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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.

6 of 1,089 comments (clear)

  1. Epic Fail by Saint+Stephen · · Score: 0, Troll

    Let's see now.

    It's Linux! And you can only run the web browser on it! Because, you know, if all you want to do is surf the web, and the stuff you need to do all runs on the web, then it doesn't matter if it's Linux or Windows!

    Oh, wait, you mean I can't do that? Oh, um, how do I get updates on this thing? Oh, um, that doesn't work quite the way I want it to.

    Can I return this thing and get one that works like a normal computer I'm used to?

  2. Re:Competition is good, baby! by noundi · · Score: 0, Troll

    You take the quotes out of context. What's bad about the first sentence? I called him a troll because he was trolling. He was making up facts that weren't true, and this is called trolling. Is it wrong to call someone who's trolling troll? The second quote was supposed to be a funny response to the AC that asked who peed on my rug. Not to be taken seriously. The third quote I wrote since I noticed that someone was intentionally burning karma, instead of using mod points for what they're made for. You can disagree with me all you want, but nothing in the post was trolling. And there is no -1 disagree, for a reason.

    So anything else?

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    I am the lawn!
  3. Re:My hopes for Chrome OS by CdBee · · Score: 0, Troll

    I've been a Mac user since 10.3 was new and exciting. I've tried X-based apps extensively, thats why i am so fundamentally opposed to the use of X !!

    Before I was a mac user I was a linux user. I gave Linux up as a dead loss because of all the legacy crap which is supported with a fundamentalist zealotry by people who really ought to know better.

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    I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
  4. Re:Uh huh. by Serious+Callers+Only · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yes, I can see it now: "Error: You need the Chrome Operating System to view this web page"

    If this was from Microsoft, perhaps, however Google seem to have thought of that objection; from the article:

    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.

    If you're using IE I guess you might be left out in the cold, but IE users will be used to that by now.

  5. Re:nix out of living rooms by GargamelSpaceman · · Score: 0, Troll

    Just installed ubuntu on my home computer after learning it was based on debian and after using umpteen zillion different distros over the years. Everything just works. For real. I can finally see no reason not to recommend it over windows to the average home user who doesn't want to play games. That is, I'd recommend it to anyone (grandma included) considering a mac as a money saving no-brainer. Because of the lack of spyware/adware/viruses I put it as actually more user friendly than windows. Ubuntu on home pcs does everything worthwhile Chrome OS might. Google ought to just fund development on apps that don't require windows like it's done with web browsers and not bother with 'Chrome OS'

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    ...
  6. Re:Uh huh. by malevolentjelly · · Score: 0, Troll

    Unless you have numbers to back it up, that is an assertion, and not "the fact of the matter". Many benchmarks have shown that OpenGL on Linux is faster than Windows in some configurations. I can't say "most", since I don't have numbers either, but objective benchmarks of both native OpenGL applications and even applications running under Wine do show that X11 is not only acceptable, but faster than Windows. Do you have anything to back up your assertions, or are you just spouting off about your subjective experience that the GNU desktop software feels slow? The latter is something a lot of people complain about, but it's not actually X11's fault.

    Slow down before you choke on the irony of your situation, here. Which of these systems have you never used before? Windows or Linux?

    Let me make it far simpler:

    Firefox runs faster on Windows, Flash runs faster on Windows, hardware video acceleration is available and stable on Windows... this is no fault of the Linux kernel, it's just awkward to step around X. These three issues pretty much represent the crux of what is important on a netbook. Thus, we should assume that X is not fit for the job.