Comments on: Google Chrome OS – 12 winners and losers

By: James Pearce

James Pearce — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:18:30 +0000

I think the point of the Chrome OS is that it isn’t really an OS.
Presumably I could synthesise it with full-screen web browser & links to Google applications.
(Or by having a bunch of Fluid SSBs for each Google app – wait! I do this on my Mac today).
Underneath? A commodity layer of software (aka Linux) to make the hardware tick over.
The OS becomes the BIOS, the browser becomes the OS.
As for Microsoft being on the defensive? I’m sure the press like a fight.
But check out their research announcement from the day *before* Chrome OS: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10280270-56.html – and also think back to IE4′s ‘Active Desktop’ in the late 1990s.
Mix in some anti-trust and you have a glimpse of what Google might have ahead of them. I expect they plan to use open-source will be their get-out-of-jail card.
Like ‘fake Steve’, I note that Google’s obsession with Microsoft is become a little eccentric.
Mandatory reading: http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2009/07/lets-all-take-deep-breath-and-get-some.html

By: Ajit Jaokar

Ajit Jaokar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:54:25 +0000

Good point Michael. Antivirus is also free from microsoft http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8095932.stm and overall thats a good thing(with both google and msft giving free antivirus)

By: Michael Mulquin

Michael Mulquin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:27:34 +0000

Other big losers should be the anti-virus anti-malware and security vendors. Unlike Microsoft, Google have explicitly said that “We are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work,” said Pichai.

By: Ajit Jaokar

Ajit Jaokar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:16:25 +0000

thanks Saar. I have modified the post. Happy to go on record to say that Azure will have a much bigger impact than Google Chrome OS. Probably a seperate blog kind rgds Ajit

By: saar

saar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:47:05 +0000

It’s funny that through all of the google hype, I haven’t heard even one mention of Microsoft Azure.
I’d expect more comparisons.

By: VoteTheDay

VoteTheDay — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:37:20 +0000

We invite everybody to speculate on the outcome of the battle 'Google Chrome OS-Windows'. Is Google going to knock Microsoft down? Or Windows will never be defeated as the most popular OS? Tell us - http://www.votetheday.com/software/google-chrome-os-kills-windows-431/

By: Ajit Jaokar

Ajit Jaokar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:47:11 +0000

Re
>>
- Opera can file an antitrust suit against Google just like Netscape did on Microsoft a decade ago, ie, product bundling of OS and browser
<<<
ha ha! but seriourly both the browser and the OS are becoming increasingly irrelevent and the cloud is becoming more relevent which does not depend as much on the browser / OS – with the exception that the cloud may need a client. Increasinly I see Chrome(which is a mix of browser and OS) to be a client for the cloud(and there wil be other clients) rgds Ajit

By: Ajit Jaokar

Ajit Jaokar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:44:11 +0000

Re
>>
so GOOD NEWS for LINUX, we gonna win this war, hahaha xD
<<
Not so fast what I meant is we saw the same impact on mobile. OS (linux) becomes less relevent with Android(the whole stack). Yes, shipments may increase but relevence definately decreases rgds Ajit

By: KyRuX

KyRuX — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:22:50 +0000

WOW! looks like Google is entering in the war of Operating Systems… But on Linux side, because ChromeOS is Linux-based (like Android), so GOOD NEWS for LINUX, we gonna win this war, hahaha xD
“Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel”
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html

By: Don

Don — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:53:59 +0000

Some observations:
- Chrome OS uses Linux under the covers.
- Opera can file an antitrust suit against Google just like Netscape did on Microsoft a decade ago, ie, product bundling of OS and browser