Maximum PC

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=15632

this seems pretty interesting. I always thought it was a matter of time before Google tried going after Windows. it will be interesting to see how this develops

Was going to call hoax on this... but it is the real deal.

Btw, I won't ever use it. I guess it is interesting to have it, but seriously. There are 8000 distributions of Linux already, I mean, no offense to Google, but do we really need another one? Google as to do something omgwtf amazing to it to make it even worth looking at seriously (IMO of course).

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/ ... me-os.html

While I agree that Google will need to do something to make their particular Linux spin unique I have to mention that they have successfully entered the free email market and kicked ass all over yahoo, hotmail, and AOL. They are entering a crowded browser market and doing a pretty darned decent job so far so I am forced to think that a year or so after the initial launch that the Google OS will have several features that make it unique.

Much like Gmail and Chrome I don't think it will be ready for every day business for quite a while but I will be willing to bet it (the Chrome OS) makes the top 10 within a few years of release.

I disagree with you on this one, CT.

From a practical point of view, you're absolutely correct. But Google has tremendous mindshare and people will jump on their OS bandwagon just because it is a Google product.

Just an FYI:

What is going to set Google Chrome OS apart from most every other distro out there is the Windowing System.




Therefore, this will not be simply another Gnome or KDE clone as 95% percent of the Linux distro's are, or even XFCE or something of that ilk. Rather, this may possibly not even be an X Windows frontend, a large change to the Linux platform that can not be denied.

Dan O.

So because everybody jumps on the bandwagon it is immediately worth looking at?

And that is what I was talking about...

I don't think anyone said that ...

At any rate, it is clear that this OS is not linux. It uses the linux kernel but that blog post indicates that the OS is essentially just a front-end for webapps.

I'll give it a spin on my netbook, but I've got a feeling I won't be holding onto it for very long.

That is what I got out of this:



It just read that way. I don't think you meant it. I was basically saying unless they do something awesome it is pointless. You disagreed and said that they have a lot who'd jump on it because it was Google.

Right ... I think there will be a lot of bandwagon jumpers because of the name.

I don't think that we'll be among them, though, which was my response.

Funny how shit can get mixed up so easily.

I'm not a big fan of web-dependent technologies .. though now that I have 3 'net connections available at home at all times (cable ISP, tethered iPhone, various open wireless networks in my building), I'm less worried that I'll lose computing ability when / if a connection goes down.

From what I read this morning, I noticed that they are going after the netbook market. I'm sure notebooks and desktops will follow, but they are going after a niche that MS is going to abandon. I'll have to look for the link later, but MS was talking about limiting Win 7 installs to notebooks with screens 11" and larger. This would mean that netbooks and many smaller laptops would be left without an OS, a perfect niche for Google to fill. As a matter of fact, I want to say I read about that in the last issue of MPC. I'll look for it after I get off work.

Here is where I read they will be going after netbooks.

FWIW, MS isn't abandoning netbooks.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/22/micr ... oks-specs/

They are kinda being asshats about it though.

I'd say that there's still enough angst at MS to have enough people just look.

I think crash is right though. If you don't set your hook on your initial release, you're credibility is in question when it comes with the next release.



With us (meaning those who post in Alt.OS), we like to tinker with stuff, so our natural curiosity will lead us to try it anyways.

They'll still need to produce something for the "everyone else" crowd to continue that interest. It doesn't have to be anything mind blowing though. Just enough of a taste to keep an interest. Anything short of that and you're allowing your product to be pulled down to where linux is today, rather then giving it a hand up (which is what I think the goal here is)

Ah. I thought I had read that they were abandoning netbooks under 10.2", but I read the article wrong. They just won't provide Windows 7 to netbooks with a screen over 10.2". That means that larger screen netbooks will have to be Linux, or maybe Vista? It still sucks, and will give Google OS a possible foot in the door.

No, they will still be able to get Windows 7... just not the Starter or Basic editions.

Despite the great work the devs working on Xorg have done, it's incredibly old and I'm surprised no one else has tried to make are replacement until now. Hopefully, Google's new display technology will be worth the work and make Linux more applicable on other devices.

As far as the whole ChromeOS goes, I like that some huge company is actually getting behind some consumer-oriented Linux, but ChromeOS sounds like a more thought out rehash of gOS, which peddled most of Google's web-apps too. Not that I'm not a fan of Google's apps, or of Google as a whole, but I don't really want to put all of my use and files into Google's web-apps either.

The OS is an extension of the gOS idea ... if you're primarily interested in using a PC (netbooks in particular) for web browsing, it might be good.

As for a 'huge company getting behind some consumer-oriented Linux' ... IBM isn't good enough for you?

I had forgot about that. I know they've given a lot of support to the community, but I figured they were mostly about pushing Linux on their own servers and mainframes. Plus. IBM has been quietly involved in Linux for a while now. Google comes in full-frontal with trumpets a blowin'.

I think 'quietly' may be disputed .. IBM has been pushing linux along nicely and they are responsible for much of the acceptance of linux in industry over the last couple of years.

I'm hesitant to support the claim that google has done anything for the community until they release their source. Without the source, they are not F/OSS and are just riding on the backs of free labour.

They say they will open it up, though, so I remain hopeful.

forgive me if this question sounds retarded....is the Google OS a precursor to Cloud Computing??