Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Computers running the Windows Vista operating system in China. A year and half from now, you may see a new choice in the computer aisle of your local electronics store: little laptops, or netbooks, with an operating system made by Google instead of Microsoft. Google just announced that it will make a personal computer operating system, to be called Chrome OS, based on the Linux operating system. (It is separate from the company’s Android cellphone operating system, which also can work on netbooks.)
The main advantage of Chrome OS is that it is free. Microsoft’s Windows 7 is reported to cost netbook makers at least $45 per computer. Even if Microsoft is forced to cut the price to the $25 level that it has been charging netbook makers for its ancient Windows XP system, a Chrome netbook may well be in stores for $30 to $50 less than an equivalent Windows machine.
Google also says that Chrome will be faster to start, easier to use and more secure than Windows. We’ll have to see about that. So far the other versions of Linux sold on netbooks have confounded users, who have largely rejected them in favor of Windows machines.
Chrome OS will be optimized for one thing: accessing the Web. But in Google’s view of the world, anything you would ever want to do — reading your e-mail, writing documents, playing games — can be done through browsers. The latest browser standard, HTML 5, has technology that allows Web sites to store information on your computer, so you can keep writing your novel even when you are on the airplane. The premise is that in a world where computers are connected to the Internet almost all the time, your computer doesn’t need to do that much.
This is how Google describes the experience it is trying to create:
People want to get to their e-mail instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files. Even more importantly, they don’t want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates.
There is a tiny little downside here: no local software. Browsers don’t yet do everything, and there are two decades of Windows applications that have been written, performing functions that can’t yet be replicated in a browser. If you want to load music onto your iPod, for example, you need a computer that runs iTunes. Web sites often require programs to run alongside the browser, like Adobe’s Acrobat viewer. Even Google writes Windows programs for its Picasa photo editing product and Google Earth 3-D mapping system.
But over time, more and more functions can be moved onto Web sites.
What do you think? Would you buy a Web-oriented computer with a Google operating system? Or is there something special about Windows and its applications for which you’d be willing to pay an extra $50?
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From 1 to 25 of 187 Comments
Wow - more delicious user data for Google. I’d love to see the privacy policy for this thing.
— JohnYes. I look forward to buying an inexpensive Web-oriented computer and would skip paying $50 in Microsoft tax without looking back once.
— EthanLOL!
Why should I “stick with Windows” when I already use Linux?
Even my mom uses Linux! She switched to it when her Windows box got a virus. Sound familiar?
Linux — especially Ubuntu — is dead easy. In fact, the OpenOffice user interface is a lot more like the good old MS Office interface you are used to than the new “improved” office that comes with Vista! In fact, the file formats are even more compatible!
I just don’t see why Google’s decision to slap a copy of their browser in a hacked ‘nix distro is considered “developing an operating system.” And why even speculate about this vaporware when you can download Ubuntu today?
http://www.ubuntu.com/
And no, you won’t lose any files. Sheesh.
— cfWould Google have the right to view and archive everything we ever do on a computer running Chrome OS?
— SensiblePardon me for being suspicious, but “free” usually isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Seeing as how Google makes all of its money through ads, I’d be worried that Google’s OS would be watching my net behavior and sending me ads throughout my use of it. Also, Google has gotten in trouble before for it’s not so subtle recording of people’s search habits, etc.
Why use a flavor of Linux made by a corporate giant (I’ve heard Chrome is based on Linux) when you could just as easily get the free, non-commercial-interest Linux online tailored to your needs, as well as OpenOffice? I would actually even be willing to put WinXP and a paid version of MS Office on a netbook rather than risk the ad intrusion or giving Google the ability to store and watch my documents.
Sorry Google, “Don’t be evil” as a motto hasn’t been convincing so far.
— Tomi’ll let you know if I miss Windows when I switch to Mac in a few months. While I like aspects of cloud computing, I do also like local software and would rather exploit the computing power of the computer I’m using, rather than the servers the cloud is connected to. I think there is a place for Chrome OS, but I don’t think it’s on the computers of power users.
— NYFMDocHow great is living in the cloud if you don’t have internet access all the time? Do you lose access to all your work? For a highly portable device, that seems relevant.
Do you want Google to have access to all of your files?
Will Google ever allow adblocking plug-ins such as those that already exist for Firefox? Given that Google makes its money from Gmail and Google Apps (and presumably the OS as well if it will be free) by serving ads?
I can’t see ever wanting to move to a 100% Google environment.
— JDYes I would use a Linux/Google OS. I’m using Linux right now and it’s amazing how much faster it is than Win7 or Vista. There are only two programs I now use that are not online. But the vast majority of my computing time is spent accessing and sharing data and information via the web using my browser. Microsoft will never match that, nor will they be able to.
— zaine_ridling“no local software”
Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? I use several pieces of software at home (and several others at work) that were written for Windows-only platforms. And these are software that simply don’t have web-based equivalents.
So, unless the Google Chrome OS can efifciently emulate a Windows box — and run my other software — then, no I won’t be buying a computer that only runs only Google Chrome.
— KurtI don’t frequent this site too often so please correct me if I’m wrong. You don’t know that much about Linux and Open Source do you Saul? There is a wealth of applications, utilities and libraries in place for Linux right now. Microsoft is trying to fight software freedom with marketing muscle and vendor lock-in. They are doing a good job too. But Microsoft is hurting and if you look around there’s no one but Google. Who then, is giving Steve Ballmer a chronic case of heart burn? Microsoft is the biggest software company on the Planet. Could it be that a bunch of scruffy disorganized hackers are shaking the software giant? I’m glad I’m not an investor because you would have to do a lot of research to find the truth and then you’d have to let go of some cherished beliefs to see it.
— Richard ChapmanOne word…
GAMES
How are you going to run full fledged DX10 games on a friggin browser ?, “Computers dont do that much”.. Are you kidding me? What about graphic design software, you need some serious power to accomplish this feat. 3D design and video editing ? in a browser ?….
I think this is for a human that just surfs… not some one that is going to do some serious work.
— R3KRNo.
— Kirk P.This idea of creating a true cloud based computing device is not new, Sun predicted it more than a decade ago. It’s great that we are now at a stage where this stuff can actually become acceptable to some consumers at least. Microsoft is in deep trouble. Not because the Google OS is going to replace Windows in the near future, rather it’s another indication that they will not be able to maintain the status quo for much longer. A company that is no longer innovating or changing the rules eventually dies .
— samPeople keep forgetting the HTML 5 is not a standard. It’s an upcoming standard… possibly more than a year away. So, until it’s a standard… it’s not a standard. It can’t be that hard to keep the two apart, can it? Unless “latest” means “sometime in the future.”
— JakobI wouldn’t miss Google…..
— JohnShort answer: No.
Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooo!
I was hoping for Android to do this sort of thing, but it seems they are designing Chrome OS to be a bit more useful for the netbook and PC market. Also, being a dedicated OS, it is likely they will have support for non-Cloud systems as well. A local program like iTunes, or Adobe but used to supplement the vast majority of applications running in the cloud.
Very cool indeed.
— JSDFor all of those making arguments that this development portends severe privacy issues with Google, I want to make two points:
1. It’s open source. The code is readily available to scrutinize for privacy issues, and even if end users wouldn’t be inclined or able to do this, you can bet that privacy advocates will be studying it closely. Google’s not going to do anything crazy.
2. This doesn’t only work with Google’s web apps. This is for the entire web, even the parts that Google doesn’t control. The OS will simply be providing access to the great web.
This reminds me of the way in which Google introduced Wave. The idea is that even though they cooked it up in-house, they’re releasing all of the code and protocols to the public. It’s not like all of the data goes through Google’s servers (which would be privacy concern). Rather, it’s a framework that anticipates the logical progression of consumer computer use.
Of course Google will benefit, but this doesn’t mean that they’re the only beneficiaries. The overall support for HTML 5 protocol is a step in the right direction for virtually everybody, and while there are a few holdouts (Microsoft being the main one), this is a step that should be applauded. At the very least, it provides some additional competition, so even if you’re uncomfortable with the concept, you can look forward to other companies improving their own products in response.
— JonathanI initially liked the idea.
But then i looked at my iPhone and realized for as simple as the hardware is, it still has an OS that runs Apps without a browser, and it’s snappy.
I think there needs to be some ability to load software without a browser. If not, then there needs to be a way to load software into the cloud so i can continue to use my applications from the internet.
Good Luck Chrome. I am glad to see companies eating away at the Microsoft monster, it should make everything more competitive and better quality.
— ASThe reason the Linux machines haven’t done better against the Windows machines is that most people who buy Windows machines think they need Windows and are ignorant of the fact that they don’t.
— TribrixI’ll use it for a netbook kind of thing if it’s faster, of course free and can disable ads, pop ups etc that you can currently do by windows. And any tracking / privacy etc would be optional, up front.
— RajeevWhile it’s great that another competitor has come to the market, Google’s cloud competing will still have a lot of catching up to do. Many will not abandon native desktop apps for the ease of the web based apps.
Of course Google has the advantage since most of their products are used by the masses. Think about all the user data they get to have now that you’re using their operating system. Their “free” service is never really free. This just gives them inside information into the lives of their users for better ad marketing. That’s what they are, why should we believe they’re anything but that?
— KashHere’s my concern,
— RenoPeople have been scrutinizing MS for so long their privacy policy is actually quite good. Google will make an OS that is Dependent on the web, where it will then proceed to watch and monitor every keystroke. If big brother were to take over, Google would be his shoes. I stumbled on the Google history settings in my browser after I installed Google side bar and found all my web history, web search history, recent documents and an index of virtually every file on my PC. Imagine what would happen if Google actually runs the OS. It would probably become the required OS in China.
Pew pew pew! Pow! Pow! Glug glug glug.
That’s the sound of Microsoft’s battleship sinking!
Google is the master of making software that “just works!”
I’m ready for Chrome OS! Bye bye Windows!
— CharlesI’m pretty happy with XP. It’s a lot better than was the ENIAC machine language, and it’s all built-in. Maybe Win 7 will be faster, but I’m not sure that I would pay anything more for another OS and the attendant inconvenience. Leave the new systems to the kids.
— Joseph ConleyFantastic. Windows was a concoction by MS to milk every last dollar from consumers.
To be frank, a computer does not need OS, its the applications that matter. Similar to electricity, we don’t care about the wires that the electric company runs through the neighborhoods - we just need the power.
Thank god for Google, we can finally run away from evil MS empire. There will be rampant growth in new software technologies, new ways of communicating and connecting with others in the world.
Google can probably introduce their OS in about six months, but it is waiting for some ground rules to get established, get the idea of software delivery implanted in people’s heads and ofcourse get all the broadband needed for the OS to work flawlessly.
I for one can’t wait.
— SB