- November 17, 2009
- Posted by: admin
- Categories: Blog, Search Engines
Nov -13 2009 – TechCrunch says Google’s Chrome OS will be available for download within a week (2 to 3 days from now). Targeting netbooks and cloud computing, this BETA version will probably be a bit weak on the ‘drivers’ side, as anticipated. A substitute for windows, one that’s for real (and free), is quite hard to find.
This is probably the biggest development in the software industry since the face-off between Mac OS and Windows, in the early 90’s. How do you see it impacting Windows 7 and the future of OS development. Will Google triumph yet again, or will Microsoft hold onto its territory.
Most importantly, will you give Chrome OS a go on your laptop/netbook? Do give a Yes/No, on every reply. Will give a vote summary at the end of the discussion.
z
44 Comments
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yes i will
having watched the match between mac os and windows, i can definitely tell you that microsoft will soon copy all the features (minus the reliability and security) and overload the populace with variants and security updates. and anyways, since it has the biggest user base of all, it will eventually lamely walk into the sunset!
no i wont, i am already very happy with my safari
My experience of the Android says, “No”. or at least, “Not yet”.
I like the Android, many of its features are really exciting and cutting edge. It’s the common sense things that the Google team does not get. There is a sense of arrogance, “The smartest people in the room.” that Googles internal culture must adjust to become successful. Some of the omissions in the Android demonstrate a kind of Vulcan mentality, people who just don’t understand the real world.
So, will they learn? Are they so passionate about showing new things that they cannot be students of the human condition? That’s the risk for Google. At the same time, Apple and Microsoft are masters at integrating what people do and need with new technology. Google needs to learn this. They demonstrate utter ignorance of it so far.
I’m sure Chrome will be as much fun as the Droid but I’m equally sure the omissions will be just as shocking. Can they be real world and other world effectively? Not yet clear.
Another thing that Google has zero experience with is supporting different hardware and drivers. The lack of common sense that I spoke of may become a real hinderance to them. Their entire corporate culture is in a cloud and server environment where app changes are ongoing and often unannounced. They have descended to the client side … there is no reason to believe that they will succeed based on the very nature of the google firm itself.
Tame the hyperbole Chrome OS is just another linux distro will definitly have a look.
Its a pity Google could have devloped a new OS both Beo’s and Amigaos are avaible as starting of points – and Google could buy both of thease for the small change down the back of the couch.
I am still busy to evaluate OpenSolaris 5.11. So far, I really appreciate the effort of the Sun developpers community to combine the outstanding quality of Solaris with the Intel platforms. So my answer is not now, maybe later …
Google always surprise me, so I wont leave the chance.I will defenitely give a chance for Google chrome OS
That’s a great question… and until we see the actual software, the only realistic answer is… it depends… 🙂
A few years ago, everyone touted Linux as the “windows killer” but we have not seen many large organizations willing to shift away from Windows. Every time a new version of Mac O/S comes out, the die-hard Mac fans say “THIS is the one to do in Microsoft!” yet still the average business user and most home users still are on XP, or Vista with a strong market upswing in Windows 7.
So far the reports on Windows 7 are generally very favorable with a number of Vista users happy with their decision to switch.
Google has a great search engine no doubt, but a lot of people are not happy with their autonomous email data mining policies so there will be some lingering reservations to adopt a Google operating system unless it’s perfectly secure. I can just see the look on the face of corporate IT security when the first Chrome advocate suggests that all the companies documents will be stored “in the cloud” at Google!
Then there is the issue of all the existing software people have invested in already and whether Chrome OS will run them without issues and the cost of migration.
The real cost of running a computer is not the O/S it’s the migration of users – retraining of existing processes and technical skill sets. Companies have big investments in existing systems and technical resources. The challenge of retraining thousands of people from the average user to the technical support staff will far outweigh the cost of the operating system for most companies.
My opinion is that Google will have to deliver a far superior product than the existing Windows 7 release to make people want to switch.
Will I give it a spin? Sure, if only to see what all the hype is about.
PS – CNET poll results:
What was your first reaction to Google Chrome OS?
Meh. I’m happy with Mac OS. 27.7%
Google is the new Microsoft. 22.5%
Linux under the hood. Hurrah! 21.5%
I’ll be all Google all the time. 15.2%
Microsoft is toast. 13.0%
Funny, but no answer to choose “I think Microsoft is great! I’ll never switch!” 🙂
Links:
* http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10281744-2.html
I use Chrome.
In the area of OS and apps, I don’t change unless I need to do so. Even though I am in IT for over three decades (or maybe because of it), I am more inclined to focus on the task rather than the tools.
No I will not do that at first… I will wait and see feedbacks from other users then depending on that I can decide..
Windows is the Giant, and it will continue as number one…That’s my opinion..
Make Ur Day A Gooood Oneeee
F.A.A.
Still windows is too big for any door in the world.
Let’s hope it could be ‘curtains’ for Windows.
I don’t think Microsoft has much to worry about in the enterprise space. Companies who use Windows will continue to. People will stay with what is familiar to them. That said, I drank the Google Kool-Aid a long time ago. I will definitely be trying this out on my netbook! I’m pretty excited about it. I try not to get too excited, though, we’ve all been promised awesome *nix based distros in the past for desktop users.
No.
I am not saying that Google is not a great company, although some may argue there as well because I am starting to hear more and more folks talking about Google like Microsoft and Apple (ie: getting too big for their own britches, etc…) but I am a firm believe that a company needs to understand their core competencies and stick to them.
Apple I think has a core of usability and understanding the hardware market from a consumer standpoint.
IBM has the same core competency from a business mindset, although they did admittedly have some stumbling blocks in the early days (anyone remember Micro-channel? 🙂 )
Microsoft I think has some great stuff that crosses both the business and consumer spaces, but really needs to get their head out of the clouds with regards to hardware. Give it up. They are software, stick to it.
Google is SEARCH.
Sure they have some cool ideas about what apps can do, where they can be housed, and I have to admit that their mobile mindset is a bit compelling since they are so ubiquitous lately, but Google is, and always will be about SEARCH. And to be painfully honest they have not hit the ball completely out of the park there yet either. Yes, they are good, probably the best right now, but that does not mean that they are perfect. I think their recent concentration on other areas could potentially pry their minds away from what should be their major area of focus, data aggregation. That is after all what search is about right? There is nothing quite as powerful as the ability to be told ‘hey, you found stuff you were looking for, but I bet THIS will also help’.
I already own computers with an OS, and unless the OS I get is full featured without having to install a bunch of do-dads, recompiling a kernel every time I want to add a new feature to it, or living with it as it gets better over the years (I have already done this with Windows, and I feel it has paid off), then quite frankly the wait for the next OS is a waste of my time, and I consider myself a techno-geek that is WILLING to take on the task. Just imagine the ‘normal’ consumer user that just wants to get stuff done.
In the grand scheme of things how many OS alternatives do we really need anyway? Is the consumer space not already cluttered with far too many options as it is? Heck, most users don’t even understand the concept of an OS anyway. Ask most people if they realize that their cable box, or their TV, or their cell phone has an operating system and they will just look at you funny. Not because they know the answer, but because they don’t understand the question. And as a true consumer, do you really need to? Do you, or rather SHOULD you, really care?
The OS wars need to end. It is time to move on and start concentrating on what matters. Value of the services delivered BY the devices that we spend our money on. In the grand scheme of things I personally think that it should be illegal to charge for the OS anyway. The hardware is NOTHING without it, and if you are going to be a company like Apple that sells both then you should not be able to charge for both when one is useless without the other. It would be like Chrysler being able to sell you the car and then charge you an extra fee to get an engine to be able to drive it off the lot. Yes, I know, they do kind of do that already, but I think you get the point. I think that Microsoft can sell the OS because it’s what they make, and in fact they have been told in the past that they could NOT sell hardware because of anti-trust issues. How does Apple get to do it? Why should Google get to do it?
OK, rambling a bit here 🙂 I will shut up now and read some of the great responses I am expecting to see here.
Not immediately. Companies have too much invested in Windows. And Windows 7 is getting good reviews. But it hard to argue with free. Google constantly surprises. I hope that it is rock solid. So tired of poor quality of Microsoft products.
No. Don’t have confidence in Chrome OS yet.
Since Google’s Chrome OS is based on Linux, I doubt it will appeal to many of the non-technical consumer community.
But with it being free, families having members who understand Linux might foster some additional adoption.
I have Windows 7 on my laptop, and I won’t be putting Chrome OS on it, unless it runs as a virtual machine. On my home desktop, I have four bootable partitions. On that machine, I am running Windows Server 2003, Vista Ultimate and Windows 7 Ultimate RC. The open slot is reserved for Windows Server 2008.
This because I am now a Windows/.NET software developer, and I no longer develop software in the Java, C or C++ languages. When I did Java development, I did have a PC with Red Hat 9 and later Fedora Core 2 on it.
For me, the operating system must support the software that I will be developing with.
There are those will who will like the “free” aspect. There are many more who will want “user friendly”, and for them, that means Windows.
Hi,
I will test waters with Chrome.
Will not use it in near future.
regards
vinodhsen
Geoff Feldman has saved me a lot of typing, I agree with this post entirely.
The problem with Google does seem to be Google. It has been the ‘cool kid’ for some time now, they do however seem to struggle in committing to anything. Recently trying Google Apps (again) and Wave (another beta) I get the sense that I’m experiencing someone else’s technical excersise rather than experiencing using a product I prefer.
How would people react if Microsoft had released Office 2007 as ‘beta’ and / or ‘invitation only’? What if Microsoft essentially created another distro of Linux claiming it to be a new operating system?
In the home space Apple has a big opportunity to attract new users and if it wasn’t for the premium price tags it would probably be set to dominate. For business if the numerous Linux distros can’t unseat Microsoft I doubt Google will manage it – too much like hard work.
Many are expecting Chrome OS to dominate the netbook market, however I doubt this will really happen. The netbooks on the market now are essentially mini-PCs rather than just internet browsers so compatibility with software and hardware is key. I don’t think people would save £30 in return for something likely half-finished and more hype than substance?
Enough of my ranting…
Kind regards,
Ed
No, MS is far too entrenched. It is probably Linux, with a Shell on top of it, just like Mac O/S is, and that OS has less market share than Novell SUSE Linux, and soon OpenSolaris, now that the world’s best O/S is Free. Walls.
Links:
* http://www.mindtaffy.com
* http://www.JavaFX3D.com
* http://www.WallaceJackson.com
I’ve used gOS and liked it for its simplicity and small footprint. I use Goggle’s Chrome browser exclusively myself and believe the OS will have an impact but only in the Netbook area. Broader acceptance will depend on how many businesses can utilize and are willing to adopt a tiered OS deployment (some Google OS and some Windows 7 users) and how many standard applications are compatible between Windows 7 and Google’s OS.
Jeff
You mean Windoze. I’m still waiting and it’s been a couple of decades.
I like Google hate MS. Oh-and Firefox rules. Nuff said?
Microsoft isn’t going the way of the dinosaur, because they invest a lot of time and $ product research and development, including feedback from Technology professionals. And like a marriage full of ups and downs, it works.
Lot of “Latest and Greatest, act now and get a set of Ginsu Knives!” trends out there, and in my 20 years in the industry, I’m guilty of touting one or two and having it smack me in the face,
I hardly doubt that a mfr with almost 30 years in the industry and time invested is going away.
I’ll have to check on the requirements and implications of installing it.
But if it works, Yes – Definitely Maybe
Since I prefer Google and Google Chrome now I would surely give the OS a shot. There might be teething issues but I personally believe that Google understands customer need much better than its competition and it wont be hard for them to overcome initial hurdles and introduce a user friendly OS. Not that Im having issues with Windows, but sometimes you dont know what you’ve been missing until you have it 🙂
Probably …or Be Thrown out of the Window….
If a free Chrome OS gains traction, it will act as a proof of concept for a free operating system, leading people to explore the more robust ones like Kubuntu… Microsoft will prove hard to dislodge in the long run however, as corporate customers like to have paid a vendor they can hold accountable.
I second rajesh natarajan’s comment. I will not install it.
No. I’ll wait for version 2.0 or 3.0…
It all comes down to utility. May the best OS win. I don’t much care which is. If I were a gambling man, which I am, I’d put my foreign coin collection on Google.
As much as it pains me to say it, I don’t think Windows will go “the way of the dodo” any time soon. I think Microsoft’s market share is such that it would take a perfect storm of events to decisively knock them off of their perch in the desktop arena especially.There is still way too much vendor lock-in there.
I believe there will continue to be gradual erosion of market share as we have seen now for the last 10 years or so, but I cannot imagine a situation or product that would deliver the knockout blow to Microsoft overall. I think the speed at which this happens will depend greatly on Microsoft’s ability to quickly emulate innovations of their competition. If nothing else, Microsoft has proven quite resourceful in this regard throughout their history.
Can’t see myself using it, even on a netbook for several years yet.
I run a lot of events where I need to work without internet and run full-screen Powerpoint presentations. I can’t see Chrome OS doing either very easily.
They are right with the direction, but wrong with the timing. The technology (internet speed and availability) won’t be available for at least 10 years (and that’s in the UK, let alone the rest of the world).
Surprisingly, the people Chrome OS will help the most is Microsoft. MS now have a list/roadmap of features they should be integrating into Windows in the next 10 years, and an idea about what the competition will be like. If they fail completely to see that, Windows will die an ugly death, but they should be fine.
Yes, to a certain extent Google will triumph. Microsoft has nowhere to go but down, and Windows 7, after the Vista debacle, will not restore the ubiquitous acceptance of Windows. However, this is the wrong question because this is not a zero-sum game between Google and Microsoft. Chrome can’t compete for design or usability with MacOS; just compare the inferior Droid with the iPhone. Droid does…NOT!!!
Google’s ultimate goal of cloud computing, software as a web-empowered service, and dominance in all sorts of web appliances will not be realized. Apple is already having the last laugh as the most profitable company in the IT world, and soon the consumer electronics, wireless communications, and downloadable media worlds. Apple will eventually gain the market share that goes along with its customer satisfaction and design excellence–and not only in the consumer or creative communities, but eventually throughout government and industry, too. MS is doomed to future irrelevance, but Google can’t possibly live up to its expectations or justify its share price or capitalization over time, either.
I was excited about the Chrome browser, used it for a couple of weeks, found some weirdnesses and now it is just a curiosity. It will probably improve over time.
As a full OS, Chrome will appeal to techno geeks. Windows is the default OEM OS on most computers, the standard for most businesses. If Linux and Mac OS have not unseated Windows, neither will Chrome OS. It will affect the distribution of users somewhat, as I said, most likely appealing to techno geeks who actually know what an OS does and know how to install one. Even if Google markets it with maximum appeal, most users will be wary of something that completely changes their experience, even if it is for the better.
We can’t even get rid of IE6 – so how can you imagine people leaving Windows altogether?
My vote: NO
We all need to think a little ahead & how technology is involving. Most of the OS Vendors have failed to do so. Don’t you think more & more of your business critical applications can now be accessed over the internet. Think again even spreadsheet, word process, presentations, etc. are available through the browser.
Are business interested in the fancy thing available in the OS over the cost of upgrade?
Most of the business are feed-up with the upgrade business & would love to stick to the same hardware for a longer period.
Google Chrome OS being lighter OS that can run on all the PC types will complement Google Chrome browser.
The same news about usage was in the air when LINUX launched. I am sure people in IT would be able to provide in % the usage of LINUX servers in their Data centers.
Have all my data “in the cloud” and rely on a permanent internet connection to access it? I think not.
I think so. Google has been making very reliable software for quite a long time now. Every program I’ve used from them has been seamless in it’s execution and almost bug-free. If they bring that trademarked Google simplicity and compatibility to the OS market I think Microsoft will find itself fighting for it’s life. Then again it was Google plan all along to take Microsoft on directly and dominate them. The time of Microsoft’s death started with Windows Vista, and Windows 7 is only prolonging it’s life. Google will eventually assimilate all of Microsoft’s features with few, perhaps none, of it’s pitfalls.
But why is this? Google, as a company, is sustainable. Microsoft is only sustainable as long as it’s products are being sold. Google, on the other hand, is a sustainable as long as it exists. If people want information, Google is in business. According to a presentation I saw in Speech class last monday, a “Did You Know?” presentation, 4 BILLION GIGABYTES of information will be created in 2009. And Google is the doorway to about 80% of that information. The sheer amount of resources Google has over Microsoft is a clear indication that Google will sooner or later take over Microsoft. And honestly, a company with the motto “Don’t be evil” taking over the market like that doesn’t really scare me.
Am I planning to run Chrome instead of/in addition to WinXP and Ubuntu? No, not in the foreseeable future.
So long as MS can get away with its illegal monopolistic practices, such as strong-arming PC manufacturers to pre-install Windows, it will continue to dominate the market. If everyone /had/ to buy a bare box and choose an OS to go on it, non-Windows OSs would have a chance. But almost every PC comes with Windows, and until MS falls so far behind (unlikely) that the pain of staying with Windows outweighs the pain of installing and learning a new OS (even if it /is/ free), I don’t see the average PC user switching. Techies and bleeding-edge enthusiasts will always be ready to jump, but not businesses and your average home user. MS has nothing to fear, unless the courts break them up and force them to compete on a level playing field. And that’s not going to happen.
Interesting to see that Google now inspires the same type of Love/Hate opinions that distinguishes both Apple and Microsoft. Or, saying that Google is just Search, so forget-about-it, is really missing the point. If you didn’t notice that Android proved to be a highly disruptive technology, be sure to read those EOY wrapups. Chrome OS is clearly another disruption bet, one that forces an imbalance on the Client-server equation. It is not intended to compete against or replace Windows or Apple–unless you are a manufacturer designing the next wave of ultra-hip devices beyond netbooks. You might even consider it as a DISTRACTION as the real contender, Android, moves into the embedded OS market.
I think an all web based OS is a very bad idea for users. Here are some quick points that IMO people should think about before they go all nutty about the cloud. Why I will NEVER buy an all web based OS unless forced:
1. You never own your software. While Google may be benevolent in giving things for free very few companies can or will do that. Are you willing to rely on the benevolence of software companies to give you free stuff. Since we live in a capitalistic economy that is a fool’s bet even on Google. Should they ever hit hard times, where do you think they go first?
2. RENTING your software. Right now, most of my apps are under $100 except for Adobe. My Homesite I have owned for over 6 years at a cost of $69. If we moved to all cloud apps, then even at an iPhone rate of $4.99 a month I would have paid over $430 for the same product & then would continue paying FOREVER or as long as I use it.
3. No more using legacy apps you love. Right now Adobe has discontinued my favorite code editor “Homesite” in an effort to force people to the more expensive “Dreamweaver”. I will never use Dreamweaver so found a cheap app that Homesite’s creator developed for my laptop. However, I have no need to stop using it on my PC. Should we all live in the cloud when support dies, so does your app.
4. Freelancing & small businesses & cash flow issues. What about you? What happens when you don’t have the money for your cloud payments? Right now, you OWN the app not RENT it, so you can use those to continue to make money. What if you can’t? Right now all my cloud apps would be turned off if I could not pay. Do you want to rely that you will never have a time in life where you have to make the decision on whether to keep your apps? An all cloud system will be like cable. You will have to pay for it & at times decide what you can pay for.
5. Loss of control of your own computer. You can no longer DOWNLOAD anything on Google Chrome OS. If all systems went this way what would happen we would all be..>
6. Slaves to the whims of corporate America. A computer that is a slave to the web is a slave to the companies that run the cloud apps. So now you are at the mercy of the companies instead of the other way around. Right now, if I don’t like what a company did, I get something else ie Homesite. I will NEVER buy Dreamweaver on principal now. In the cloud, I may not have that choice.
7. Security. Everything you create, own, develop, store will be on a server somewhere. Everyone in IT knows the only safe computer is one not connected to the net. Since the FBI, World Bank, NSA, CIA & yes, even Google have been hacked so you really want your whole life auto stored on someone else’s servers? I want to control where my data goes.
8. Limited functionality. Anything in the cloud has stripped down functionality. Just look at Twitter apps. I do not like running most things through a browser. I like apps. They work better. They are more functional. I do not have to worry about slow speeds & web inaccessibility.
9. Limited Apps. If you buy Google ChromeOS you will have to have ALL WEB BASED APPS. You cannot download ANYTHING. This means that you have only access to what Google creates or open source people create.
10. Open Source + Open Dev. Ever try to upgrade Joomla & find that all your cool modules are broken? Why is that? Because the person that developed them did not continue to do so. So all the shiny bells & whistles you put on your new “open source” “open dev” OS have no guarantee of working. Look at some of the largest projects like Firefox. It had a crashing issue for 3 YEARS! (still does, but less so)
OK so those are just some of the reasons to be very wary of an all web based OS. I am not against the cloud, but I am against it is the only option on the OS. As for will Windows go away? No I think that this is a prime opportunity to be the company of freedom & flexibility.
Thanks for listening!
Links:
http://www.standardsgirl.com
http://searchengineland.com/liveblogging-the-google-chrome-os-press-conference-30156
First let me set the stage…
I am not a typical user, and as a software developer I have the chance to sample most every flavor of OS on the market.
I think that Vista was just a really bad idea from MS, and although windows 7 is an improvement, there are still a lot of issues to deal with.
Linux is a strong contender, not quite the MS killer that most linux users would like, but it definitely has a solid presence that is just not going away.
Mac has a solid platform and is my main choice for a development platform, but again it is not a MS killer.
Personally I think that if the linux users unite with users looking for a change then chrome can become a contender… The concept is valid but it remains to be seen if the implementation will follow…
All that said… I would at least try it, so “yes”…
~dave
My Dad said that Microsoft has enough money to not make another dime and still run for 20 years (well, actually, he said that about IBM 8 years or so ago, but if the shoe fits…). So no, Microsoft isn’t going anywhere for a long time. BUT…they are coming out with some great innovations (oh my…did I actually say that out *loud*?). Look at Project Natal and Milo….look at the touch screen displays they are working on. Look at the fact that they’ve opened up to Open Source over the last year.
As for Chrome…it’s a neat new idea to make the browser the primary interface. But, it’s brand new. So a bunch of programmers and tech geeks will load it up and try it out (including me at some point).
The inescapable fact is that most users will stick with what’s familiar. ie Windows. There is more software for Win, and users just don’t understand that they can change what comes with their computer. Computers are still a investment for many people and breaking such an expensive and essential tool just isn’t an option.
Google has lots of slick marketing on their side, so I expect they will get a lot further than most Linux distros do, but it’s going to be a long, potentially bumpy ride to get there. If Microsoft manages to actually innovate something very new in the meantime, Chrome is going to have a difficult time.
Yes!! I like an Operating System that will load in less than 10seconds. I’ll install Chrome OS on a netbook, laptop and desktop.
I think the fastest time I’ve seen a MS Windows OS was approximately 25seconds and that was using a Pentium 4 PC with MS Windows 95.