From Search to Email to Social Network to Advertising to Browser. And now to a complete web based Operating System. You guessed it. Google!
Google, has become synonymous with the internet for most of the worlds populations (yours truly included!). in fact, google.com can be thought of as the ‘Gateway to the Internet’. Each and every individual (at least 90% of them) use Google Search to find information. In fact some people never type a website URL in the browser window but use Google to open the website (a friend of mine searches ‘you’ in Google to open YouTube! Talk about the extent of laziness!).
Now, Google, undisputed King of the Web has finally crawled into the realm of Operating Systems (where Microsoft and Apples reign, with Linux/UNIX, Solaris to some extent). This move was in fact foreseen by many when Android was launched (which is a Google OS for netbooks and smart phones) and is what led many forecasters to conclude that it will be based upon Android. Alas Google said otherwise.
Termed as ‘Google Chrome OS’ is simply an OS based on the Chrome Web Browser is open source and based on the Linux Kernel (sort of a Linux plus Chrome Browser fusion). Google has announced releases of part of the source code by December 2009 with an OS version by mid 2010. This OS, so says Google, is being designed with a ‘simplest’ and ‘functional’ approach similar to its web browser. It will utilise a ‘cloud computing model’ i.e most of the applications will be hosted on remote servers (online on the internet, to be simple). Additionally, it is aimed at people who spend most of their time on the web (thus the cloud computing model). This OS will be available for a range of devices from Netbooks to desktop PC’s. and it will NOT be based on Android!
Additionally, this OS is supposed to be more secure since Google Chrome OS engineers have been working at the ‘grassroot’ level in terms of security infrastructure. The purpose of this is so that users don’t have to deal with issues such as Malware, Viruses, and Attacks. Google’s Chrome browser is already used by 30 million people since its launch early this year. Google‘s Chrome OS will therefore be a “natural extension” of the Chrome browser, and ”our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be,” so says the Google.
The platform will be characterized by “speed, simplicity and security.” It will offer a minimal UI, as well as boot-up to the web in only a few seconds, says Google.
Google Chrome OS involves companies like Adobe, ASUS, Lenovo, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Intel (the king of hardware!). Time will tell whether Google Chrome OS will overcome Microsoft’s market or will it be just another open source OS like Linux. Yes. Time will tell as it always has!
