The first threat to Microsoft Windows since BeOS

Status
Not open for further replies.

NathanE

NathanE

NathanE

Soldato
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
18,022
Location
London & Singapore
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8139711.stm

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.

Google said netbooks with Chrome OS could be on sale by the middle of 2010.

"Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS," said the company in a blog.

The news could also be a blow to the open source Linux operating system, which had taken an early lead on netbooks, but then lost out to Microsoft's elderly Windows XP.

For Microsoft the news comes just months before it launches the latest version of its operating system, called Windows 7.
Click to expand...

I have a feeling Google is treading on its own grave. Is it really such a good idea to be targetting the hot & cold market that is Netbooks?
 
Why not? It's not as if they can't afford not too, and lets face it, Chrome OS will just be a drastically stripped down down environment to get a user onto the internet as fast as possible. Almost as simple as a virtual machine.
 
Last edited:
Some more information on the Google Blog.

It seems that it'll be based on a Linux kernel so I wonder if it will use Gnome, KDE or a new windowing system with Google apps for the front-end?

Also, it'll be interesting to see what this does to the Linux community if users will ditch their favourites for it.
 
What about cross compatibility with Win32 apps, if it can do that it will be important to any success, people will want their old programs to run and files to be compatibly. Personally I think they are biting off more than they can chew if they think they can take out windows, they could howerver make significant gains in nettops, and possibly cheap computers that people get just to go on the net.
 
I think Google has just open a world of hurt for themselves, they have no experience in offering a multi vendor solution, having to support literally hundreds of different specifications.

It's just bad publicity waiting to happen, "Google killed my Netbook"!
 
HEADRAT said:
I think Google has just open a world of hurt for themselves, they have no experience in offering a multi vendor solution, having to support literally hundreds of different specifications.

It's just bad publicity waiting to happen, "Google killed my Netbook"!
Click to expand...

Yeah, its really not something that you can do by halves, look how long, and how much, it took MS to get XP and windows 7 working as they do, although im sure google will be planning this as a slow burner.
 
That said it's an interesting development, nothing like a little competition to fire development etc, MS have had a clear run for many years with little to no competition. Linux was supposed to be the "alternative" but it never reached critical mass, if "Google" a name that people know and trust basically build their own distro then it will allow people to "break" their mental hold to MS.

They will have to ensure that the OS runs well without a fast Internet connection and that it still operates if "Google" catches a cold ;)
 
All the companies are verticalizing (!!) at the moment.

Oracle has been sucking up databse technology IPR and then OS and now with SUN gives it hardware, Solaris, MySQL and Java.

Google are just ensuring they have a platform to open new opportunities. It's likely that OS X will be the first target with a MacBook Pro rival later.
 
My only concern would be gaming, presumably DirectX won't be supported meaning like with Linux gaming-wise it will be a joke.

We really need to break the DirectX monopoly if we want proper competition.
 
mmj_uk said:
My only concern would be gaming, presumably DirectX won't be supported meaning like with Linux gaming-wise it will be a joke.
Click to expand...

I think that will be the clincher as to weather it takes of on the desktop market, personally i cant see it happening, at least not for a while.
 
Netbooks aren't doing that well as netbooks, they do better as mini-laptops, which is why the market has chosen Win XP over Linux for most of them (despite linux based netbooks being first, and for a while the only, choice from the manufacturers)

I'd be very concerned about a google OS given their usual plan of collecting as much data via their products as possible.
 
Be good for **** old PC's, I know it'll be good for the crap downstairs as my dad only browses the Internet, for my PC windows all the way I want to be able to play games.
 
mmj_uk said:
My only concern would be gaming, presumably DirectX won't be supported meaning like with Linux gaming-wise it will be a joke.

We really need to break the DirectX monopoly if we want proper competition.
Click to expand...

Then improve openGL to match it, the 3d graphics market wasn't always a monopoly, but the better gaming technology won out.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom