Windows has a new competitor.

[CGM]

A new operating system, brought to you by the folks from Google. emphasis on speed and efficiency.

Call me very interested.

Google takes on Windows with Chrome OS - CNN.com

[robinswe01]

There is no chance it will take off. I use Linux, which is a free and customisable operating system. Only about of 1% of PC user use it . Its been around for about 20 years.

[CGM]

There is no chance it will take off. I use Linux, which is a free and customisable operating system. Only about of 1% of PC user use it . Its been around for about 20 years.

You might be right. Chrome is just a linux kernel though, that's just under the hood. Who knows what they will actually provide in terms of look and feel and usability. They are initially targeting netbook users , and lord knows the netbook hasn't supplanted the PC for general purpose use.

It depends how it is marketed. I think they could take a huge bite out of the netbook O/S market, I love what they did with Google Chrome Browser, based on that and their web sevices, I think they will come up with something very fast and efficient and easy to use, but without the range of abilities that Windows has.

[AdamGB]

If another OS overtakes windows then eventually it will be just as scrutinized as windows is.

People tend to forget the the reason Windows gets exploited so much is because it's such a big target for the little pseudo-anarchist hackers sitting in their parent's basement... the majority of them love linux (anything that isn't 'the man' basically) so of course they aren't going to put as much effort into tearing the other OS' apart.

[CGM]

AdamGB, unfortunately I got to agree. But when you start talking about hackers and virus programmers, well these some gutless little fuckers may consider themselves to be anarchists with a noble ideal, but as far as I am concerned they are just vandals who like to fuck people up.

[RP33]

If another OS overtakes windows then eventually it will be just as scrutinized as windows is.

People tend to forget the the reason Windows gets exploited so much is because it's such a big target for the little pseudo-anarchist hackers sitting in their parent's basement... the majority of them love linux (anything that isn't 'the man' basically) so of course they aren't going to put as much effort into tearing the other OS' apart.

Agree with you very much. I'm not defending windows, but i will agree that it is an easy target, and the way many see it, it's the only target.

BUT one thing is that for people who don't want to use linux, or ubuntu, or a get a Mac, then they essentially HAVE to use windows. Microsoft knows this, and that is where a problem lies. They load so much stuff onto your computer JUST with the install of windows. I'm not talking about IE and all of that junk, it's that plus a lot of other background items. ESPECIALLY with Vista, the OS takes a ton of memory to run, clogging up resources. This effects your computer especially if you don't have a ton of memory. I have slightly over 1 gb of memory and Vista eats a lot of it up. My computer doesn't run slow, but if i was running a different OS, the difference would be significant. Even if I used XP, I'm sure I would notice a difference.

Don't take this the wrong way.. I'm not really "complaining" because I would be stupid to complain and continue to use the product. I'm just simply stating that there are issues that have to do with the fact that Microsoft knows it can get away with these sorts of things. If they had a competitor you will start seeing things in the next few years that will make you ask, "why didn't Vista/XP run like this?".. the answer will be, that it didn't have to!

[Kev]

I reckon a google operating system would have a far greater chance of success than Linux as EVERYBODY uses google as a search bar.

Google is my homepage and has been for probably the past 8 years and I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

On the other hand I have never installed, used or even seen Linux in operation.

If their operating system was free and easy to install I could see it being especially popular on laptops.

Google is now almost as monolithic as Microsoft though and so its operating system will likely draw a ton of criticism and hate from the same people who hate Microsoft's operating sytems.

I can't see many people putting it on their despktops but if you've got a notebook used primarily for the internet and communication a streamlined, open source, novel operating system that caters specificially to those needs could be very popular.

I wonder if they intend to branch into the realm of convergance devices, mobile phones, pda's etc as I expect Google Chrome would work well on those devices too.

It has a far better chance of being succesful than Linux, which is something only for the hardcore techhy hobbyist, google chrome could easily target and attract the young, tech savvy mobile operators and workers, people with iphones, blackberry's, little notebooks etc.

I predict it will be a success.

[Memphis]

We're all already moving towards web based operating systems/applications without actually noticing. Storing files/photos online, using office apps online, I cant remember the last time I downloaded a film/fight/porn and watched it on a media player installed on my PC.

Its the future

[brucelee]

I've been conducting tutorials and seminars on the use of Linux and open source applications for the past 6 years but I'm using Microsoft in my office. Hehehe. There have been many incompatibilities with Linux and the hardware I'm using so I'm forced to use Microsoft. Most of the computers I'm handling though run on Linux Mandriva. It's so sad that many hardware manufacturers don't consider Linux when making their products.

We could have succeeded in the Linux revolution.


Still, the fight against Microsoft is alive and we hope to succeed someday.

[CGM]

Bill Gates was asked once "What is the secret to your success?" and his response was something to the effect "I was in the right place at the right time".

When IBM was developing the first PC in the early 1980s, it was between Microsoft and Digital Research as to who would supply the operating system. Digital Research actually had the contract, but when it came to crunch time, their O/S didn't work well. Luckily for Gates, he had previously decided to develop his O/S (MS-DOS) anyway, and was able to step into the breach created by Digital's failure.

At this point, IBM tried to buy MS-DOS outright from Gates, but Gates wouldn't sell, he would only license DOS to IBM. And the rest is history.

It's an interesting story, here is a good starting point to find out more.

MS-DOS - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia