it. Whenever the market subdivides, Microsoft and Intel . . .

Subdivide too. Smartphones and Netbooks will merge. And too many people need a real live workstation with ergonomic features (like keyboards sized to human fingers and decent monitors) for that physical model to go away any time soon. (Barring, of course, synthetic telepathy for input and display.)

The prolonged survival of XP has more to do with the rejection of Vista at the corporate workstation level (desktop and laptop) than Linux or Netbooks. Also, unless bandwidth becomes effectively free, having your operating system on the net is going to be a very chancy proposition. I'm sitting in Australia right now, and bandwidth is terribly expensive here, and unlikely to get less so any time soon. While Europe has managed to make strides ahead of the US in cost and performance of broadband in the last decade or so, they're showing signs of running out of gas and I predict (just call me Karnak) they'll plateau soon if they haven't already.

I have no idea whether Intel and Microsoft will be real forces in society 50 years from now, but I'm pretty sure they will be in 25. As will Google.

[Grinchie]

23. I agree with that -- They haven't miniturized fingers, and many people are aging

These micro-miniature devices are going to find some massive reality checks when the populace realizes that having a big screen, and real keyboard make a lot of sense.

Nobody want to be the Bank teller in the Twilight Zone, who after surviving Nuclear War, is ready to spend the rest of his days reading books, only to accidentally break his glasses, and finds himself unable to read.

Well, America is getting older, and I have to say that my eyesight is not getting any better. Those netbooks, Iphone or any other micro display is just not worth it to me.

It's a marketing scheme that saves craploads of money for the device manufacturers, and they have completely bamboozled the public into thinking tiny screens are the new tomorrow.

Good luck with that. It's a ploy.

I think the Movie Zoolander captures the essence, when it shows his ultra tiny phone. Great gag, screwed up phone.

I bought an Ipaq once. It still runs. I use it as an MP3 player and a recorder, but only use pocket excel when really desperate.

[lumberjack_jeff]

35. Netbooks: too small to type on, to big to hold up to your ear.

The only disruption is to the users.

[NickB79]

37. That issue is being addressed: 12-13" netbooks on the way

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/06/here-come-the-12-inch-netbooks-and-intel-isnt-happy-about-it/

[tomm2thumbs]

5. 'It sees you when you're sleeping - it knows when you're awake...'

It's like Santa Claus, only it carries a vacuum for your wallet instead of a bag of toys.

[Tab]

9. There's nothing magical about Windows

in fact, Windows has dragged itself kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Lots of things run on the 80x86 chipset - Linux, custom OS/s, etc. For a networked world, a lot of Windows overhead isn't necessary in a browser world. There's absolutely no reason Google can't make a decent enivronment, and developers have learned to abstract anyways, so if Google does their architecture right, they could easily kick MS out of the water, and MS knows it.

[Old and In the Way]

13. I agree...this is a threat to MS, but also PC based O/S in general.

A chipset optimized to run a browser with a Google Internet Desktop for e-mail, presentations, spreadsheets, databases, etc could be a game changer. Certainly would redefine the future landscape and this might lower total costs of ownership in terms of hardware/software.

[Tab]

45. Well, the chipsets are fine as they are

Of course, an optimized one for the Internet (as you say) would be something else, but chipsets are pretty low-level. Most of the key logjams have long since been moved off to their own chips or architecture (I'm thinking dedicated video bus, hard drive controllers, etc).

What is not implemented on chips, I don't think, is some kind of TCP/IP or UDP optimization. Generally the connection (bandwidth) is the culprit, but one of these days it'll return to being the machine again.

On top of the 80x86 architectures, though, we have an O/S written for Windows architecture, but as we know, Linux runs perfectly fine on it, as can others. The 80x86 grew up with Windows and DOS, but nothing says it's dedicated to Windows/DOS. We could could out a lot of shit and have one kick-ass machine, probably running on a slower chip even, with a Google or web-oriented API.

[Arrowhead2k1]

12. Don't need another OS that will fracture PC users and not be supported by most applications.

But Microsoft does need to hire some serious new blood and revamp the way Windows works, so I understand why some people are dying to see more competition.

[elocs]

14. A note on your banner: isn't "Bitter Liberals" redundant?

Don't you need to be bitter to be a Liberal?

[dothemath]

25. Nope

I am a liberal and am only bitter about the fact there are people like you still roaming free. Granted, there are a lot less of you since the "Contract on America", but, still ......... too many.

[elocs]

42. I still tend to see most Liberals as bitter, unhappy all the time about something.

Nothing is ever good enough and no level of satisfaction is ever attained unless things are all their way.

Oh, by the way, I am a capital L Liberal myself (at age 57 I may have been a Liberal for longer than some here have been alive), so I don't know who the "you" is to which you refer. You might consider promoting yourself to a capital L Liberal because it gives it more respect.

[niceypoo]

28. MS is a pile of shit

Having direct competition to MS is the best thing that can happen

[lumberjack_jeff]

36. I would really like to see more development go into WINE

A linux that runs any thing is the holy grail.

[alfredo]

40. Google is taking a page from Apple's play book. They are building a friendly

GUI on top of a Nix. UNIX and Linux have been held back because of their geek centric UI. they are much better than before, but still too hard for granny.

[Angleae]

43. Linux has been held back by a lack of software.

Not their "geek centric UI". Right now, you go into a computer store and it's all Windows software, maybe a shelf of mac stuff and a couple of linux distros. Linux will never become mainstream until the software gets written. Unfortunately, the software will never be written until more people use linux.

[alfredo]

44. Linux users expect the software to be free. There's plenty software for Linux

especially for my uses. They lack the big dollar Photoshop, MS orfice and such.


People equate free with amateur or sub par. OpenOffice, Gimp Scribus and Inkscape are not amateur.

[Angleae]

46. True, but without them, the user base will never be large enough to become mainstream.

Also, gamers (like me) will still use windows as most games are windows only.

[alfredo]

54. herd mentality is a factor, cheap commodity hardware is another.

Will people accept browser only apps?

[boppers]

58. "Most games" are not windows only.

"Most heavily commercially marketed clone games for desktop platforms", well, that you can say, after throwing out the console games, free games, and the annoying reality that cloning and re-skinning yet-another-FPS isn't exactly a new game.

[boppers]

48. You can "go into a... store" and buy software? HUH?

On linux, people don't go to stores and pay money for software.

The whole idea is absurd, it makes no sense.

Want to buy a stable to go with that buggy whip, since a lack of places that sell buggy whips are why "automobiles" are doomed to fail?

[Angleae]

51. It's still the way most people get their software.

And it's not likely to change as long as Best Buy, Fred Meyer, Staples, Office Depot, etc are still in business.

[boppers]

52. I run a CentOS mirror.

I "donate" roughly a program per *second*, to anybody who wants them.

I admit that people still buy buggy whips, and paid software.

Americans are conditioned to "paying" for things that they can get for free.

However, that *is* changing. I'm one of the longest contributors to DU, for example, in that the software language they use is free (PHP). I helped write it.

Where did DU buy rights to use PHP? Nowhere. It doesn't work like that. The software people use most are things that they didn't pay for.

Use google lately? What did you pay for use of that software?

[HarvardMed]

15. Microsoft is still going to dominate the PC market n/t

[Grinchie]

24. Au contrere, Microsoft has alienated those that once helped it grow

I know, because I am one of them.

Even Softies admitted that MS had grown too big, and was on it's way down, and that was 8 or 9 years ago. They were right.

When they started moving offshore, that was the end.

[niceypoo]

29. Apparently you've never tried Vista

You need admin rights to defrag

No training wheels for me

[madmusic]

49. Windows 7 is pretty good

The problem is that XP does just about what everyone needs it to do.

[DatManFromNawlins]

17. Meh

This is just Linux with another yet another freaking window manager and a pre-installed Gears plugin.

[frog92969]

18. So Google is making their own Linux distro?

Yeah, that's special.

[niceypoo]

30. No, it isnt a linux distro

Read the article

[DatManFromNawlins]

33. Yes, it is

It's Linux with a new window manager. Whoopdee doo.

[hunter]

38. Like Apple made their own BSD distro...

That was special too.

Microsoft can't dismiss this.

[boppers]

56. Well put.

An apt comparison. Sure, Chrome OS may have an identical kernel, but the raw guts of an OS isn't what "makes" an OS to a consumer's eye.

[meegbear]

26. Perhaps they should start with something small, like Apple, then work their way up

[Sirveri]

32. I'd switch if they support my gaming habits as well as MS.

If I was less lazy I'd go with Linux (maybe WINE). But if you are into hardcore gamer action a MS box is pretty much the most fitting choice.

[Occulus]

39. Yup

I bet I can't play Prototype in WINE. I know I can't get a lot of my other games to run properly. Until Wine gets a full implementation of something DirectX-ish, it just won't happen.

Oh, how I wish all developers fully supported OpenGL so we could get some decent linux binaries....

[sofa king]

34. I think Google is trying to get to the top by flooding the basement.

Google's business model is totally different from Microsoft's. Microsoft provides services to keep users locked into Microsoft's platform. Their innovations are usually late reactions to the forces driving the industry. Google makes money off of those services (at least in theory).

So the way I see it, Google's interest is to start with the devices Microsoft and Intel left behind--the small computing devices which are quickly replacing the home-box. They'll walk away with it all if the Open Source community can successfully streamline communications so that multiple small computing machines can work together across a distributed network to make large and complex calculations, quickly.

[dorkulon]

41. If it won't run most apps or games, MS has nothing to fear.

The internet is just one reason people use their computers. Without apps by Adobe et al my job wouldn't exist. Unless open sourcers can deliver a platform which can run such apps, I can't switch, however much I'd like to. And let's not forget the gamers.

[Poll_Blind]

47. This is going to track the shit out of your web & usage habits- anyone telling you otherwise is...

...a fool or an accomplice. I tell you what, though, I bet it's very slick, very functional and damned attractive to use. As a side note, except for that fact that using Chrome seems to cause my computer to spontaneously reboot I have enjoyed the hell out of Google's browser. But no ad-blocker. In fact, none of the plugins I've become familiar and somewhat addicted to under Firefox. Google gives you the browser so they can get the revenue and they aren't about to shut of a major revenue stream like that. The OS will be no different.

Of course the spontaneous reboot thing is a deal-breaker, but I'm sure it'll eventually get fixed. I, btw, have no idea what the hell the browser is doing (maybe it's Chrome in conjunction with Flash 10) to cause this, but it's definitely something about the browser or affiliated with its use.

BTW, there are a number of absolutely free (Really! Like 'free' as in hugs and beer!) LINUX distributions that kick ass, including Simply Mepis (which I use on a few of my machines) and Ubuntu, which is quite popular.

Very easy to migrate from XP/Vista.

PB

[madmusic]

50. Exactly. Our "privacy" is Google's profit.

That's why I use https://us.ixquick.com/

No tracking at all.

[Turborama]

53. BBC: Hardware makers support Google OS

Google has announced which hardware firms have pledged to build machines that will run its Chrome OS.

The search giant said it was working with many firms on Chrome OS hardware including Acer, Asus, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and Toshiba.

=snip=

The first netbooks that can run the software will be ready in late 2010. Since Asus launched the first netbook the cut-down computers have proved hugely popular.

Analyst firm Gartner predicts that 80% more netbooks will be sold in 2009 than sold in 2008. However, so far, the small computers only make up 8% of the total PC market.

The Chrome OS will be designed to work with Intel chips that appear in the vast majority of desktop PCs, laptops and netbooks as well as the Arm chips that power most of the world's mobile phones. Texas Instruments and Qualcomm, who both build devices based around Arm chips, were also unveiled as partners on the Chrome OS project.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8141964.stm

[undeterred]

55. Will it be as wonderful as GMAIL?

I worked for an ISP that converted to gmail. For the average end user, its difficult to use.

[struggle4progress]

57. They haven't got their browser up on the Mac yet, have they? I ran Chrome browser in Vista and was

rather unimpressed

There are already open-source operating systems that work well on netbooks: ubuntu seems to me in many ways nicer than OS X and imho it beats the hell out of windows