Google Chrome OS

[dankles]

Some dumb ass at the NY times just posted this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/opinion/13cringely.html?_r=1

He believes that competition amongst MS and Google is a bad thing for Corps and the End User..... Fallacy.... I don't know why I even read it because we all know that journalists are morons.

I don't see that at all.

"...but in the end none of this is likely to make a real difference for either company or, indeed, for consumers." He's not saying it's bad at all, just that it's there.

I guess I should have said that differently. What I should have said is that he didn't think that it would make a difference for Corp or Customers or anyone. I dunno what I was thinking when I typed that last message.

But anyways... My opinion is that it will. Competition drives corporations to make better product. Better products == happier customers and corporations. So in the end, it will make a difference, big or small.

[zherok]

I think the author is an idiot for other reasons. He heavily implies that the fact that since most Google users are Windows and IE users, that somehow Google owes it's success to that pair (despite the fact that most IE users would have to get to Google on their own, since IE typically defaults to an OEM portral or one of Microsofts.) And his "nightmare" scenario of disabling Google access for all Windows users doesn't strike me as within the realm of the plausible or even remotely considerable.

He has some points, but they're mostly obvious ones. Bing obviously won't replace Google anytime soon, and Chrome hasn't reached a really competitive point with IE. But his main point that Chrome OS is unnecessary because Google is somehow reliant on Microsoft for it's success seems detached from reality.

[higaara]

Sorry I should clarify.

@Higaara: What I meant was that in the future, Smartphones will take apps from netbooks and netbooks will be phased out. (Turning instead into smart phones). I think that for whatever reason, the Vaio P has caught the eye of Google. Though we may see it as a failure and not like it, it shows something. Something smaller than a netbook can run full OSes, and not old and low requirement OSes like XP. (Indeed since Vaio P's came originally running Vista, then came with a XP downgrade and... expect a full utilization of Windows 7.) Did I mention that Vaio P had some partnership with Corel for something called the InstantON or something?

At first glance this device seems uninteresting. Then when you take a closer look, it's absolutely moves technology in certain directions.

At the size it is at and resolution, it sits in a size smaller than a netbook, but bigger than a smart device. It also makes use of a full OS. Absolutely it shows a beginning of higher computational power in smaller devices AND it shows that netbooks are going to be obsolete very soon. (Netbooks seems to be restricted a  bit more in comparison to the Vaio P, and they're all copies of the original netbook). It's going to push for more use from smart phones, and also proper and higher requirement from "ultraportables" in terms of size, power and usability.

Expect to see more ultraportable laptops to show up where you can actually carry easily and properly in your pocket or bag unlike current net books. (Like this Vaio P example). Now, this is where Google wants to come in. Netbooks might either merge with Smartphones, or they might phase out due to smaller computers running full OSes. However, while Android is going to be built based on smart phone basic technology, Google OS might be designed to sit in that gap to see which side Google will slide to. (Smart Phone or ultraportables) Netbooks as we know it are going to be gone soon.

But it's also hard to say and it also seems a little brash. Anyone else see the article about Acers putting Android as dual boot on netbooks with XP (soon to be phased out by the windows 7 netbooks)


Don't get me wrong though, the Vaio P is absolutely overpriced. Functions aren't as smooth as I would like it. Would I buy one? No. Would I accept one for free even if I wasn't allowed to sell it? Probably. Do I think the Vaio P is super amazing, hardcore and going to give everyone else a run for their money? No. But I do truly believe that the Vaio P is going to spur a type of R&D phase for 2010 and beyond for ultra portables(not "netbooks"). Just like Apple did with the iPhone (and all those samsung look alikes).

Netbooks are for basic computational use, but now with increased capabilities in smaller form... netbooks are going to look obsolete as soon as the recession blows over. Expect more "netbook-esque" apps and OSes and use in smartphones in a few years and netbooks to be running up to date OSes ranging from Linux, windows and even "hackintosh" (unless Apple releases the iPortable or something).

Huh, interesting. I'd never heard of the Vaio P series before, but that could certainly explain Google's rationalization for making Chrome OS. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[LiquidZero]

well...i have to admit it sounds a little like bullshit to me....
i mean sure i love google (chrome is okay too... but recently its been fuckin up! not to mention no plugins!)
first off how different would it be from windows(general populus),Mac (mostly working class people),Linux/Dev. OSs (for those super cool coders!). Would it be compatible with Mac and Windows?! that would be the only thing that would make me adopt it as my Prime OS.

[dankles]

well...i have to admit it sounds a little like bullshit to me....
i mean sure i love google (chrome is okay too... but recently its been fuckin up! not to mention no plugins!)
first off how different would it be from windows(general populus),Mac (mostly working class people),Linux/Dev. OSs (for those super cool coders!). Would it be compatible with Mac and Windows?! that would be the only thing that would make me adopt it as my Prime OS.

Over the years, I think it will be more like Mac and Linux.... We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

[fohfoh]

well...i have to admit it sounds a little like bullshit to me....
i mean sure i love google (chrome is okay too... but recently its been fuckin up! not to mention no plugins!)
first off how different would it be from windows(general populus),Mac (mostly working class people),Linux/Dev. OSs (for those super cool coders!). Would it be compatible with Mac and Windows?! that would be the only thing that would make me adopt it as my Prime OS.

Over the years, I think it will be more like Mac and Linux.... We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

It will most likely be a bridge in between. Just like how Mozilla is getting everywhere... how Google gets all over the place via Gmail, google docs etc... it's meant to be something that kind of sits in the middle and fucks up the "extremes"

[Zayras]

Why Google’s Chrome OS Will Die [/shameless plug]

Yeah pretty much agree with the author here, but I think he's a bit too pessimistic about it. I mean I still think it will fail, just because if they're actually going to go ahead an release an OS they should make it available for all computers, but either way it's going to be a bit hard for them to just take the Microsoft Office suite or the Mac multimedia programs off the market if they try to use alternatives. Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

& yeah... I used to really like Google, but they've become too big of a giant now lol. Kinda like Microsoft, everyone uses it (most people in a world wide scale anyways) but no one really likes it that much.... At least that's my current feeling about it.

[dankles]

Why Google’s Chrome OS Will Die [/shameless plug]

Yeah pretty much agree with the author here, but I think he's a bit too pessimistic about it. I mean I still think it will fail, just because if they're actually going to go ahead an release an OS they should make it available for all computers, but either way it's going to be a bit hard for them to just take the Microsoft Office suite or the Mac multimedia programs off the market if they try to use alternatives. Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

& yeah... I used to really like Google, but they've become too big of a giant now lol. Kinda like Microsoft, everyone uses it (most people in a world wide scale anyways) but no one really likes it that much.... At least that's my current feeling about it.

I think in some ways he is comparing apples with oranges though. It's to early to formulate an opinion i think. Though I'm a guy that likes to keep an open mind (believe it or not)

EDIT:
In the end, what I'm hoping for the most is that Google will give lots of code back to the linux/FOSS community.

[fohfoh]

Why Google’s Chrome OS Will Die [/shameless plug]

Yeah pretty much agree with the author here, but I think he's a bit too pessimistic about it. I mean I still think it will fail, just because if they're actually going to go ahead an release an OS they should make it available for all computers, but either way it's going to be a bit hard for them to just take the Microsoft Office suite or the Mac multimedia programs off the market if they try to use alternatives. Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

& yeah... I used to really like Google, but they've become too big of a giant now lol. Kinda like Microsoft, everyone uses it (most people in a world wide scale anyways) but no one really likes it that much.... At least that's my current feeling about it.

I think in some ways he is comparing apples with oranges though. It's to early to formulate an opinion i think. Though I'm a guy that likes to keep an open mind (believe it or not)

EDIT:
In the end, what I'm hoping for the most is that Google will give lots of code back to the linux/FOSS community.

AFAIK, Google and IBM put a LOT into linux programming. Though I can't see whether they take then make proprietary and allow the original programmers to keep and continue, or how they treat the stuff. (Making proprietary just makes a new "Apple")

[dankles]

AFAIK, Google and IBM put a LOT into linux programming. Though I can't see whether they take then make proprietary and allow the original programmers to keep and continue, or how they treat the stuff. (Making proprietary just makes a new "Apple")

As of mid 2008, IBM is the #3 funder for linux, funding 7.5% of the over all work for linux. Google is the #13 funder for linux, contributing only 1.4% of funded work. And virtually all of googles contribution is due to the work of Andrew Morton, one of the key linux kernel developers.

So google isn't doing too much for linux yet, however I hope that will change.

I got those stats from a video by Greg Kroah Hartman talking on the development of Linux Kernel. He is also a key linux kernel developer.
Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2SED6sewRw <--- A good watch while you're multitasking and doing something else.

[fohfoh]

http://www.gcn.com/Articles/2009/04/20/Linux-funding-sources.aspx

I found this... Don't know if it's legit information though.

Says IBM is only 5th. (Unless you ignore "None" and "Unknown")

[dankles]

http://www.gcn.com/Articles/2009/04/20/Linux-funding-sources.aspx

I found this... Don't know if it's legit information though.

Says IBM is only 5th. (Unless you ignore "None" and "Unknown")

Hmmm... well the stats I saw went like this:



But for one, this was mid 2008 and before the great economy collapse. And two, the one i showed was based on funded work, not just funded revenue (what ever that means).  So who knows.... We all know that statistics sucks.  And in the end, google isn't on the top 10 of either of the lists, which is the main point of the discussion.

[queenmetroid]

Who cares whether Google funds Linux or not? They aren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts by any stretch of the imagination. They are using Linux because it's free and then they won't have to write any difficult base hardware code. IF any code makes it back to the Linux community, one, it won't be anything the community couldn't have done themselves, and two, I doubt you'll find anything revolutionary, anyway.

[dankles]

Finally someone said it:
Dell: Chrome is one of many Linux-based OSes

The real question is if it will be "GNU/Linux" .... Probably not.... but who knows

[sdedalus83]

Gnu/linux means the GNU tools with the linux kernel. No matter what gui system they have, it will still use the basic gnu tools, as just the kernel would be useless without them.

[dankles]

Gnu/linux means the GNU tools with the linux kernel. No matter what gui system they have, it will still use the basic gnu tools, as just the kernel would be useless without them.

Nah, there is linux without gnu.

[sdedalus83]

What OS uses linux as an OS without at least including gcc and the gnu c libraries?

[dankles]

What OS uses linux as an OS without at least including gcc and the gnu c libraries?

Umm... some of the mobile phone type devices, tivo, amazon kindle, etc.... I'm pretty sure they are all base on a more lite weight version of the gnu equivalents, though I can't remember the name it.

[bloody000]

tcc.
I also remember someone on the ffmpeg mailing list wrote his own c lib.