Google Announces Chrome OS, For Release Mid-2010
Zaiff Urgulbunger writes "After years of speculation, Google has announced Google Chrome OS, which should be available mid-2010. Initially targeting netbooks, its main selling points are speed, simplicity and security — which kind of implies that the current No.1 OS doesn't deliver in these areas! The Chrome OS will run on both x86 and ARM architectures, uses a Linux kernel with a new windowing system. According to Google, 'For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.' Google says that this new OS is separate from Android, as the latter was designed for mobile phones and set-top boxes, whereas Chrome OS is designed 'for people who spend most of their time on the web.'" The New York Times' coverage is worth reading, and there are stories popping up all over the web.
-Will the Chrome OS licensed with the standard Google license, that was used "by mistake" in the Chrome browser first?
-Will the Chrome OS give me targeted ads on the desktop/taskbar/whatever based on my OS usage?
-Can one trust his/her computer and data to an OS/Web application system that was made by a company, primarily living off collecting/categorizing data?
:)
They could have just invested in Canonical and Ubuntu, rather than try to reinvent the wheel. Another window manager just dilutes the current pool of people trying to do KDE and Gnome.
The whole Chrome announcement was handled by NPR this morning, and the net essence of it is that it pimps Google Apps to the detriment of Microsoft Office apps.... and potentially, each vendor's supposed 'cloud' offereings. Oh-- and it'll be out next year, maybe.
Yawn. Same fight, now with mutual propaganda and the same old tussling.
Bravo Google? Maybe-- if their apps were really nicely featured, didn't have to work as browser apps, and were actually competitive with Office-- which they are not, sadly. Eat Microsoft's marketshare and force Ballmer into a chair throwing session? I suppose that has some merit.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
Will the NetBSD version be out tomorrow or on Friday?
I drank what? -- Socrates