Google chrome OS

A look at some of Chrome OS's latest bits of polish

2010-06-25T09:54:00.001-07:00

The release of Chrome OS looms ever closer, but still there are a number of enhancements and changes being rolled in that should make for a somewhat nicer experience, and TechCrunch has highlighted a few. Perhaps most major among those changes is the ability to browse the internet without signing in, but if you want to update your bookmarks or save any form data you'll still need a Google account. There's a new side bar that appears to give access to other apps, replacing tabs on top, and it also adds in battery and WiFi strength indicators. There's also something of a debate going on regarding whether Chrome OS should have support for compressed archives (.zip and .rar files and the like). Right now the OS has no support for those files, which, as one contributor points out, is rather unfortunate given that Gmail itself generates zip files when you click "download all attachments." Let's hope someone at the Googs finds time to add that in so that future users aren't locked out of the joys of extraction.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/a-look-at-some-of-chrome-oss-latest-bits-of-polish/

Will Chrome OS Run Mac, Windows Apps ?

2010-06-22T02:35:00.000-07:00

We all recall Steve Ballmer’s famed ‘Monkeyboy’ chant as he ran round a stage yelling, “Developers, developers, developers,” and despite leaving himself open for a lifetime of ridicule with the move, he was right.

A platform is nothing without a strong developer community. And that’s why Google’s Chrome OS will let you run your old Windows and Mac desktop apps from your shiny new Chrome laptop, at least, that’s what people are saying…

These rumors began with The Register. That august journal first told us about a process called Chromoting, citing an email from Google software engineer Gary Kacmarcík.

In a posting on a third party Chrome OS-dedicated mailing list, the engineer promised that the new capability means “Chrome OS will not only be [a] great platform for running modern web apps, but will also enable you to access legacy PC applications right within the browser.”

The engineer described Chromoting as working a little like Remote Desktop Connection, a Microsoft solution which lets you access and use PCs remotely via the internet. He didn’t confirm any Mac support, but it is no great stretch to imagine Google may take such a step.

Why this makes absolute sense, of course, is that when the Chrome OS does eventually ship, even a company as big as Google won’t be able to deliver every application users need, nor will it be able to guarantee those applications it does provide will fully service user needs.

Google will also need time to build a developer community, though we can expect next year’s Google I/O event to be an even bigger party than it was this year.

So what’s a search engine giant gonna do when trying to get into an all-new market and blow apart the existing OS trifecta (Mac, Windows, Linux)?

Why, invent a way to run applications built on other operating systems, of course! After all, applications like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC have offered this sort of thing for years.

Chrome OS is essentially Google’s Chrome web browser running on top of a version of Linux. Applications are accessed from within the browser. The OS is expected to appear at the end of 2010, making its debut on netbooks.

What is interesting is the Google engineer’s use of the phrase “legacy PC applications” — especially in light of Apple CEO Steve Jobs recent comments that,

“The times they are a changing, and some traditional PC folks feel like their world is slipping away. It is.”

A move from traditional desktop computing toward a truly mobile solution makes a lot of sense — after all, this is what we’re seeing in the iPhone (now iOS) ecosystem…

Could Google’s new Chrome feature be part of this prevailing change?

http://www.techi.com/2010/06/will-google’s-chrome-os-run-mac-windows-apps-maybe/

Dell Is Working On Google Chrome OS

2010-06-22T02:32:00.000-07:00

A Dell executive all but came out today and confirmed that the company is in the process of developing netbooks based off Google’s cloud centric Chrome OS.

Dell’s president for Greater China and South Asia, Amit Midha spoke with Reuters and said:

“with Chrome or Android or anything like that we want to be one of the leaders.”

It’s safe to say that in order to be a leader you need to already be working with Google in the area of Chrome OS as various other companies are already doing.

Midha continued:

“There are going to be unique innovations coming up in the marketplace in two, three years, with a new form of computing,” adding “[and] we want to be on that forefront.”

With Dell already offering the Dell Mini 3 (AT&T Aero) with Google Android, it makes sense that they would take this next logical step.

The price for Google Chrome OS netbooks are expected to sit around $300 to $400 and release this fall, no word yet if Dell will be part of that initial launch, but I’m pointing to yes.

http://www.inquisitr.com/76499/dell-is-working-on-google-chrome-os-netbooks-almost-confirmed/

Google Chrome beta review

2010-01-17T04:13:00.001-08:00

Google Chrome beta review

by Richard Ibbotson

Google recently set loose a working version of its new Chrome operating system, due for public release in late 2010. Already there is much interest from a large crowd of international developers. Much is promised from Google, which feels sure that it has the right marketing strategy for its network-based operating system. We take a look at Chrome OS to find out what it offers…

What is Google Chrome? It’s really only a web browser that downloads web applications over the internet. Using Google Chrome you can connect to and use YouTube or an online email application. Google docs or similar online office suites can be accessed. Online calendars and photo albums can also be used. Most things that you can do with a real operating system can be done. In an operating system such as Ubuntu or openSUSE, your data is stored on your hard disk, in the Google operating system, everything is stored somewhere out there on the internet. Chrome is not like other operating systems and is being aimed at netbooks. The early netbooks, such as the Eee PC 701, did not arrive with a great deal of RAM or disk space, however, more recent netbooks have something like 64GB or 160GB of disk space and at least 1 or 2GB of RAM. You can install a full version of GNU/Linux into any of these.
Some design goals for the Google Chrome OS user interface include using minimal screen space by combining applications and standard webpages into a single tab rather than separating the two. Google Chrome will follow the Chrome browser’s practice of pushing forward the HTML5 web standard in offline mode.

So how does it work? On top of the GNU/Linux kernel, which is used in so many places around the world in the present day, sit the X-windows and graphics libraries
(see Fig 1, on page 90). Alongside these are the system libraries. Above this there is the Chrome OS and the GNU/Linux window manager that Google has introduced to make things look pretty. There is a strong reliance on GNOME or GTK+ libraries and themes here, and signs of the IceWM or XFCE or LXDE in places. This is a good thing because the present GNOME 2.xx desktop is very stable and reliable. Above this sit the web apps, website and extensions for various functional uses as well as cosmetic effect. The firmware helps to maintain a fast boot time by not probing for hardware. A complete lack of floppy drives on the netbook speed this process along the way and the firmware adds to security by verifying each step in the boot process, and system recovery if it is required. The Linux kernel has been patched to improve boot performance. Userland software has been trimmed to essentials with the inclusion of upstart which can launch services in parallel and re-spawn crashed jobs and defer services in the interests of a shorter boot time. The window manager handles user interaction with multiple client windows, much like other X clients do.

http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/opinion/google-chrome-beta-review/

Open Source Eee PCs in October, Chrome OS Netbooks Coming

2009-08-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Awesome news from Engadget about the open source future of the next generation of Eee PCs. Their 'spies' have uncovered information that the first Moblin-running Eee netbooks will be in stores come October. Asus, the Eee PC manufacturer, is apparently considering making open source OSes an option for all their netbooks in the future
Read more: http://www.i4u.com/article26266.html

Google Chrome gets skins and JavaScript performance boost

2009-08-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Google has released a new Chrome beta that includes a theming engine, faster JavaScript performance, several usability improvements, and support for HTML5 video.

Google has announced the availability of a new beta release of its Chrome Web browser. This version introduces several new features and user interface improvements, including support for a theming system that allows users to customize the browser's look.

Chrome was first released last year and hit 1.0 on Windows in December. Although the product was somewhat feature-anemic at launch, Google has been fleshing it out and adding a lot of useful features. The browser is attracting a growing number of users and is said to have overtaken Opera based on marketshare statistics published by several analytics firms. Google is building an entire operating system around the browser and is planning to thrust it into the fragmented netbook market later next year.
Read more: http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/08/googles-chrome-gets-skins-and-javascript-performance-boost.ars

Why the cloud operating system is a myth

2009-08-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

There is no such thing as a cloud operating system — and we're some way off even needing one, says Lori MacVittie.

Google's foray into the operating-system business was barely public before it was being hailed as the latest cloud operating system, with some industry watchers saying this product could be pivotal in the cloud revolution.

To be fair, Google's Chrome OS is not the only operating system to which the cloud handle has been attached. It is merely the latest in a long line of attempts to capitalise on the growing interest and hype surrounding cloud computing.

Novell, Dell, Microsoft — in fact, anyone who is anyone with a stake in operating systems has been mentioned at least once in conjunction with a cloud operating system.

There is no such thing. It is a myth existing entirely in the minds of those who cannot seem to get enough cloud in their daily technology diets. And the problem in perpetuating that myth is that it continues to confuse an already confused market.
Read More: http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/comment/0,1000002985,39706538,00.htm

In The Pre-Chrome OS World, Google Optimizes Gmail For Netbooks

2009-08-08T11:09:00.002-07:00

Google is clearly enamored with the netbook space. We already know that it’s serving as an entry point for the new Chrome OS, but Google isn’t just going to sit around and wait for that, it’s starting to optimize its experience for netbooks already.

Tonight, Google has just released a small new feature in Gmail Labs so that users can optimize their email service for viewing on netbooks. It’s a small, but noteworthy setting as netbooks have become popular, yet most still run sites just as full-sized laptops would. Gmail’s engineers apparently had a problem with that, so they launched the new “Remove Labels from Subjects” feature.

Basically, this does exactly what it says, removes the labels that are normally in front of subject lines in Gmail. The idea is that this will save a lot of screen real estate, especially on netbooks.
Read more: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/05/in-the-pre-chrome-os-world-google-optimizes-gmail-for-netbooks/

Chrome OS: The Next Windows?

2009-08-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

Google vs. Microsoft and Apple; the ultimate cage match.

Google is a site that is almost impossible to miss. Millions of people around the world use Google almost every day. In fact, people don’t say,”look it up online”, they say,”just Google it”.
Google is a huge name in the search marketing industry. But soon, it might just become the next operating system that everyone has. Soon, the huge companies Microsoft and Apple will have a new competitor in their market. In about a few months, Google will give it’s best to become the next Windows. At least for netbooks.

However, will Google be able to handle it’s huge competitors? Apple and Microsoft have made a name for themselves over the years. From the beginning of home computers, Apple and Microsoft have been existing. But Google is a newbie in the OS business. Yet with all the buzz about it, it should get a lot downloads.
Read more: http://webupon.com/web-talk/chrome-os-the-next-windows/

Google Chrome Gets Data Sync Features

2009-08-08T11:08:00.003-07:00

To further its quest for world (or at least could computing) domination, Google is adding new features to Google Chrome that will synchronize user data using a Google Account. The first feature that will use this framework is bookmark synchronization. Tim Steele released details on the Chromium developers group.

I know, tools for synchronizing bookmarks on Firefox, like Xmarks, and Weave have existed for some time, but for those of us who prefer Chrome, this is a nice addition. Since so many of us already have Google accounts, it’s nice to not have to deal with yet another Internet account. Unlike competing products, synchronization changes will be immediate.
Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/169550/google_chrome_gets_data_sync_features.html

Will Chrome OS collapse under the weight of its own Web browser?

2009-08-08T11:08:00.001-07:00

InfoWorld Home / Windows / Enterprise Desktop / Will Chrome OS collapse under the weight of its...
August 04, 2009
Will Chrome OS collapse under the weight of its own Web browser?
The latest Chrome beta release shows Google returning to its piggish ways
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What are they thinking? That's the question that ran through my mind as I pored over the latest Chrome 3.0 beta test data from the exo.performance.network site. It seems that the folks from Mountain View aren't content with securing a privileged spot on your desktop. They want to steal all of your PC's RAM, too.

At least that's how I'm interpreting these latest numbers. In a follow-up to an earlier post documenting the RAM footprint of the second Internet Explorer 8 beta, the xpnet.com research staff has re-created its original test scenario in an effort to revalidate their data points against the shipping versions of IE 8.0, Chrome 2.0, and Firefox 3.5.

[ Track your Windows PCs' performance with the free InfoWorld Windows Sentinel tool -- and contribute your performance data anonymously to the exo.performance network. ]

But while the data for these shipping browsers is interesting -- IE 8.0 is still a bloated pig, while Chrome 2.0 is better behaved and Firefox is as skinny as ever -- the really juicy stuff involves the current beta release of Chrome 3.0. It seems that Google's browser-cum-OS project is getting hungrier. The latest build gobbles up over a half-gigabyte of RAM while rendering a selection of popular media and technology Web sites.
Read more: http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/will-chrome-os-collapse-under-weight-its-own-web-browser-050

Chrome OS - A Lightweight Contender

2009-08-08T11:06:00.002-07:00

Google Chrome OS

Google’s foray into web browsing with Chrome in late 2008 didn’t exactly whip the internet into a manic frenzy. Firing up the compact browser for the first time may have left many users wondering what was so special about it. With its compact, clean, and sleek design, the no-frills Chrome had the upside of balancing complex web applications and faster browsing without compromising user experience.

And with that in mind, Google most recently announced what they call a natural extenson of Chrome — a lightweight, open source operating system targeted specifically at netbooks. Google refers to Chrome OS as their “attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.” Perhaps having taken a long look at netbooks and their sudden and recent rise in popularity just this past year, Google saw the perfect opportunity make a certain kind of a splash in the operating system as they did with the web browser.

With a line as slick as calling current operating systems built “at a time when there was no web,” Google’s attempt to complement and improve netbooks that currently run on the rather under-powered Intel Atom processor (with either Linux or Windows XP as the only oeprating systems available) is an admirable one, if nothing more than to capitalize on an uncompetitive niche. So what does Chrome OS mean to the average buyer looking to get their hands on a netbook?
Read More:http://www.pixelfame.com/2009/08/chrome-os-a-lightweight-contender/

Google Chrome OS Could Be Pivotal in the Cloud Revolution

2009-08-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

Google Chrome OS is arriving just in time to take advantage of the perfect storm of cloud services, cheap hardware, and a new generation of platform-agnostic users. Unlike other Linux-based OSs, Chrome has brand recognition that even the biggest neophyte could get comfortable with.

Larry Ellison of Oracle was touting the benefits of the network computer back in 1996. He was ahead of his time. People weren't ready for the network computer, and the network certainly wasn't ready for the people.

Fast forward to 2009, when many people view computers as mere tools to connect to the Net. Typical uses for computers involve streaming media, social networking, managing photos and information consumption. When the typical home user uses a PC predominantly for communication and entertainment, the offline computer is nearly useless.
Read More:http://www.pcworld.ca/news/column/c82b7787c0a800060021a44e68c1a8d4/pg0.htm

Google Chrome to Get Bookmark Sync

2009-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Within the next two weeks, Google will release a new development version of Google Chrome that will include the ability to sync bookmarks between different computers. As Tim Steele, a software engineer on the Chrome team explained in a message to the Chrome developer group, the synchronization will be managed through a Google account. Changes in one install will be reflected in another Chrome instance in real time thanks to the Chrome team's use of the Google Talk servers as the messaging backend for this service.

For now, Google will only sync bookmarks. In the long run, the Chrome team also plans to sync other data types, including browser history. In the announcement, the Chrome team did not specify if passwords will be synced as well.
Read More: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_chrome_to_get_sync.php

Google Chrome Sync coming

2009-08-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

From the 'Chrome OS's browser' files:

Google Chrome 3.0.196.2 is now out, but trying to figure out what's new in it is more difficult that previous releases. Up until version 3.0.195.1 Google provided release notes for most Chrome updates - that's not the case with the 3.0.196.x series (yet).

Instead Google points users to the build notes, which actually provide more specific detail than the release notes - but do not provide the total macro-view summary. I don't know why Google didn't put out release notes, but one thing is for sure, they have been busy.

The volume of changes on all platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux) is large, with the Extensions system getting a whole lot of attention.

One thing that isn't in the build notes - but will likely show up there soon - is a new feature for Browser synchronization.

"A bunch of us have been working on a feature to sync user data in Chromium with a Google account. (Surprise! :)) ," Google developers wrote in a mailing list posting. "The great news is that we'll be starting to work directly in the Chromium project this week."
Read More: http://blog.internetnews.com/skerner/2009/08/google-chrome-loses-release-no.html

Why Google's Chrome OS will lose its shine

2009-08-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

The conventional wisdom has it that Microsoft should be afraid – very afraid – of Google's Chrome OS. After all, how can the high-priced Windows compete against a free operating system released by what has arguably become the most successful technology company on the planet?

The conventional wisdom is wrong, though. The development of Chrome OS could be the worst mistake Google has ever made and one of the best things to happen to Microsoft in a long time.

To understand why, we need to first take a look at the problems Microsoft has had with Windows. Chief among Windows' woes are hardware problems. Unlike Apple's Mac OS, Windows isn't tied directly to hardware. Windows has to work with countless computers, CPUs, graphics cards and other components that make up the core of a computer – you name it, and Windows has to work with it.
Read More: http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/FDD5730CFF955F59CC25760400067B07

Google CEO says Chrome OS May Make Money (GOOG,MSFT,AAPL)

2009-07-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) recently announced Chrome operating system will be released under an open-source license in 2010, but CEO Eric Schmidt says that there "may be other ways to make money from it," according to an eWeek report. Schmidt said that the company hasn't exactly figured out how the company will make money from the browser, but indicated that a few options include ad-supported services or subscription-based micropayments. While not talking specifically about Chrome, he added that "people" are experimenting with serving ads directly within applications. Chrome will be a lightweight, quick and free alternative to Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 7 and Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) Mac OS.
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Google's Chrome OS May Fail Even as It Changes Computing Forever

2009-07-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Google Chrome OS is destined to redefine the desktop operating system, but it might just fall flat on its face as it does so.
Tom Spring, PC World
Google says it is working on an operating system designed for netbooks that boots in seconds, is impervious to viruses, and is designed to run Web-based applications really well. What's not to like? Plenty--if you're the number one software maker, Microsoft. Expect a showdown. Google faces an uphill battle rolling out its operating system, Chrome OS. The irony is, Google may not care if Chrome OS succeeds or fails. Here's why.

Don't Tell Eric Schmidt Google Won't Make Money from Chrome OS

2009-07-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Google CEO Eric Schmidt doesn't rule out ad-supported and subscription services for applications built on Chrome OS, the search engine giant's forthcoming operating system. The CEO handled several questions about Chrome OS, designed for cloud computing, during the second quarter earnings conference call. Chrome OS is an alternative to Windows and Apple operating systems.

Google's Chrome Operating System, the forthcoming Linux-based platform for netbooks, will be released under an open-source license in 2010, but don't tell Google CEO Eric Schmidt that the company won't make any money off it.

"We do not plan to charge for it, in an open-source form," Schmidt told financial analysts during the second-quarter earnings conference call July 16. "There may be other ways we can make money from it."

For Q2, Google reported a 19 percent profit growth from the year-ago quarter.

Schmidt indicated that while Google hasn't figured out exactly how Chrome OS will make money, some form of ad-supported services or subscription-based micropayments are two options for Google, the bulk of whose $20 billion in annual revenues comes from search advertising.

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You Can Bet Chrome OS Is Coming to Smartphones

2009-07-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

At today's Mobilebeat 2009 Conference, Google VP of Engineering Vic Gundotra said that web app development is the future of successful mobile platforms. Sounds a lot like Chrome OS on smartphones.

Gundotra reiterated a lot of what we already know. Google believes the future of the computers lies in the browser, with apps coded according to web standards and data existing in the cloud. However, what stood out as interesting was that Gundotra, who isn't directly part of the Android team, referenced all this in the same breath as the rapid evolution of mobile browsers and mobile data plans. While he never explicitly referenced Chrome OS, it seemed evident that the upcoming, browser-based platform was in his head as he spoke.
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Video: Google Chrome OS Isn't Challenge To Microsoft

2009-07-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

he significance of Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s Chrome OS announcement is not the OS itself -- remember, it's not an actual product yet. Rather, it spotlights the shift away from laptops to netbooks and smartphones. Laptops are still corporate tools. But once applications and data are in the cloud, enterprises will ditch the costlier computers and get with true lightweight platforms.

In short, my point is that Google's Chrome OS isn't a challenge to Microsoft -- netbooks are. Or, to mine another vein, Chrome OS isn't a challenge to Microsoft -- Google Apps are. (Is?) This is because the cloud is the last piece of the puzzle which will make lightweight mobile computing a reality.

I explored some of this in my InformationWeek cover story last October, Is The Smartphone Your Next Computer? Assessing that question today, it's more likely that the netbook is your next computer and a smartphone is the one after that.

One wonders, given that fact that netbooks and smartphones do almost all of what one needs, why enterprises persist in outfitting their workforces with expensive to buy and expensive to support laptops. The answer is, it's a legacy thing. Also, no one likes to be first.

While consumers and mobile road warriors love netbooks -- less to lug onto the plane -- companies continue to equip their workers with full-function laptops largely because they run self-hosted apps and host their own data too. This they need the full functionality to run those apps, and they also have (legit) security concerns.

I'd argue, though, that compliance issues aside (a big aside, I admit), mostly those that stick with the laptop paradigm do so because because they believe they need to do so. Once applications and data have moved into the cloud, you'll see netbooks cross over from being cool consumer curiosities into being mainstream platforms for mobile workers.

And why wouldn't enterprises want them, given their lower acquisition costs? As well, there's the carrot of avoiding the "Windows tax"; that is, if netbooks are equipped with Linux (or Chrome OS).

It should be pointed out that most existing netbooks run Windows XP, but I think we'd all agree this is only the case because netbooks are seen as mini-laptops. In the future, when apps are in the cloud, a netbook can really function as a netbook -- a lightweight device whose sole purpose is accessing the 'Net, and the apps residing thereupon. (Your data, too.)

Which is where Chrome OS comes in, with Google attempting to position it as the lightweight OS of choice. However, I think technology monoliths are dead, and when apps are fully in the cloud, there's not going to be, nor will there be a need for, a single OS (lightweight or otherwise) which everybody runs.

Which leads us to Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s own base-covering move, where it's planning to offer a Web-based version of Office 2010, as a back-at-you at Google Apps.

The idea that this is all a game of stalking horses and parries was argued nicely by the pseudonymous Robert X. Cringely in his recent New York Times Op-Ed piece. Hey, I'm cynical, but I'm not that cynical. I get what Cringely's saying, but personally I believe these aren't parries, they're deadly serious strategic positioning moves by Google and Microsoft.

OK, here's a video hosted by Fritz Nelson where we discuss this stuff.

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Dell Favors Moblin Over Chrome OS, For Now

2009-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Dell appears to be leaning toward Moblin as its next-generation operating system for netbooks, rather than Google's Chrome OS, Android, or even Windows 7.

Dell was not one of the companies named by Google as one of its hardware partners for the Chrome OS; a spokeswoman said at the time that it was "constantly assessing new technologies". Dell had no comment at the time. Instead, the Web giant said it was working with nearly all of Dell's competitors: Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba were the PC OEMs named.

In a blog post, Dell said it will continue to evaluate the Chrome OS.

"As with most new technology, Dell plans to evaluate the Chrome OS and other alternative operating environments, like we've done in the past," Doug A. wrote. "Luckily (for me!), Dell enjoys a great relationship with Google."

Doug A. wrote that Dell remains very interested in so-called "alternative operating systems," such as Ubuntu's Netbook Remix, which create experience targeted platforms that do away with the traditional Windows operating environment. "This can be seen as a disadvantage," he wrote. "However, these alternative operating environments attempt to address this shortcoming by focusing their feature set with a self-directed experience: entice and direct the user to its strengths."
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Twitter Leak Illustrates Google Chrome OS Security Hazards

2009-07-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Recently leaked Twitter documents that were stored on Google Apps highlight a deeper issue - namely, when everything you do is stored online, how will you protect your personal data? As Google revs up its new Chrome OS, phishing and hacker attempts will be exacerbated. How, exactly, will you deal with your data security in this brave new world of data portability?

This week, Twitter had sensitive documents leaked in a roundabout method that involved a Twitter employee being phished and their Google password used to access sensitive data stored online in Google Apps. TechCrunch, the final recipient of these documents, vigorously defended their position on republishing the found Twitter documents citing leaks (in whatever form) have always existed and served as an information source. While true in a journalistic sense, it opens the door to a greater question of data security in a world where all your information is stored online in some fashion. Protecting your personal information on the Internet has been an ongoing struggle. Every time you interact, whether it’s a post to a blog, comment in a forum or just “tweet,” you are growing the hacker target on your back. Take this example:

I am on Twitter and micro-blog regularly to my account. From just my Twitter account, you can get my full name and location. Now, within a few clicks you can probably trace down my e-mail address from some previous post to a forum, newsgroup or even comments on an article in certain instances. At that point, even a semi-dense hacker has enough information to launch a targeted phishing attempt against me. Granted, I triple check any links I get in e-mail to ensure it takes me where I am supposedly going, but I am someone who works in the trenches of the online industry and have been trained from DNA up to be careful of any kind of attacks.
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Google Chrome OS – Boon or Bust?

2009-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Google recently announced their intentions for launching Google Chrome OS (Operating System). According to their blog release, the Google Chrome Operating System will first be targetted at Netbook users. Google plans to release their code to Open Source later this year, and make it available commericially in 2010.

On their official blog, Google asks for help from the open source community to accomplish their vision for a lightweight and easy to use Operating System that does not ‘get in the way’ of users.

Pundits will debate the significance of this ambitious release and its timing to coincide with Microsoft’s new Windows 7 OS. As the established Search Engine leader, Google in recent years has competed for the desktop user on many other fronts.

Google Talk was released in 2005 as an instant messenger client and was tightly integrated with their email service GMail. According to Comscore reports, Google Talk is still in distant 4th place behind MSN Messenger, Yahoo, and AOL-AIM.

Their Gmail service, although widely regarded as a superior online email tool, is in 3rd place in usage behind Microsoft’s Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail.

Google’s internet browser, Google Chrome, sits in 4th place with a meager 1.8% market share behind the venerable Microsoft Internet Explorer (65%), Firefox (22%), and Apple’s Safari (8%).

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Google Chrome OS. Round-Up, Podcasts, Thoughts.

2009-07-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

On the 7th July, Google announced that they are developing an operating system called ‘Google Chrome OS.’

“Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010.”

“…redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates”

“..Google Chrome running within a new windowing system”

“…Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips.

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Dell: Chrome OS is one of many Linux-based OSes

2009-07-16T00:58:00.001-07:00

Though Dell didn't have much to say about Google's Chrome OS announced last week, the PC maker said Wednesday in a blog post that it is indeed looking closely at it.

But for Dell--which was not listed as one of the PC makers working with Google--Chrome OS is just one of many Linux-based operating systems it is evaluating. "As with most new technology, Dell plans to evaluate the Chrome OS and other alternative operating environments, like we've done in the past," said Doug A., who wrote the post on Dell's Direct2Dell blog. He added that Dell has "a great relationship with Google."
But from that post, it appears Dell is far more interested in a different distribution of Linux, called Moblin. Doug writes:
Moblin is the next evolutionary step of the traditional Linux environment where focus on smaller devices and small screens is a requirement. It takes a different approach to its user experience from either Dell's current offering or Ubuntu Netbook Remix by further simplifying the self-directedness of the desktop - no user guide should be needed to learn how to use Moblin. Additionally, Moblin replaces some of the traditional Linux applications, such as media players, browsers, etc..., with equivalent versions that have been specifically optimized to align with this new design behavior/look and feel of Moblin.
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Google Chrome OS to boost open source jobs market

2009-07-16T00:57:00.001-07:00

Demand for IT professionals with strong Linux skills will surge as a result of Google's upcoming release of the Chrome operating system, according to recruitment agency CV Screen.

Chrome OS, which will be built on the open-source Linux kernel, is expected to be launch in the second half of 2010.

Google has already said in a blog post that it is hiring Linux software engineers. CV Screen expects Chrome will help to sustain the demand for IT professionals with experience of open source technologies.
Open source developer jobs have been more robust in the current downturn compared to the rest of the IT industry, according to CV Screen's job index. The index shows that whereas the number of IT Jobs has dropped by over 55% over the last 12 months, the number of Linux Jobs has dropped by only 30% over the same period.
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Microsoft (MSFT) chairman Bill Gates is finally having his say on Google’s (GOOG) wonderfully overblown Chrome OS announcement. His take: It’s just a

2009-07-15T16:01:00.001-07:00

Bill Gates surfaced to give an interview with CNET, where he shrugged at Google's nebulous operating system project, talked up the Richard Feynman lectures he's sharing online through Microsoft Research, and chatted about his new role.

Gates also reiterated Microsoft's intentions to bring the Project Natal technology to the PC, as Xbox executives disclosed last month at the E3 conference.

Some tidbits, including Gates on the Feynman lectures:

Well, I didn't get to see these until I was about 30, and so I would love it if lots of young people saw them, and got a sense of the fun, and how science works, and what's complicated, and what's not. I hope some people who teach science are inspired by the way that Feynman managed to make it interesting without giving up the depth of how it works.
With super-high-quality material like this up there for free, I hope people see the potential, and that they'd benefit from this one in particular, and then it starts to push forward the idea if someone is great lecturer, then their work should be out there and available.
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Gates on Chrome OS: Nothing to See Here. Move Along…

2009-07-15T15:59:00.001-07:00

Microsoft (MSFT) chairman Bill Gates is finally having his say on Google’s (GOOG) wonderfully overblown Chrome OS announcement.

His take: It’s just another Linux distro.

“There’s many, many forms of Linux operating systems out there and packaged in different ways and booted in different ways,” Gates told News.com’s Ina Fried. “In some ways, I am surprised people are acting like there’s something new. I mean, you’ve got Android running on Netbooks. It’s got a browser in it.”

Ballmer confused by Google's Chrome OS

2009-07-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

So Steve, what do you think of Google's chances in the OS arena? Image: MSDPE/Flickr.
With Google’s Chrome browser making but a modest dent in the dominance of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer platform, recent news of an upcoming Chrome computer operating system (OS) probably didn’t have any Redmond-based executives shivering in their highly expensive shoes.
Moreover, speaking at a New Orleans business conference for Microsoft partners, the software giant’s outspoken CEO Steve Ballmer has this week shrugged off Chrome OS as a genuine challenger to its market-leading Windows platform.
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Bill Gates on Google's Chrome OS

2009-07-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

To Bill Gates, Google's Chrome OS looks a lot like a familiar foe: Linux.
"There's many, many forms of Linux operating systems out there and packaged in different ways and booted in different ways," Gates said in an interview with CNET News this week. "In some ways I am surprised people are acting like there's something new. I mean, you've got Android running on Netbooks. It's got a browser in it."
Gates said it was hard to really say much about Chrome OS, since Google has said so little about how it will actually work.
"The more vague they are, the more interesting it is," he said.
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Why Chrome OS? Google says, why not?

2009-07-15T06:50:00.001-07:00

Apparently, organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful will require a new operating system.

Google has long worked on expanding its reach beyond mere Internet search. And as many had suspected, it confirmed late Tuesday night that it plans to develop a lightweight operating system based on Linux and Web standards for personal computers.
Why? Well, Google's standard response to any question about why it's working on something other than search is to declare that any product that helps people get on the Web, and enjoy their experience on the Web, benefits Google's advertising customers in that more Web users equals more Google searches.
Yet, Chrome OS represents something more. There's a competitive impact that can't be ignored, no matter how often Google insists that it's in this world to do good rather than inflict pain on other corporations.
Few details were available Wednesday concerning one of the most important and ambitious projects Google has ever undertaken. Sources familiar with the Chrome OS project say Google engineers have only been working on the project in earnest since the beginning of the year, so there's likely a lot that still needs to be ironed out.
Chrome OS is the byproduct of Google thinking it can do better than Windows, Mac OS X, the various flavors of Linux, and even its own Android operating system. It's long been obvious that the world has changed from a personal computing model built for individuals working offline or businesspeople sharing files across a workplace to one where the consumer/business lines have blurred and people are expected to be online anywhere and everywhere.
Accompanying that shift has been the decreasing importance of processing power and operating system complexity. For years, the dirty secret of the computer industry has been that most people don't use nearly the amount of headroom provided to them by modern microprocessors and operating systems.
After all, if you're searching the Web, sending e-mail, typing up documents, touching up photos, and updating your Facebook status--hardly an uncommon usage model--you're more concerned with speed and battery life than raw power. Those still playing Doom or editing video will always need something more robust, but most people do spend an awful lot of time in the browser and have embraced smartphones and Netbooks as a way of staying online on the go.
Google's general idea seems to be twofold. First, it wants to make it easier for regular people to use a computer by making an operating system that is fast, secure, and lightweight enough to run on portable devices.
Sources familiar with Google's plans for the Chrome OS said that the company is working on a new method of "windowing," or switching between multiple applications. Google also believes that the whole idea of storing your files and applications in folders is an archaic way of organizing your data, and plans to unveil a new user interface that handles things a little differently.
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Steve Ballmer Skeptical Of Chrome OS

2009-07-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

"Who knows what this thing is"

At the moment, Microsoft has a market cap of $205.7 billion, and the corporation has its Windows operating system to thank for much of that money. It may be noteworthy, then, that CEO Steve Ballmer claims to be rather baffled by the concept of Google Chrome OS.

According to Joseph Tartakoff, Ballmer said during the Worldwide Partner Conference, "Who knows what this thing is. To me, it's highly interesting that it won't happen for a year and a half."

Competitors often downplay each other's products and abilities, of course, which might make the comment amount to nothing. It's hard not to forget that Windows 7 is getting ready to ship, as well, meaning immediate sales figures and revenue might be at stake.
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Microsoft CEO Dismisses Google OS Threat

2009-07-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

Microsoft’s chief exec Steve Ballmer has finally commented upon Google’s much-hyped Chrome Operating System by saying that the move would leave its competitor with dual operating systems, something that Microsoft has learned, is not a good proposition at all.

Addressing the audience at Windows Partner Conference in New Orleans, the software giant’s boss shrugged off Google Chrome OS by calling the move “highly interesting”.
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Ballmer mocks Google's Chrome OS

2009-07-15T03:27:00.000-07:00

SHY AND SOFT-SPOKEN Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been quietly putting down Google's new Chrome OS.
Ballmer mimed that the move leaves Google with two operating systems, something that Microsoft learned the hard way was not a good idea.
"I don't know if they can't make up their mind or what the problem is over there. The last time I checked you don't need two client operating systems," Steve said.
Talking to CNET, he pointed out that when the Vole had separate business and consumer operating systems, back in the days of Windows 95 and Windows NT, it all ended in tears. Well, other than the multi-billion dollar quarterly profits of course.
Ballmer also admitted that he does not really know what Chrome OS will look like. He said that it is very interesting, it won't happen for a year and a half and Google already has an operating system called Android.
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CNET News Daily Podcast: The Chrome OS advantage over Linux

2009-07-15T01:38:00.001-07:00

Google made waves with its Chrome OS announcement Wednesday, but the product won't even be ready until next year. In the meantime, we take a look at what kind of challenge Chrome can present to Windows. Stephen Shankland tells us that the Web is a big advantage for Chrome over Windows.
Also on the podcast, TiVo hooks up with Best Buy, T-Mobile tries to challenge the iPhone, Google hints at new moon-mapping software, and VCs aren't as down about the economy as before.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11424_3-10283223-90.html

Steve Ballmer calls Chrome OS "highly interesting," says Google "can't make up their mind"

2009-07-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

You just knew Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would have some choice words about Google's Chrome OS at today's Windows Partner Conference, and he didn't disappoint, saying that while he finds the project "highly interesting," the late-2010 ship date and existence of Android have him wondering exactly what it's supposed to be. "I don't know if they can't make up their mind or what the problem is over there, but the last time I checked, you don't need two client operating systems. It's good to have one." Snap. Of course, Microsoft is shipping six different Windows 7 SKUs, can't quite get rid of XP, and sells Windows Mobile, Windows CE, and Zune in the handheld space, but the man's got a point -- the real question is whether he's smiling or just baring his teeth in rage.
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Moblin takes on Chrome OS with instant-on

2009-07-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Moblin, Intel’s jolly little operating system for netbooks, hasn’t had much of a look in since Google announced Chrome OS last week, but it’s fighting back by building in instant-on technology. Say goodbye to boot times!

Even bare bones operating system Moblin takes half a minute or so to boot up on your average netbook, but sometimes, you don’t need everything loaded. That’s where instant-on software comes in, letting you open up a web browser, media viewer or other popular app in just seconds.
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Chrome OS = Diapers for MS and Apple

2009-07-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.everyjoe.com/thegadgetblog/chrome-os-diapers-for-ms-and-apple/

Ballmer on Google Chrome OS: “Who Knows What That Thing Is”

2009-07-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Microsoft (MSFT) might worry more about Google’s (GOOG) new Chrome OS if it new what it was. At the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans today, CEO Steve Ballmer said he was mystified by the dual-OS strategy Google seems to have adopted with Chrome.
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Google Chrome OS Could Be Pivotal in Cloud Revolution

2009-07-14T16:01:00.001-07:00

Microsoft CEO laughs off Google OS challenge

2009-07-14T15:59:00.001-07:00

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) chief executive attempted to laugh off the challenge of Google Inc's (GOOG.O) planned computer operating system on Tuesday, conceding only that it was "interesting".

"I will be respectful," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said to laughs from the audience at a conference for the company's technology partners in New Orleans, which was broadcast over the Internet.

"Who knows what this thing is? To me, the Chrome OS thing is highly interesting," said Ballmer, choosing his words carefully and drawing more amusement from the largely pro-Microsoft crowd.

"It won't happen for a year and a half and they already announced an operating system," he added, referring to Google's Android system for smartphones.

Last week Google said it was planning a computer operating system based on its Chrome browser, aiming directly at the core business of Microsoft, the world's largest software company, whose Windows operating systems are used on more than 90 percent of personal computers.
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Ballmer shrugs at Google's Chrome OS

2009-07-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Addressing Google's Chrome OS, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Tuesday that the move leaves its rival with dual operating systems, something that Microsoft learned the hard way is not a good idea.
"I don't know if they can't make up their mind or what the problem is over there," Ballmer said in an onstage question-and-answer session following his speech at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans. "The last time I checked you don't need two client operating systems."
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Instant-on Linux vendors respond to Chrome OS

2009-07-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Instant-on Linux vendors respond to Chrome OS
Instant-on Linux platform vendors Phoenix and DeviceVM have responded to the revelation that Google will soon be releasing its own lightweight Linux platform. They view Google's entry into the market as a validation of their products and they both have strategies for competing with the search giant.

By Ryan Paul

Dave Bennion
BIOS manufacturer Phoenix Technologies announced plans on Monday to launch a new version of its Linux-based HyperSpace environment that will use some components of Intel's Moblin platform. The move reflects Moblin's growing traction among vendors, but it is also Phoenix's response to the recent revelation that Google is building its own Linux operating system.

HyperSpace, which was first introduced by Phoenix in 2007, is an "instant-on" Linux environment designed to run in a slim hypervisor that is part of the BIOS. It uses its own power management framework that boosts battery life.

HyperSpace can be used by itself on a netbook or shipped alongside a conventional Windows installation. It provides a simple user interface and an assortment of applications for common tasks, including a Web browser and ThinkFree's Java-based office suite.

The rising popularity of low-cost netbooks has created demand for lightweight mobile platforms that can boot faster, run longer, and deliver nothing but 'Net. Such platforms are intended to bring a more appliance-like Web experience to netbook devices. With the emergence of Google's Chrome OS as a possible contender in this space, other players are looking for ways to stay competitive.

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Chrome OS to bolster open source job market

2009-07-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Google's recently announced Chrome operating system is expected to cause a surge in demand for IT professionals with strong Linux skills, according to IT recruitment agency CV Screen.

Chrome OS is built on the open-source Linux kernel, and Google aims to make the browser the primary interface for the platform. Developers will therefore be needed to create or port current popular applications to work in the new environment.

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The news should come as welcome relief to many, as the recession has hit the IT jobs market relatively hard.

CV Screen's job index shows that the number of IT jobs has dropped by over 55 per cent over the past 12 months, but that the number of Linux jobs has dropped by only 30 per cent over the same period.

Google said in a blog post soon after announcing Chrome OS, which is due in the middle of next year, that it is seeking developers to work on the project in locations including the US, Canada, Japan, Russia and Denmark.

"In what has been a tough marketplace, we have seen demand for open-source technologies such as PHP, Linux and MySQL hold up fairly well, and it is one area where we have been regularly placing candidates," said Matthew Iveson, director of CV Screen.

"We anticipate that the long-term impact will be an increased demand for IT professionals to support Linux-based systems. This is likely to mean that Linux professionals with qualifications such as LCP, LCE or RHCE will be much sought after by employers."
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Could Google Chrome OS Success Affirm 'Web Has Won'?

2009-07-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

Google has proven it knows how to ride the hype curve thanks to the much-discussed release of Google Chrome OS, the search giant's open-source operating system.
While much of the Google Chrome OS speculation thus far has centered on Chrome OS' potential threat to Microsoft's Windows dominance and its position as a the netbook OS provider of choice, Chrome OS has also restarted the debate on just how soon -- if ever -- software that runs entirely on a Web browser will replace desktop software as a standard.

Indeed, if Chrome OS succeeds, it'll crash a few paradigms, for sure, and Google's made no bones about betting that it will. The company's support for new Web standards such as HTML 5 -- which promises to make Web pages and applications much more sophisticated -- is well-documented, as is Google Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra's statement at the Google I/0 2009 developer conference in May that "the Web has won." If Web applications still can't offer as much or more than traditional desktop OS software can, Google, with Google Chrome OS, seems bent on making sure they do.

How will Google compete against Microsoft on the OS front? For now, while we wait for Chrome OS, it'll be in name recognition alone: one titan attempting to topple another, and opening up another front in the endlessly discussed Google-Microsoft rivalry that extends everywhere from search engines (Google's search platform versus Microsoft's new Bing) to personal health records (Google Health versus Microsoft HealthVault). With an OS, however, as pointed out in a report from researcher iSuppli Sunday, "Google is ringing the bell for the main event."

That Chrome OS is an open-source system is a mixed blessing for Linux lovers, who have long sought to cut into Microsoft's substantial market share but have had a tough time moving beyond the province of the tech savvy (read: consumers and Linux just don't match up). Google Chrome OS stands to box out other flavors of Linux -- especially those headed for netbooks -- but also lends some much needed, consumer-friendly name recognition to the open-source OS space.
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Intel ties with HyperSpace, could wrongfoot Chrome OS

2009-07-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

Google's dual-OS strategy, based on Android and Chrome OS, may have stolen the limelight from Intel in the past couple of weeks, but the chip giant is not letting up on its own Linux platform for netbooks and smartbooks, Moblin. Not only has it signed up Nokia's support to strengthen the system for the mobile market, integrating telephony features and the Finnish giant's Maemo-based Linux efforts, but it is now incorporating HyperSpace, a technology that addresses one of the key benefits claimed by Chrome OS - instant turn-on of netbooks.
Many netbook makers, even those running Windows, are adding features that allow for instant boot-up of essential features such as email, without the need to wait for Windows for all functions. HyperSpace will add this function to Moblin, and has strong credentials - its supplier Phoenix Technologies makes the BIOS in the majority of Windows PCs.
Its HyperSpace product allows the users to access the web, document editing, email and other tasks within seconds of pressing the 'on' button. Intel and Phoenix say they will work closely with netbooks makers to bring the Atom/Moblin/HyperSpace combination to many netbooks and other emerging mobile internet devices.
"The combination of Moblin and HyperSpace will deliver a more satisfying and rich experience for ultra-mobile consumers," said Doug Fisher, VP of Intel's software and services group and general manager of its system software division. "We look forward to joining forces with Phoenix to encourage OEMs and ODMs to use Moblin-based operating systems on netbooks and other small form factor devices."
HyperSpace was announced last November for the x86 architecture, including Atom, and an ARM version followed in February. The first adopter of this version was Freescale, which supports the technology on its ARM-based MX515 system-on-chip for netbooks. The system has mainly been targeted at slow-booting Windows, but its move to Moblin shows that even Linux-based PC operating systems are too slow and power consumptive for many users' behaviour patterns.
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Microsoft Office To Launch For Free On Web

2009-07-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is continuing to war with Google for internet dominance as it reveals the next version of its Office software will be available for free online.
A preview of what Office 2010 for web will look like, using a web browser
Office 2010 will feature free and lightweight versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote, Microsoft revealed at a developer conference.
It is a direct challenge to Google's Docs range of productivity tools, launched three years ago.
Microsoft is also planning to allow users to co-author documents in real time - a similar move to Google's upcoming product Wave, the successor to Google Docs.
Office 2010, likely to be released early next year, is just the latest move in an ongoing battle between the two firms.
Last week, Google announced plans to create an open-source operating system to directly rival Microsoft Windows.
The software, called Chrome OS, will run directly from a computer's internet connection and will be totally integrated with Google's wide range of web services.
Last month, Microsoft relaunched its web search service, called Bing, to make it more directly competitive with Google's search engine.
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Chrome OS Will Strengthen ARM’s Assault in the Netbook Market

2009-07-14T02:12:00.000-07:00

Intel’s (INTC) Atom will hold more than an 80% share of the 23.5-million netbooks sold in 2009. However, the ARM processor will gain a 55% market share of the 96.0 million netbooks sold in 2012, according to The Information Network (www.theinformationnet.com).

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Chrome OS Harkens to the Days of the Driveless Desktop

2009-07-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

Analysis: The Network Computer (NC), unveiled by Larry Ellison in 1996, may have finally come of age — in the form of Google Chrome.
Eric Knorr, InfoWorld

I'm not the first to say this, but the idea behind Google's forthcoming Chrome OS reminds me of the Network Computer (NC), a driveless desktop unveiled by Larry Ellison in 1996. Back then, here's what I wrote about NC: "Do you really want to do without a floppy, hard, or CD-ROM drive? Be unable to compute -- or even access your data -- when the server goes down? Watch performance slow to a crawl during peak hours? An Internet appliance has everyman appeal at first glance; but on closer inspection, it's two steps back to those bad old mainframe days when Big Brother owned the computer, not you."

[ InfoWorld's Neil McAllister offers a razor-sharp analysis of Google's OS in his Fatal Exception blog. ]

Now, 13 years later, Google has raised a similar proposition: an OS that pretty much dictates that you'll be living your computing life on the Internet and storing your data and preferences there, too. So let's break down that hoary old critique of mine and see if it still applies.

First of all, when I knocked the NC for lacking local storage, I was referring mainly to performance. At the time, 28.8bps modems were typical and putting personal storage at the end of such a slender connection seemed like a really bad idea. Now, some Chrome OS computers will have solid-state drives or hard disks, and some may only have a cache (who knows?), but it doesn't matter much. You'll be computing in the cloud. Broadband plus a fast JavaScript engine equals good enough performance, so score one for Google.
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GOOGLE Chrome OS

2009-07-14T00:54:00.000-07:00

For about a week now, the buzz news has been Google Chrome. No, not the browser, Google Chrome, the operating system.
Suspesions of Google releasing operating system has existed for a long time. When it was leaked that Google was using a modified version of Ubuntu Linux, Goobuntu, the rumor mill went crazy. As it turned out, Goobuntu was for internal use only. Rats.
Then the light of a Google operating system shines once again. This time with a "cloud-based OS" called gOS. Could it be? Google OS? It was chalk full of Google applications. This had to be the messiah of operating systems. But once again, we we're duped. Google only had involvement with gOS, which apparently stood for "good OS". Oh well.
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The Hidden Jackpot For Google Chrome OS In India

2009-07-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

Why does everything that Google does generate so much buzz? A month ago, it was Google wave and now it is the new Chrome OS. Maybe it’s because the ideas are ridiculously simple and yet so revolutionary. Wave promises to redefine the way we communicate and Chrome OS is already bragging of changing the OS game. Now don’t get me wrong, I accept that I am a Google worshiper. But I am fair too.

I like Google because they have been making my web experience so much simpler. Take Chrome for example. It’s blazing fast, it’s so sleek and so simple. It lets me do what I want to do. Browse in peace.

It’s not as if the other browsers are bad. But mark my words, as soon as the Chrome extensions are available users will lap onto Chrome. Specially the millions of Indians with low bandwidth problems (that includes me too). And I will be the first in line.

OK, so enough ranting for now, moving onto the real thing.

What the hell is Chrome OS?

An Operating System based on a browser. You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Doesn’t it take years to build a stable OS?

Right on. Ask Apple, Microsoft and Linux how difficult this is. Heck, started in 1991, Linux is still struggling to get us that completely stable magic.

But what the Chrome OS wants to do is to solve problems associated with Windows, the main being that it’s a bloated operating system that isn’t built for a computing world based on the web.
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Google Chrome should be swept away by Google Wave

2009-07-14T00:46:00.001-07:00

It all started with a simple search engine. It has evolved into Gmail, Chrome, Picasa, Docs, Calendar, News, Reader, Website Analytics, Latitude, AdSense, Talk, Sites, Translate, iGoogle, Android and much more.

It’s become a worn-out cliché to say that Google is right up there with Microsoft when it comes to companies that dominate our digital lives, and it’s clear that Google’s aim is to creep even further into our existence with the announcement of the Chrome Operating system.
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Is Chrome OS a "Disruptive Innovation?"

2009-07-13T18:45:00.001-07:00

Last week Google sent shockwaves through the technology world when it announced plans to introduce an operating system in fall 2010. Pundits quickly termed Chrome OS "classic disruptive innovation" that promised to up-end historic market leader Microsoft. Do the pundits have it right?

Harvard Business School Professor and Innosight co-founder Clayton Christensen coined the term "disruptive innovation" to describe a pattern he observed across a range of industries where an entrant would transform what existed or create what didn't through simplicity, convenience, affordability, and accessibility.

Recent disruptive innovations include Nintendo's Wii gaming console, General Electric's $2,500 echocardiograph machine and Tata's $3,000 nano automobile.

At Innosight, we've helped dozens of companies recognize and respond to disruptive developments, and we've developed a straightforward set of tests to assess a strategy's disruptive potential. Running Chrome OS through the assessment suggests significant disruptive potential -- but some real questions as well.

The first part of the assessment looks at the degree to which the would-be disruptor has picked an appropriate "foothold" approach to start their disruptive march.

Google's planned foothold in the netbook market fits the three characteristics common to high-potential disruptors:
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Google vs. Microsoft: What You Need to Know

2009-07-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

n less than a week, Google announced an operating system to compete with Windows, while Microsoft announced that Office 10 will include free, online versions of its four most popular software programs — a shot at Google’s suite of web-based office applications.

And not more than a month and a half ago, Microsoft unveiled its new search engine Bing which it hopes will steal market share from Google and finally make it real money online.

From the news of it, it’s a full-blown tech battle, complete with behind-the-scenes machinations to sic government regulators on each other.

It is, however, not a death match — it’s more of an fight to see who will be the King of Technology, since both companies pull in their billions through completely different siphons and are unlikely to severely wound one another any time soon.

Google pulled in $22 billion in revenue in 2008, 97 percent of which came tiny text ads bought by the keyword and placed next to search results or web pages. Google makes a negligible amount of money bundling its online apps for businesses, charging $50 a head annually — but mostly it just gives its online text editor, email and spreadsheet programs away.
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Google Chrome OS: Still Early On The Hype Curve

2009-07-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

While pitting Google Chrome OS against Microsoft Windows makes for great headlines along the lines of "Google Intros Windows Killer" or "Chrome Goes For Microsoft Jugular," the reality is that no one really knows for sure how the introduction of Chrome will play out.
We know there's a lot of hype. There always is when someone attacks a part of Microsoft's business. We've seen it with Linux, and with Firefox, and Google Wave, and Apple OS X.

A couple of things we also know:
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Google Chrome OS to directly challenge Microsoft in netbook market, says iSuppli

2009-07-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Press release, July 13; Michael McManus, DIGITIMES [Monday 13 July 2009]

Google 's new Chrome Operating System (OS) represents a direct challenge to Microsoft's hegemony in the burgeoning market for netbook software, according to iSuppli.

Google's Chrome OS will launch in the second half of 2010 and will initially target netbook PCs. However, the OS will not only run on netbooks based on Intel's x86 architecture microprocessors, but also those using ARM-based chips, clearly showing the operating system is targeted at very low-cost netbooks.

iSuppli predicts shipments of wirelessly-enabled netbooks will more than triple by 2012, rising to 36.3 million units, up from 10.3 million in 2008. The wirelessly-enabled category represents the majority - but not all - of the total netbook market, consisting of devices that support Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN), 3G WLAN and Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN) connectivity.
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Big Winner in Office Web App Announcement: Google Chrome OS?

2009-07-13T09:47:00.001-07:00

Microsoft today announced the start of the Office 2010 preview program. A new, larger group will get to start playing with the next major version of the Office suite next month. This announcement is not a surprise and was widely expected to be made today. The news was accompanied by even more information about the online version of Office, the Office Web Apps. This online version is aimed at competing with Google Docs, Zoho and others. Like most online apps, the Office Web Apps are designed to be run from the cloud, completely in a user’s web browser. The “app in a browser” function of Office Web Apps may make future Google Chrome OS users the big winners, given the timing of both products for next year.
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Why Google Chrome OS is Good for Business and the Environment

2009-07-13T09:01:00.001-07:00

In case you haven’t heard, Google has decided to challenge the 800 pound gorilla in the computer world, Microsoft. With the announcement of the Google operating system called Chrome OS, Google looks to turn the technology world on its head.
What does this mean for business and the planet itself? More than you may think.
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Intel to work with Google's Chrome OS

2009-07-13T07:12:00.001-07:00

Intel cozying up to Google Chrome OS

The Register

Rik Myslewski writes that Intel will be working with Google and its Chrome OS.

“Word of the world's largest processor manufacturer's involvement with the world's largest internet searcher's purportedly virus-free OS first came by way of a comment by an Asia-Pacific Intel spokesman. And on Friday morning, Intel spokesman Nick Knupffer at the company's Santa Clara, California, headquarters, confirmed that report, telling The Reg that: ‘We've been privy to the project for some time and work with Google on a variety of projects, including elements of this one. We welcome Google's move here.'”
What's your opinion?
September launch for Core i7 "Clarksfield" notebook CPUs?
ZD Net
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes writes that according to DigiTimes, Intel has released an update for its launch for several of its processors.
“Intel's three Clarksfield CPUs – the Core 2 Extreme XE 2GHz, Core 2 Quad P2 1.73GHz and Core 2 Quad P1 1.6GHz – will be ready to debut sometime around the end of September and October of 2009, the sources noted.”
The Complete Guide To Microsoft's Office 2010
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Dual Boot Android Netbook Paves the Way for Chrome OS

2009-07-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since Google had officially announced Google Chrome OS, its operating system initially aimed at netbooks, with somewhat vague ambitions to become a full-fledged Windows competitor, there have been many speculations on how can Google compete with Microsoft, what its adoption rate might be and so forth.

Well, according to DigiTimes, Acer is poised to release its (previously announced) dual boot Windows XP/Android netbook in August. The appearance of world’s first Android-based netbook might provide answer to some questions about Chrome OS, but it’ll surely create some new ones.

First, Acer’s decision to go with a dual boot solution might mean we’ll see a lot of dual boot Chrome OS-based netbooks next year. It’s a painless solution: sacrificing a little disk space and taking a couple of seconds during boot time is a small price to pay compared to having thousands of users shun your product because they’re not read to switch to a new and unknown operating system. Therefore, rather than throwing Chrome OS into the fire, it’s likely that Google (and its partners) will take the easier route and opt for dual-boot solutions, at least in the beginning.
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Google FAQ Reveals Chrome OS Hardware Partners

2009-07-13T05:17:00.001-07:00

Google’s announcement of the Chrome OS yesterday was, although far from cryptic, lacking in information. Simple, fast, Linux-based and netbook-capable was about all we got from the blog post.

Google has tossed another tidbit our way in the form of a list of partners. Here’s the block quote:

The Google Chrome OS team is currently working with a number of technology companies to design and build devices that deliver an extraordinary end user experience. Among others, these companies include Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba.
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Why Chrome OS Now? Because Microsoft Office In The Cloud Comes Monday.

2009-07-13T05:16:00.001-07:00

The timing of Google’s announcement of Chrome OS was curious. I don’t mean the fact that Google moved up the post on it by a day when some details leaked out, I mean the fact that they were announcing it on some seemingly random date in July, well before anything is actually ready to show off. Now, we likely know why.

On Monday, Microsoft is set to unveil its plans to counter the attack Google previously had launched on it with Google Docs. Yes, Microsoft Office is going to the cloud. This is something which we all knew was eventually coming, and there is already some limited functionality, but the full details will pour out Monday at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans. You can expect the new version of Office, that syncs with the cloud, and the ability to use it in the cloud without any software as well.

Almost immediately following the Chrome OS announcement, Robert Scoble took to his favorite home on the web, FriendFeed, to have one of his, I-know-something-you-don’t-know “discussions.” During the course of those “discussions,” Scoble dropped quite a few hints about what Microsoft planned to announce on Monday, including “Diego, no, it’s one of Microsoft’s primary businesses. Did you know Microsoft has 14 billion dollar businesses?” Guess what that is? Microsoft Office.
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Google set to wage OS war with Microsoft

2009-07-13T05:15:00.001-07:00

Computerworld - Google Inc.'s entry into the operating system business poses the strongest long-term threat in years to the dominance of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows software, according to analysts.

Google last week announced that it would launch its long-anticipated operating system, based on the open-source Linux kernel and built around its Chrome browser, sometime in the second half of 2010. The new Web-centric operating system will be dubbed Google Chrome OS.

Though analysts agreed that the Windows hegemony is safe in the short term, Google has the financial muscle, engineering might and industry clout to survive a long-term battle with an industry powerhouse like Microsoft.
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Chrome vs. Bing vs. You and Me

2009-07-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

THE battle between Microsoft and Google entered a new phase last week with the announcement of Google’s Chrome Operating System — a direct attack on Microsoft Windows.

Related
Times Topics: Microsoft Corporation | Google Inc.

This isn’t the first salvo in a war that has already seen Google lob its Chrome Web browser against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Google pit its Android smart-phone operating system against Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, and Microsoft, in turn, aim its new search technology, Bing, against Google’s very heart — the Google search engine.

This is all heady stuff and good for lots of press, but in the end none of this is likely to make a real difference for either company or, indeed, for consumers. It’s just noise — a form of mutually assured destruction intended to keep each company in check.
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Google's Chrome Operating System: We've Got It All Wrong

2009-07-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

“A real rival to Windows.” “Google drops a nuclear bomb on Microsoft.” It all sounds so dramatic and exciting, the kind of story we journalists love. But I can’t help feeling most of the coverage of Google’s announcement of its Chrome operating system missed the real point.

Most people seem to assume that the Chrome operating system is intended to replace Windows on personal computers, and that it will be a failure if it doesn’t. Many people also believe that Google is either off its rocker in jumping into operating systems or doing it out of spite for Microsoft. Although Google may well be overreaching here, and it faces many challenges in creating and getting support for a new operating system, I think those assumptions are largely flawed.

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How Well Will Chrome OS Work As A Cloud Based OS?

2009-07-12T17:18:00.002-07:00

By now everyone should be away that Chrome OS is intended by Google to be a primarily internet-based operating system. We are all presuming that this will mean much of the data and applications will be backed up and accessed via the internet. As of right now, this isn’t something the consumer market has seen in terms of operating systems (save Palm’s Web OS for the Pre). The fact that Google is an extremely large and reputable name to attach is only another variable which is thrown into the equation.
read more: http://www.allchromeos.com/2009/07/how-well-will-chrome-os-work-as-a-cloud-based-os/

Google's India strategy for the Chrome OS: One idea

2009-07-12T17:18:00.001-07:00

Ever since Google announce the Chrome OS via blogpost a few days ago the web has been agog with speculation, projection and assumption about how Chrome OS could change the OS game. Some say that the OS will be a serious contender to Microsoft's WIndows hegemony while others think that the Chrome OS, like the Chrome browser, will be all noise and no adoption. (The browser, if you're wondering, launched to tremendous fanfare including a comic book expressly made for the launch, only to now languish in 4th place when it comes to browser popularity.)

The Chrome browser was a good idea with plenty of smart thinking in its design and execution but there is much more to the popularity of a piece of software than merely the essential efficiency and utility. Say what you want about Internet Explorer, but way too many people in the world, around 70%, still click on the IE logo when they want to access the internet. And whether you like it or not, if you're going to do any amount of e-commerce on the web, you are probably better of using IE for a more stable experience.

read more: http://blogs.livemint.com/blogs/lounge/archive/2009/07/12/google-s-india-strategy-for-the-chrome-os-one-idea.aspx

All Roads Lead to Chrome OS

2009-07-12T17:17:00.001-07:00

When Google announced on April 1, 2004 that it was releasing a webmail product with 2 GB of free storage, many thought it was an April Fools’ joke. On July 8, 2009, the day after Google announced an operating system to compete with Windows, the Gmail announcement looks like the first step in a secret 5-year plan to unseat Microsoft as the world’s most relevant software company.

Over the last five years, Google has shuck-and-jived its way into all sort of markets that seemed tangential to a search engine, but most people thought of them as fun hobbies for a company that figured out how to make billions from tiny text ads. Well, Gmail turned into a full-blown communications platform, with instant messaging and video chat. Google’s adventure in making online office-productivity apps led to an integration where e-mail attachments of Microsoft Word documents can now be safely opened with a single click.

It bundled all of them together for businesses into Google Apps, charging an annual seat license of just $50 — a small price compared to software and backend costs for Microsoft’s Office suite.
read more: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/07/all-roads-lead-to-chrome-os/

Can Google's Chrome OS Challenge Windows in the Fast-Growing Netbook Market?

2009-07-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Google's new Chrome Operating System (OS) represents a direct challenge to Microsoft's hegemony in the burgeoning market for netbook software, according to iSuppli. Google's Chrome OS will launch in the second half of 2010 and will initially target netbook PCs. However, the OS will not only run on netbooks based on Intel's X86 architecture microprocessors, but also those using ARM-based chips, clearly showing the operating system is targeted at very low-cost netbooks.
Read more: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/38480.php

HP, Acer Developing Google Chrome OS Netbooks, Schmidt Says

2009-07-12T17:12:00.002-07:00

HP and Acer netbooks running Google’s new Chrome OS could be available as soon as this year, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt announced at the annual Allen & Company conference. Chrome OS may give Schmidt reason to leave Apple’s board, but he declined to acknowledge Microsoft as a competitor.
Read more: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/HP-Acer-Developing-Google-Chrome-OS-Netbooks-Schmidt-Says-384335/

The history and future of Chrome OS

2009-07-12T17:12:00.001-07:00

Chrome OS is Google’s first attempt at a desktop operating system. Due to be released in the second half of next year, the Chrome OS has many people baffled as to what it is exactly. What possessed Google to directly take on Microsoft in this way? Is Google getting too big for its boots? And how did this all kick off in the first place?

Full ZDNet.com Chrome OS coverage can be found here.
read more: http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=2034

Week in review: Cracking SSNs, Google's Chrome OS, and HTML 5

2009-07-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

Week in review: Cracking SSNs, Google's Chrome OS, and HTML 5
This week's big news came courtesy of Ars Technica, which broke the story about Google's new Chrome OS. Take a look inside for a summary of the week that was.

By Nate Anderson | Last updated July 11, 2009 9:00 AM CT
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The news of Google's Chrome OS was first broken by Ars Technica and confirmed by the company several hours later in response to the publication of the news. Though Chrome OS was one of the week's biggest events, Ars also put together a few must read stories on the safety of Social Security numbers (and how they can be guessed), the brewing standards war over HTML 5's "video" tag, and reports from a Mars rover that snow falls on the Red Planet.
Read more: http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/07/week-in-review-cracking-ssns-googles-chrome-os-and-html-5.ars

What Chrome OS has on Windows that Linux doesn't

2009-07-12T17:10:00.001-07:00

Google's Chrome OS isn't the first operating system to challenge Microsoft Windows' commanding lead. But it's got an advantage that other rivals such as Linux lacked: the Web.
Any new operating system must attract the developers who produce the applications to make it useful. The trouble Windows challengers have had is matching the wide spectrum of software available for Windows already.
That software includes mainstream titles such as Microsoft Office, Quicken, Adobe Photoshop, games, but also innumerable programs for narrower niches such as genealogy. Although some people are happy if they have the handful applications they need, an operating system needs broad support to achieve mass penetration.

Canonical's Ubuntu version of Linux has a lot of buzz as a desktop operating system, but when April 15 comes around, TurboTax doesn't run on it. Multiply that by all software the world needs and the Windows incumbent advantage becomes clearer.
Chrome OS faces the same applications challenge as any other operating system, but it's rising to that challenge in a different way. It includes the Chrome browser running on a stripped-down version of Linux, but the applications won't run on Linux, they'll run on the Internet. Chrome is the conduit to the Web applications, and Chrome OS is the vehicle by which Google will get the browser installed on Netbooks starting in the second half of 2010, the company promises.

Read more :http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10282442-2.html

No surprise: Intel has known about Chrome OS, worked with Google on 'elements' of project

2009-07-12T17:08:00.002-07:00

So as it turns out, Intel isn't just casually accepting of Google's new OS initiative, it's actually been privy to the project for some time now, according to a spokesperson for the chipmaker. The two have apparently also worked together (and are potentially still working together) on portions of Chrome OS, he says, which really makes it all the more curious that the company isn't mentioned among Google's first partners while Qualcomm, Freescale, and Texas Instruments are. Then again, said inclusion might make the Moblin team more than a little bit upset, and either way, let's not forget that Atom chips will be sold regardless of which OS is on the system -- it's really kind of a win-win situation that we reckon the hardware division isn't complaining about.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/no-surprise-intel-has-known-about-chrome-os-worked-with-google/

Google Chrome OS: Web Platform To Rule Them All

2009-07-12T17:08:00.001-07:00

With Chrome OS, Google aims to make the Web the primary platform for software development.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
juillet 10, 2009 08:30 PM

Google's plan to release its own operating system based on its Chrome browser is at once audacious and laughable. Microsoft Windows represents slightly less than 90% of the personal computer operating system market, a position it has held for years.
Google's industry ally, Apple, has managed to steal a few percentage points of market share away from Microsoft in the past twelve years under the singular leadership of CEO Steve Jobs. But Windows remains the dominant operating system, more dominant even than Google is in search.
read more: http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218401568

Microsoft VP says Google Chrome OS is a decoy

2009-07-12T17:07:00.001-07:00

Walid Abu-Hadba, Microsoft’s Vice President of Developer and Platform Evangelism, has gone on record to say that “[m]ost of what Google does is defensive.” He has an interesting point: all of the non-search stuff that Google invests in keep its would-be competitors on their toes, and prevent those would-be competitors from encroaching upon the cash cow of Google’s operation: search.

I observed that Google’s not in the operating system business, so Chrome OS isn’t expected to be their bread-and-butter. It’s expected to be one mechanism (of many) to allow their bread to continue to be buttered by making the online experience better for the casual user. The less barriers there are to an enjoyable online experience, the more of a market Google can enjoy. All the fancy offline features of various Google products are ancillary benefits to a small segment of their userbase: the bulk of Google services and applications are intended to be used and enjoyed online. I’d wager that Google would be happy to drop Chrome OS development if Microsoft Windows presented a demonstrably superior online experience.
Read more: http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/07/10/microsoft-vp-says-google-chrome-os-is-a-decoy/

Google Chrome OS: Distraction or Opportunity?

2009-07-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I had the pleasure of being a guest on Randall Bennett’s TechVi video show. I worked with Randall back in the old AOL / Weblogs days and I enjoy talking tech with him. TechVi uses a two-guest format so I always get to chat with new folks in this space. Today it was Ross Rubin from The NPD Group, whom I generally only see once a year at CES. Besides being an analyst at The NPD Group, Ross authors the weekly “Switched On” column for Engadget.

Today’s chat was focused on Google’s Chrome OS announcement, but not from a nuts and bolts standpoint. Since details are scarce on how Chrome OS will actually work, Randall focused today’s TechVi show on the business side of the news.

Read more: http://jkontherun.com/2009/07/10/google-chrome-os-distraction-or-opportunity/

Paid Search Preparation For Google OS

2009-07-12T17:05:00.001-07:00

Chrome OS could become a major source for paid search traffic, according to Kevin Lee. Marketers may want to consider their search campaign for Chrome OS now, as Google readies to take operating system to the open source community. The OS will rely on cloud computing and seems likely it will tap into Google's search bar to let users jump from computing activities to Google search, according to Kevin Lee.
Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=109603

Digital City No. 40: Google's Chrome OS vs. stealing cell phones vs. NYC subway map phone apps

2009-07-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

This week on the Digital City, topics include Google's new Chrome OS, and what it means for Netbooks and Microsoft; some not-too-bright cell phone thieves; how Scott semi-scammed a new iPhone 3GS; and some new apps for navigating the NYC Subway system.
Read more: http://www.cnet.com/8301-18603_1-10284012-73.html

Intel Works with Google on Chrome OS

2009-07-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

We're having a very slow newsday today, since basically everyone and their cow is compulsively pushing out articles on a product that doesn't even exist beyond an announcement Google's Chrome OS, with none of them being particularly interesting. What is interesting is the news that Intel has been aware of Chrome OS for a while now - in fact, Intel is working with Google on this new operating system.
read more: http://www.osnews.com/story/21812/Intel_Works_with_Google_on_Chrome_OS

Google's Chrome OS could make cloud computing 'real'

2009-07-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

Cloud computing may be ready for prime time with the announcement this week that Google will be unveiling its own operating system next year which one expert says is "custom built for the cloud."

In his column for InfoWorld, Neil McAllister writes that when people look back at Google's announcement of Chrome OS people will see it as "the moment when cloud computing finally became real."
read more: http://www.edlconsulting.com/newsdetail.php?id=290&headline=Google

The Google OS surfaced in March--or did it?

2009-07-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

A look back at CNET's server logs reveals that someone gave us a quick hint of the Chrome OS back in March, by surfing to a CNET.com site while apparently using a browser running on the still-in-development operating system. On March 4, 2009, an unusual user agent entry was recorded on our servers. The key bits, just to beat this over the head, are in bold...
read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-10284282-250.html

Google, Microsoft Invade Enemy Territory: Who Wins?

2009-07-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Microsoft wants to be Google. Google wants to be Microsoft.

Well, sort of.

The tech giant known for its PC operating system wants to dominate search, and the dominant search provider is building a PC operating system. It’s Bing vs. Google Search; Chrome OS vs. Windows.

Each behemoth is gunning for the other guy’s turf, obviously. But which stands a better chance of pulling it off? Let’s do a quick point-counterpoint comparison:

Advantage Google: People are lazy. You’ve tried Bing. It’s pretty good. Its first page of search results -- those 10 blue links -- are similar to what Google Search delivers. Bing’s previews of Web content, fast answers to common questions, and home page artwork with the educational links are all pretty cool. And your cousin the porn connoisseur really appreciates its video search preview feature. Still, you’re sticking with Google Search. Why? Because despite its bells and whistles, Bing really isn’t that much better. Besides, you’re comfortable with Google, which delivers the information you want and is easy to use. Unless Microsoft comes up with a more compelling reason for people to switch to Bing, it’ll remain a search also-ran.

Read more:http://www.pcworld.com/article/168246/google_microsoft_invade_enemy_territory_who_wins.html

Google sees separate paths for Android, Chrome OS

2009-07-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

Google's Andy Rubin (left) and T-Mobile's Cole Brodman discuss Google's Android smartphone operating system at a press conference Friday.
(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET)
SAN FRANCISCO--Among the many questions raised in the wake of Google's announcement of Chrome OS is exactly how the project fits in with Google's Android mobile operating system.
Essentially, nothing has changed, said Google's Andy Rubin at a press conference Friday morning highlighting Google and T-Mobile's partnership on the launch of the new MyTouch 3G smartphone. "You need different technology for different products," Rubin said, explaining that Google's approach to product development means that projects that might overlap aren't necessarily scuttled to protect the one that got there first...

read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10284240-94.html

In a nutshell: Chrome OS vs Office 2010

2009-07-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

Microsoft will unveil Office 2010 on Monday at the company’s worldwide partner conference in New Orleans. Google allegedly rushed out its Chrome OS announcement to spoil the fun for Microsoft.
What’s most interesting to me is the way the two companies are positioning their competing browser-based futures. I’ve edited down three long articles:
Google’s blog post: “Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS.”
The head of Microsoft’s Business Division’s CNET interview: “The base conversation is about productivity.”
BusinessWeek’s cover story on Microsoft: “We’re trying to redefine our notion of productivity.”
Watch how the words below are thrown around in the coming weeks. Google’s marketing and PR campaigns will ding Microsoft’s ubiquitous software as slow, overly complicated, and prone to hackers. Microsoft, in return, will remind us that when we think of work, we think of Windows.

From: venturebeat.com

Google Chrome OS & Android “may merge closer”; CEO Schmidt opposed development

2009-07-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Google’s CEO and the search giant’s co-founders took to the stage this week to discuss Chrome OS, the future of Android and other open-source issues, revealing that the two headline-grabbing platforms – one ostensibly for smartphones, the other for netbooks – have “a great deal of commonality” and “may merge even closer.” CEO Eric Schmidt also made clear that Google do not envisage Chrome OS as a direct Windows competitor; in fact, he said, “Microsoft is welcome to put Internet Explorer on our operating system.”

“Microsoft is welcome to put Internet Explorer on our operating system, [though] it’s highly unlikely they would do it. They would have to port it and the port is not trivial…the ball is in their court. All of it is open. Even if we had an evil moment [and tried to block Microsoft], we would be unsuccessful.” Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google

Echoing recent discussion about whether a browser-based work environment is a realistic proposal, Schmidt also revealed that he was resistant to the idea of both the Chrome browser and the Chrome OS when co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page first suggested it six years ago. “I wanted the operating system to kind of be out of the way,” Page explained, “if you live your life in the browser maybe you don’t want all the stuff that came from Eric’s generation.”

The trio also touched on Twitter and Facebook, neither of which they now perceive as a threat – or at least not publicly, anyway – and which they have no intention of going into competition with; “we have a rule of not doing what everybody else does” said Schmidt. As for revenue streams, they believe display advertising “is likely to be the next billion-dollar business at Google.”
slashgear.com

Google on offense: Chrome OS is a wager on the future of computing

2009-07-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

When it comes to Google’s entry into the Microsoft-dominated computer operating system business, there’s a bigger question as to whether Google’s move is an offensive one or a defensive one?

Microsoft’s official comment on Google’s latest announcement seems to be a big fat “no comment” from Bill Gates himself at a conference of media execs in Sun Valley, Idaho this week. But, Walid Abu-Hadba, Microsoft’s Vice President of Developer and Platform Evangelism, told VentureBeat yesterday that Google’s Chrome OS has nothing to do with making computing simpler and faster, nor is it part of a greater plan to go after Microsoft’s dominance. Instead, Abu-Hadab said Google is “on the defensive,” trying to keep competitors from going after the lucrative search business. From the Venture beat post:

He argued that whenever Google enters a new market, like releasing mobile operating system Android, it’s trying to force competitors to focus on existing products, rather than challenging Google in search. And the company may actually feel threatened for the first time in years, since Microsoft recently made a splash with its revamped “decision engine” Bing, and traffic appears to be growing.

I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say that Google is entering new markets as a way of keeping competitors from going after search. I also don’t agree that Google’s entry into computer operating systems is a defensive move. On the contrary, this step is another example of Google’s innovation and push toward an all-cloud way of computing.

Initially, this OS is going after a netbook market and working under the assumption that there is a growing group of people - young people, if you will - who are comfortable with a life in a cloud and are looking for a computer system that understands that about them. Consider this exchange between Google co-founder Larry Page and CEO Eric Schmidt at SunValley, as told by the Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Page described the Chrome operating system as a kind of anti-operating system — one that is basically indistinguishable from a browser. Netbooks loaded with Chrome will boot up almost instantaneously and will store data on the Internet instead of a hard drive.

“I wanted the operating system to kind of be out of the way,” Mr. Page said.

“If you live your life in the browser maybe you don’t want all the stuff that came from Eric’s generation,” Mr. Page added, putting his hand on Mr. Schmidt’s shoulder.

Mr. Schmidt leaned back in his chair and groaned at being characterized as an old guy. “Why am I always in this position?”

When you’re an innovator, you have to think about the future. When you’re thinking about the future, you have to observe young people. In this case, I think of my teen and pre-teen kids and their comfort level with the Internet.

When it comes to computing, pretty much everything they do is tied to the Internet, which means they jump back and forth between computers in the house with ease because everything that’s important to them is online. Even their school reports are written in Google Docs and then converted to PDF to be printed. (Yes, their dad is kind of geeky so they have been exposed to online services like that from an early age.)

In Sun Valley, Google may be saying that Chrome OS is not a competitor to Microsoft because it’s looking to expand the market for netbooks, not chip away at Windows’ share of the netbook market. In Silicon Valley, we know better. Google is innovating, changing the computer OS game and rewriting the rules so that the next generation can play along, too.

Also see: Google Chrome OS is a game changer

It’s probably a good thing for Google to have Microsoft executives call the move a defensive one. Microsoft can go back to work on Windows 7 and its successors while Google watches the kids of today - who are growing up with a high comfort level around cloud computing - become the trend setters of tomorrow.

To use a football analogy (largely because I’m really anxious for the start of the NFL season), Microsoft is waiting for Google to throw a long pass into the end zone - but that’s not what’s happening here. Google is running a series of short running plays - 3, 4, 5 yards at a time - and is inching closer and closer to the end zone without Microsoft realizing that it’s giving up valuable yards.

Google has put its competitors on the defensive. Those that realize it and start countering with smart plays of their own are the ones that will make it through the whole season. (Still working that football analogy.) Those that don’t may be the ones standing in an empty stadium at the end of the game, wondering where all of the fans have gone.
From: blogs.zdnet.com

Will Chrome OS be the death of Android netbooks?

2009-07-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

Fans of open source operating systems and haters of Microsoft were thrilled when word started coming out that some of the major computer makers were going to be offering netbooks that run Android. Among the major makers looking at Android are Acer, Dell, and HP with a few early machines from lesser known companies already showing up at trade shows with Android installed.

With the announcement of the new Google Chrome OS coming soon, the Android plans for many of these computer makers have to be in question. Why would a major computer maker like Acer want to put Android on a netbook when it appears that Google will be favoring Chrome for computers?
Many of the computer makers that were considering Android like HP may well wait until the Chrome OS launches before settling on Android or Chrome for their machines. Even Google admits there will be overlap between the two. I wonder if we may eventually see smartphones with more power running the Chrome OS.
[via BusinessWeek]

From: androidcommunity.com

Intel Apparently A Google Chrome OS Partner, Too

2009-07-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Although not mentioned yesterday, "privy to the project for some time"

Yesterday, we reported that nine companies had partnered with Google to help develop Google Chrome OS. This article may be a little short on names by comparison, but it seems important to note that Intel, the chipmaker with a market cap of about $90 billion, is also on the team.

Dan Nystedt writes, "The world's largest chip maker is working with Google on the Chrome operating system and has been privy to the project for some time, a spokesman for the company said Friday."

It's interesting that Google left Intel off its initial list of partners. Some analysts have speculated that the existence Google Chrome OS will hurt Intel, so the fact that Intel's involved would probably have gone a ways towards lessening those concerns.

There's also the simple truth that Intel's brand is impressive and most businesses would take full advantage the opportunity to namedrop it.

The omission represents a small mystery, then, and we'll leave it to you to decide whether it's significant (Google and Intel are planning a surprise attack on Microsoft!) or not (some intern skipped a line while copying and pasting a list).

Regardless, Google Chrome OS appears to be in a much stronger position now than 24 hours ago.

From webpronews.com

Intel throws its weight behind Google Chrome OS by Stevie Smith

2009-07-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

While it remains to be seen how well Google’s recently announced Chrome operating system (OS) compares alongside Microsoft’s dominant Windows platform, heavyweight support from chipmaker Intel Corp. should certainly help bolster its chances.
More pointedly, PC World reports that a spokesman for Santa Clara-based Intel has this week confirmed that the world’s largest chip manufacturer is working alongside Google in developing the Chrome OS for recession-friendly, ultra portable Netbook computers.
“We work with Google on a variety of project, including elements of this one,” said Intel representative Nick Jacobs. “We’ve been privy to the project for some time.”
The Chrome OS was officially revealed via a Google blog post earlier in the week, with the search giant outlining a selection of notable partners contributing towards the realisation of a competitive new operating platform.
Interestingly, Intel was not named in said blog post alongside the likes of major industry players such as Acer, Freescale Semiconductor, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lenovo, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments.
From : Thetechherald.com

Chrome OS gets a second look by Gruber

2009-07-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Although John Gruber is an avowed masticator, I do enjoy his take on issues dealing with and pertaining to technology. To wit: his take on Chrome OS which, in a few paragraphs, boils down the entire argument to “We don’t know enough yet to decide but things look interesting, although it seems like it might be a certain form of vaporware.”

Two important points he covers: Chrome OS isn’t Linux any more than the iPhone OS is Linux. It’s based on a commodity kernel but will have its own Windowing system. In an interesting aside he notes that Linux has thus far been competing - poorly - with Windows. The hope, then, is that Chrome OS will avoid the uncanny valley effect of KDE and Gnome, two windowing environments for Linux which try, vainly, to mimic the experience an average user has while booting up Windows XP, for example. Instead of copying, Chrome OS should expand on Google’s own “working in the cloud” metaphor.

He also tears a hole in the whole “big bag of drivers” issue by positing that Chrome will run on only certain machines. Just as OS X doesn’t have to support every hardware configuration known to man, Chrome will only have to handle - at least partially gracefully - a few add ons and USB devices. There will be no endless permutations of hardware and software installations in this case. There will be a netbook that is tuned to run Chrome OS and maybe a few basic USB drivers. Anything else and you’re trying too hard.

From: crunchgear.com

Analyzing Google's Chrome OS strategy

2009-07-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

Google is developing an operating system of its own, based on the company's Chrome browser and intended primarily for use in low-cost Netbooks. Now I'll tell you why I think Google is doing it.
Like any other commercial enterprise, Google is trying to make money. No secret there. But Google doesn't make money the way other computer software companies do.
(Credit: Google)
Microsoft, for example, makes money mostly by selling software (and a few hardware products) to computer users. There are two sides to this plan. Microsoft wants to make computers more valuable, so buyers will spend more of their income on computers; and it wants to increase the share it receives of that budget.
What makes Google unusual is that it wants a share of a different budget: the time people spend in front of their computers. Google makes money by displaying ads on a small part of the display while people view Internet content on the rest. Not all the time, of course, but the opportunity is there, and Google's multibillion-dollar revenue shows how well this strategy can work.
Turning the Chrome browser into the Chrome OS is technically straightforward, though of course it'll take a lot of work. A browser already has most of the key elements of any OS: application programming interfaces (APIs) to allow application software to display content and accept user input, store and retrieve data from mass storage, communicate over the Internet, and so on. Google will have to add a driver model and some other things that don't exist in a browser, but it can learn from how these things are done in existing operating systems, and possibly even borrow much of the code directly from Linux; there's no need to reinvent the wheel.
Existing operating systems such as Windows support a far wider variety of programming languages and provide far more services than Chrome OS will, but Chrome will probably be plenty good enough for Netbooks. (Personally, I don't think Netbooks are good for much, and many Netbook buyers seem to agree as shown by the huge volume of refurbished systems now available from remarketers like Woot.com.)

So, Google is after your time, not your money. It can try to get more of your time in the same ways Microsoft tries to get more of your money. Will the Chrome OS increase the time people spend in front of the computer? No, quite the opposite. There will inevitably be less to do on a Chrome OS computer than on a Mac or Windows machine. Buying a Chrome-based Netbook means giving up the chance to run most Windows games, Apple's iLife suite, and other popular software.
But for Google, the key is this: once you've got a Chrome system, Google's in charge of ALL the time you spend with it.
I don't think that's good enough, and it looks like Google feels the same way; the company intends to implement the whole Chrome OS environment within the Chrome browser so Linux, Mac and Windows users can also run Chrome applications. This plan is necessary, since Google can't very well hope to muscle aside the incumbents, but it means that Netbook buyers will have no reason to prefer a Chrome-based machine.
Or will they? Linux may be free, but Google can undercut that price if it's willing to cut OEMs in on its ad revenue. In this way, Google could bring to market a subsidized pricing model we usually associate only with 3G-equipped notebooks. Google won't have nearly as much money to throw around as the cell phone operators do--maybe just a few unpredictable dollars per month averaged across all Chrome OS users vs. the reliable $60/month subscription fees associated with 3G cards--but that could still add up. Even a $20 subsidy could amount to 10 percent of the sale price of a cheap Netbook, which could tip the balance in favor of Chrome.
Like I said, it seems to me that Netbooks aren't the ideal platform for this strategy. The Google model can't work as well on a small screen, since users will be reluctant to share what little space they have with Google's ads. But they'll work well enough, and Google has no realistic chance to place Chrome on mainstream notebook and desktop systems except in the same narrow markets where Linux sells today. (And not all of those; for example, Chrome has no shot at the engineering workstation market, where Linux is popular.)
So I'm sure we'll see some number of Chrome OS-based machines on the market in 2010, and then we'll see what happens. My guess is that Chrome will do about as well as Linux has done in the Netbook business: not well. A lot of people will try it, possibly enticed by those lightly subsidized prices and the usual interest in novel computing platforms (the information-technology equivalent of the Coolidge effect, which perhaps could be known as the Glaskowsky effect.)
And then most of those people will return those machines, or give them to their ungrateful children, or just toss them onto a shelf to gather dust, and they won't buy more of the same--at least not until Google spends a few more years building Chrome OS into a fully competitive product, which I'm sure it will do. Google's big enough, and it knows there's a business here. It just won't be ready to take full advantage of the opportunity just yet.

From: news.cnet.com

Update: Chrome OS Screenshots Were Faked.

2009-07-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

When something seems too good to be true, it usually is. The Google OS leaked screenshots from this morning have been revealed as fraudulent by the poster himself.
Apparently the man behind the hoax is a graphic designer, and he cobbled together some screenshots that looked vaguely plausible and stuck them up online accompanied by an appropriately vague story. After his story gained significant traffic he decided it was time to come clean and admit his story was false.
“I am sorry if you beleived it. It was a really bad attempt. You all are smart people. I never planned on it getting this big. But it did. (Come one, I know the Google logo. I am actually a graphic designer, I just wanted to see reactions if it was a crappy back.)”
The prankster put up a video here that details the spread of his story. While it's a little disappointing that his 'leak' turned out to be bull, I've got to give him kudos for fleecing so many people (including me) and, more importantly, fessing up quickly
From : i4u.com

Intel doesn't view Chrome OS as a threat to Moblin, just wants world peace

2009-07-10T05:04:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting one. While one would assume that Intel would be quaking in its boots with the emergence of Chrome OS, Michael Chen -- director of Intel's embedded sales group and ultra mobility group in Asia-Pacific -- recently proclaimed that the company isn't worried at all. In fact, Intel seems pretty stoked that Google has introduced an operating system that will undoubtedly rival its own Moblin. To quote: "Our long-term goal is providing hardware for devices with different operating systems... more competition will drive up more innovations and that's good for consumers." Furthermore, we're told that Intel is looking forward to providing chips for machines based on Chrome OS, and frankly, we reckon that Intel's foothold in hardware and software makes it easier to brush this whole thing off. Must be nice, right?
From: engadget.com

Google's Chrome OS: A Wispy Desktop Adversary?

2009-07-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

Google's Chrome operating system may initially have modest aspirations -- to allow speedy Web-surfing on low-cost, lightweight netbooks -- but with the migration of a vast array of computing services to the cloud, there may be reason for desktop OS developers to get a little
Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) announcement of a Chrome operating system, coming just nine months after its launch of the Chrome browser, has the tech sector buzzing over the possibilities. Google is targeting netbooks, claiming to have agreements with several OEMs already inked.

How will the option of a Chrome OS be received by the desktop-using masses? Are they ready for a PC experience that will rely heavily on applications hosted in the cloud? Or would they rather stick with the tried and true desktop model, be it Windows, Macintosh or one of the many flavors of Linux?

Google makes the case for the cloud very compelling: Desktop systems were designed during the pre-Web era -- certainly long before Web 2.0 took over.

This is something anyone who has grappled with a glitch-prone OS (I'm looking at you Vista) can understand.

Another potential Chrome plus: Security may wind up being better. Right now, Internet security is entirely dependent on user behavior -- whether someone installs a patch and keeps the AV or firewall updated. Such maintenance, though, can be handled easily from the provider side in a cloud-based scenario.

The Tradeoffs

Nothing, though, is free -- not even on the Internet. An OS running applications primarily hosted in the cloud will entail certain tradeoffs.

The uptime/downtime issue that recently impacted many Gmail users would apply to all cloud-based computer activities. If you think you go ballistic now when your email is down, imagine how you would feel if the spreadsheet detailing all of your personal or family finances suddenly became unavailable for an unspecified period of time.

"Remember, you are shifting your dependence from a machine to the provider," Greg Sterling, principal of Sterling Market Research told TechNewsWorld.

It's true that the percentage of time Gmail has gone dark is minuscule -- certainly compared to the time a typical consumer would likely spend rebooting or reinstalling software due to any number of computer problems. That percentage, though, could widen, depending on the performance of other providers whose products might become part of the OS, Sterling said.

"I don't believe Google will be the only company participating in something like this," Sterling said.

This issue of dependence on the Internet would be felt in other ways as well. Processing speed for a particular application, for instance, could depend in part on the ISP being used, Sterling suggested.

"Right now, if I am running Excel on a local machine, the ISP has nothing to say about how fast it runs," he pointed out.

Battle of the Apps

Comparing such performance issues is a side issue at best -- or straw man at worst, according to Michael Cherry, VP of research for OS at Directions on Microsoft.

The real battle for computer users' OS preference, he told TechNewsWorld, will be fought over which applications the OS in question makes available.

This, of course, holds true right now, to an extent.

"I use a Mac," Cherry said, "and do you know why? Because as a writer, I prefer Word for the Mac over Word for Windows."

However, if Chrome can give developers a new platform for applications they've been itching to build for an OS, he said, that could provide a significant boost for user adoption.

It would be impossible for any OS to run the full range of computer operations entirely from the cloud, Cherry pointed out.

"The Chrome OS is an interface with the hardware and browser in which the applications are running," he said. "Surely, few people will want to print in the cloud ... so there will need to be an interface between the browser and the USB port to which the printer is connected."
From: technewsworld.com

Why Google Chrome OS Will Have No Huge Impact

2009-07-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

Many news websites, bloggers and even conventional news sources such as newspapers or TV news have reported about the Microsoft killer Google Chrome OS, the cloud based operating system by Google that is based on their web browser Google Chrome and a modified Linux kernel. Google Chrome OS is expected to make its appearance on netbooks and other mobile devices in mid 2010. So what exactly is known about Google Chrome OS? The only viable information that are available stem from a post at the official Google blog that is introducing the Google Chrome OS.

According to this blog post the Google Chrome OS is “an open source, lightweight operating system” targeted initially at netbooks. Google will publish the code as open source and netbooks running the operating system will be available int he second half of 2010. The operating system is designed to boot up and display the web in a few seconds with a minimal user interface and most of the user experience taking place on the web. Google Chrome OS is compatible with today’s chipsets and uses a “windowing system on top of a Linux kernel”.

Journalists create a Microsoft Windows killer out of these information. It should be noted that Google is initially targeting the netbook market which has risen in popularity in the past years. Netbooks currently have a market share of about 20% of the mobile PC market which is predicted to increase further in 2010. The concentration on netbooks on the other hand dismisses the rest of the mobile PC market and the complete desktop PC market. It is impossible to become a Microsoft Windows killer with such a narrow focus.

Google probably has plans to offer their operating system to manufacturers of laptops and desktop computer systems as well although no announcement has been made so far.A cloud operating system could confuse and irritate customers as they might be buying a PC only to find out that they need Internet and cannot play the latest games or run Microsoft Office on it.

Talking about PC gaming and software programs. It is very likely that PC games will not run on the Google operating system and that game developers will not develop games for the operating system until it has a market penetration that makes developing worth their while. Web browser games are surely going to work but they usually cannot match the quality of desktop PC games. It is possible that PC games will use a netbook with the Google Chrome Os as a secondary PC but it is very likely that they stick with a PC running Windows in the near future.

The same is true for software programs. Many users are used to certain software programs which they do not want to change. A switch to a cloud based operating system would mean that these users have to learn new interfaces and programs. Tech savvy users on the other hand are used to these web applications and are therefor the most likely to give the Google Chrome OS a chance.

Businesses on the other hand are also not likely to switch to a cloud based operating system as it would raise security and privacy concerns but also mean intensive training of their staff.

Here is a prediction: Google Chrome Os will be a niche product in the next five years. It will not be a Microsoft Windows killer and it will mostly be used by tech savvy users who use the Internet all the time.

What’s your take on the new Google OS? Will it be able to compete with Windows 7 in the netbook market or be a niche product just like the Google Chrome browser and Google Android?
From: ghacks.net

More Thoughts on Chrome OS

2009-07-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

As quickly as it came, the hype has died down over Google's announced Chrome OS. There hasn't been much to stoke the fire so it's died down naturally. And that's a good thing. There's a lot of lead time to figure out how we all fit into this story, if we want to fit in at all. Here are a couple of more thoughts that came to me as I read all the stories. BTW, it seems some writers have already played with the OS, or they're making a lot of assumptions...

Equinox as a local app server

One of the coolest features of OSGi and the Equinox/Jetty implementation at Eclipse is as an app server. This is something I've always wanted to spend more time with. I don't think Chrome OS will be successful without some means of running local applications and the marriage between Equinox and the Chrome browser is a natural. I'd hope the two of these groups are talking.

GWT or SWT browser edition?

To be honest, I'm a neophite when it comes to what's happing with running Eclipse in browser mode, be it RAP or the new e4 SWT browser stuff. All I've seen are demos that try to make the browser look like a desktop app. I think that's doomed to failure. The more you make it look like a desktop app, the more users are going to expect it to work the same as a desktop app, and that just isn't going to happen.

I'd take this opportunity to reinvent my application's UI, to break away from the paradigms that the desktop has locked us into and to come up with cleaner, more workflow driven UIs. Having good tooling is still a must. The Google Wave guys were quick to pour praise on GWT which they used to build the Wave app. I'd pick that if I were starting down this road.

Is there a role for native in Chrome OS?

Believe or not, I think the answer is yes. We'll I'm sure you believe that I think that but anyway. Chrome supports the NPAPI native plug-in API that was started by Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox and is now supported by WebKit/Chrome/Safari and Opera. If you have the need for a high performance app that does it's own rendering, like a game say, then NPAPI is for you. Google already does this for it's O3D graphic rendering API. You can too.

Now, what you can also do with NPAPI is present your C++ objects for JavaScript scripting in the browser using this interface. Now didn't Dave Thomas say something about C++ and JavaScript being the future in his Eclipse Summit Europe keynote last year?

ARM versus Intel

It's not a secret that Intel has an offer to purchase my employer, Wind River, on the table. That hasn't closed yet. But I have to agree with the analysts who see this will help ARM and it's partners. More interesting, though, is that this will really be the first time that ARM platforms and Intel platforms will be running the exact same software platform. It'll be pretty easy to see who's netbook/smartbook/mobile solutions are better. More importantly, it'll drive both of them to raise the bar, which at the end of the day benefits the consumer like good healthy competition does.
From: cdtdoug.blogspot.com

* Stock Winners and Losers from Google's Chrome OS

2009-07-10T03:51:00.001-07:00

Google's Chrome operating system will, over time, strongly impact the stocks in the PC hardware and software sector. Here's a quick initial checklist of stocks that could win and lose from the Chrome OS:

Losers

The other OS companies. Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) will both face increased competition. Apple has taken market share due to the poor quality of Windows. Now there will be real competition.

The hard drive vendors. According to GOOG founder Larry Page, "Netbooks loaded with Chrome will boot up almost instantaneously and will store data on the Internet instead of a hard drive." Hard drive vendors include Seagate (STX) and Western Digital (WDC).

The leading microprocessor vendors. It's unclear what the impact will be on Intel (INTC) and AMD (AMD), but my guess is the net impact will be negative. Slashing the cost of the OS will boost netbook sales, but as more processing is handled in the cloud, the requirement for local processing power falls. Note that Google has stated that Chrome will run on lower-cost ARM chips as well as x86 processors. Both (INTC) and (AMD) may will gain from more frequent upgrades of wireless networking chips.

High-end laptop vendors. While cheaper netbooks and a cheaper operating system will boost demand for low-end PCs, sales of higher margin, high-end PCs will fall. That market is currently dominated by (HPQ), (AAPL) and (DELL).

Winners

Cloud service companies. Google's Chrome will accelerate the shift to cloud computing. Google (GOOG) itself is the leader in consumer and small business cloud services, including gmail, Google Calendar and the rest of the Google Apps suite. But this also plays to other software-as-a-service stocks. Leave a comment below if you can think of any particular winners.

Communications chip vendors. More reliance on the cloud means that connectivity becomes more important. Communications chip providers include Texas Instruments (TXN) and Qualcomm (QCOM).

Finally, see also my earlier checklist of Netbooks: An Investment Thesis, with Winning and Losing Stocks.

From : seekingalpha.com

Why Google’s Chrome OS Bomb Has Minimal Fallout On Apple

2009-07-10T03:27:00.000-07:00

With so much being said about Google’s new Chrome OS being a direct attack on Microsoft, naturally some of the gaze is now going to shift towards what it means for Apple, which makes the second most popular OS in the world. Here’s what it means — For its products, very, very little. For its board of directors, potentially a lot more.

While some have already talked about this a bit, I think main points have been missed. First, the obvious point: When Chrome OS launches next year it will be aimed directly at a market Apple is not in: Netbooks. Yes, Apple is likely to launch a tablet computer of some kind in the future, maybe next year, but that is not a netbook. That will be a touchscreen device that will undoubtedly run some kind of special flavor of the iPhone OS or OS X or a combination of the two. And I would bet that it will have stand-alone apps like the iPhone. That is not what Chrome OS is about.

Secondly, while Google’s long term plan for Chrome OS is obviously to expand beyond the netbook realm and into more traditional PCs, that once again is unlikely to affect Apple. Apple makes computers that sell at high margins. This makes them expensive compared to some PCs, as has been talked about a lot recently thanks to Microsoft’s ad campaigns. Even now, in just about the worst economy we’re ever likely to see, Apple hasn’t changed this too much. Apple customers pay this premium because they think the melding of great hardware with Apple’s solid software (OS X and iLife) is worth it over a Windows-based machine.

Chrome OS will directly appeal to those users who want out of the Windows environment but don’t want to pay the Apple premium. That is to say, it will appeal to the lower end of the market, which again, Apple doesn’t participate in.

Third, while Apple clearly is committed to Mac OS X right now, remember that it first and foremost makes its money off of hardware sales. This is the opposite of Microsoft. During WWDC this year, Apple kind of danced around a key statistic: that the iPhone OS is quickly taking over as the dominant OS X version. If Apple can get out of its AT&T exclusivity in the U.S. (which I’d bet will happen next year) and do things like expand to China (which I bet will happen later this year or early next year), the sky is the limit for where that OS can go. Apple could well be more of a mobile company (iPhone and tablet) in a few years than a traditional computer company.

A lot of people may not like to hear that, but it’s true. The trends don’t lie. And there’s a reason Apple dropped the “Computer” from its name in 2007.

And Google Chrome OS is not a mobile OS, that’s Android. Assuming it can get on more devices, Android should be more of a direct competitor to OS X (I didn’t say Mac OS X) over the next decade than Chrome OS will be.

Still, there are some good points to be made about the relationship now between Apple and Google. As Anthony Ha of VentureBeat wrote last night, this move may mean the end of Google CEO Eric Schmidt on Apple’s board of directors. (And Arthur Levinson too, the Genentech CEO who currently resides on both Apple and Google’s boards). When the FTC was looking into Schmidt and Levinson’s roles on both boards as a possible antitrust violation back in May, we wrote that we thought it was just a shot across Google’s bow, and unlikely to force Schmidt to leave Apple’s board. He didn’t.

But Google getting into the OS business makes things decidedly more murky, even if the two OSes (Chrome OS and OS X) aren’t likely to have much effect on each other. Schmidt already has to excuse himself in Apple board meetings when the iPhone is talked about. Now he may have to do the same when OS X comes up. That leaves the question of just how much is there left to talk about at the board meetings when both Schmidt and Levinson are in the room?

Even though they’re probably not likely to understand too much about Google’s actual plans with Chrome OS, you can bet the government is quickly going to take a hard look at this relationship again. And that could well force at least Schmidt, and probably Levinson, to step down in the near future.

And while Apple may not like that since both are seasoned execs who undoubtedly provide a lot of insight in the board meetings, it will be fine. And that just makes more room for COO Tim Cook to possibly join the board.

As for Chrome OS and OS X themselves, I wouldn’t waste too much time thinking about it. While it will take several years for this all to play out, this is a direct attack by Google on Microsoft’s core. It’s perhaps the most bold move in a series of battles currently raging between the two (Android vs. Windows Mobile, Bing vs. Google Search, Google Docs vs. Office, etc). This is all about Microsoft, and not about Apple. And I don’t think Apple is losing any sleep at night over Google attacking what is also its rival.

From: techcrunch.com