Charge of Google's light brigade

[semilife]

Hmmm this is an interesting development as Google and Micro$oft prepare to lock horns....

So at long last Google is making its move. Promising a lightweight but fast operating system - Chrome OS - the internet search company is poised to strike at the heart of Microsoft's software empire.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8140594.stm

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I've been wondering when Google would come up with their own PC OS. This should be interesting.

 

[Silverzone]

That'd be nice to see Google throw their hat into the ring as far as OS's go. It'll most likely be a breath of fresh air.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I knew this was going to happen sooner or later, should be interesting.

 

[semilife]

I knew this was going to happen sooner or later, should be interesting.

Well its been talked about ever since Google anounced its own web browser. I think they are quite well placed to take full advantage of this, as they have been quietly (or not) creating their suite of apps designed for online use. It looks like 2010 will be a very interesting year for M$. I would purchase your Google shares now if you can still afford it, and retire sometime in 2011!

That'd be nice to see Google throw their hat into the ring as far as OS's go. It'll most likely be a breath of fresh air.

Yes definitely extra choice, and probably not a bad one either.

 

[Casio]

While looking forward too it, it is not going to be the "Windows Killer" a few people think. I can possibly see it as a netbook OS, with a lot of features of Android and Chrome, but I can't see it being a "full" OS, that many demographics need and desire.

 

[Sage]

Well its been talked about ever since Google anounced its own web browser.

It’s been talked about since way before that (notice the timestamp). However, part of the reason is that a platform-agnosticism has been toyed with for forever, although as Fake Steve has pointed out:

If you ask me, Google is getting a little nutty about the Borg and it’s starting to show. They’re starting to look like the new Scott McNealy. Remember him? Ran a company called Sun, which had a great little business going until McNealy became obsessed with Gates and started doing things like paying millions of dollars to buy StarOffice so he could get into that booming free software business.

 

[Joey D]

While looking forward too it, it is not going to be the "Windows Killer" a few people think. I can possibly see it as a netbook OS, with a lot of features of Android and Chrome, but I can't see it being a "full" OS, that many demographics need and desire.

Yup, that's pretty much how I see it. If it's free or relatively cheap I'll have no problem putting it on my Acer.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

While looking forward too it, it is not going to be the "Windows Killer" a few people think. I can possibly see it as a netbook OS, with a lot of features of Android and Chrome, but I can't see it being a "full" OS, that many demographics need and desire.

Yep, it will probably be more competitive with Linux than Windows.

 

[Casio]

Yep, it will probably be more competitive with Linux than Windows.

The thing is Linux is not competitive at all in real world percentages. However, the big advantages Google have over regular linux distros are money, resources, and the name 'Google'.

That said, and as much as people hate on it, the fact is people still want Windows, as perfectly illustrated by the life of the Netbook, where the original eeePC, came in both Linux and the more expensive Windows XP version, and it wasn't long before they cut Linux because 98% of sales were Windows versions. I used to sell them, and the few people I sold the Linux version came back and wanted XP (Which was interesting because the original eeePC had no CD drive).

If Google is going to make it a simple OS (Such as Moblin), and not have a massive investment, then I guess they really don't have too much too lose. However, I'm not expecting a great success, even Chrome which has had almost universal praise has less than a 5% Marketshare, I don't know anyone who really uses Google Docs, and the G1 hasn't thrown off the shelves. While brand recognition obviously helps, it doesn't instantly sell a product.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I don't know anyone who really uses Google Docs

I used it a couple of times in school to look at some documents on computers without MS Office.

 

[semilife]

The thing is Linux is not competitive at all in real world percentages. However, the big advantages Google have over regular linux distros are money, resources, and the name 'Google'.

That said, and as much as people hate on it, the fact is people still want Windows, as perfectly illustrated by the life of the Netbook, where the original eeePC, came in both Linux and the more expensive Windows XP version, and it wasn't long before they cut Linux because 98% of sales were Windows versions. I used to sell them, and the few people I sold the Linux version came back and wanted XP (Which was interesting because the original eeePC had no CD drive).

If Google is going to make it a simple OS (Such as Moblin), and not have a massive investment, then I guess they really don't have too much too lose. However, I'm not expecting a great success, even Chrome which has had almost universal praise has less than a 5% Marketshare, I don't know anyone who really uses Google Docs, and the G1 hasn't thrown off the shelves. While brand recognition obviously helps, it doesn't instantly sell a product.

Yes I understand where you are coming from, I think a lot of the bigger Linux distros do have plenty of development budget available to them, the likes of big players Sun, IBM, Red Hat to name a few regularly invest a lot of money in these.I dont think Google will take such a step lightly

The difficulty lies in firstly persuading people to venture onto another platform out of their normal comfort zone perhaps to try out an alternative. The major factors in driving this change will be ease of installation which lets face it Linux is somewhat lagging behind Windows in terms of ease of installation for the average non techie, Google will try to make this as painless/automatic as possible (a bit like windows handholds the user).
The second factor towards leading this change will be governed by whether or not people will be able to easily and use documents they have amassed over the years. for example will I be able to use my word docs,excel type spreadshets etc without too much hassle. This is perhaps where Google will invest much of their efforts to get this aspect right.

Your argument for offering Linux Vs Xp for the netbooks is also perfectly valid, but in the future, if a net book is being offered with either windows or Google Chrome OS with similar functionality, the only diff being that XP perhaps would cost you $50 whereas Google would be free to own, that may influence the take up also.

We are in for interesting developments in the coming weeks/months, I hear on the grape vine that Google was due to announce this next month but instead decided to bring this back as MS is due to announce some changes in direction for Office next week I believe(probably on line capability).

While many people perhaps think Google OS will not be a windows killer, Google have this uncanny habit of launching these things to market without much fanfare (compared to MS) and the slowly quitely start to take over that market.

 

[Casio]

Yes I understand where you are coming from, I think a lot of the bigger Linux distros do have plenty of development budget available to them, the likes of big players Sun, IBM, Red Hat to name a few regularly invest a lot of money in these.I dont think Google will take such a step lightly

Yes I agree, but none are a super big player in the consumer market scheme, and the moment, say Ubuntu, starts to gain a marketshare or sells its product Microsoft will have 4,000 lawyers at its door for patent infringements.

The second factor towards leading this change will be governed by whether or not people will be able to easily and use documents they have amassed over the years. for example will I be able to use my word docs,excel type spreadshets etc without too much hassle. This is perhaps where Google will invest much of their efforts to get this aspect right.

Which leads to...

Your argument for offering Linux Vs Xp for the netbooks is also perfectly valid, but in the future, if a net book is being offered with either windows or Google Chrome OS with similar functionality, the only diff being that XP perhaps would cost you $50 whereas Google would be free to own, that may influence the take up also.

...that. One of the key reasons for consumers not changing to a Linux platform is backwards compatibility. No one is going to buy an OS where they have to repurchase all their programs or find freeware versions of them. The functionality between Ubuntu and Windows is probably close to the same for the average user, but no one still buys it on HP netbooks.

Also from a software development point of view, having to design and develop for two (or more) operating systems is not going to be feasible for a lot of companies, even now with OSX and MS, the amount of Software and Support for Windows (Especially at an Enterprise level) in comparison to OSX is ridiculous. Even fewer have Linux versions, and those that do have Linux versions generally suck because why bother trying to optimise software for an OS with 0.5% marketshare (Such as Maya).

While many people perhaps think Google OS will not be a windows killer, Google have this uncanny habit of launching these things to market without much fanfare (compared to MS) and the slowly quitely start to take over that market.

Windows is a completely different kettle of fish to Search Algorithms. Why it is good and enlightening to see Google bring so competition to the OS market, I don't believe they will be successful in the end. Free and Open Source is not always better in the Real World.