Google’s Chrome OS vs. Windows
Can Google’s new operating system weaken Microsoft’s grip on the PC market?
Google's Chrome operating system is a direct attack on Microsoft's turf.
(Corbis/Kim Kulish, James Leynse)
Google is “dropping the mother of bombs on its chief rival, Microsoft,” said MG Siegler in TechCrunch. The Internet giant is launching an open-source operating system, Google Chrome OS, that will go head-to-head with Windows, especially on increasingly popular, low-cost netbooks. “It’s a genius play”—people want a lightweight and fast OS, and most netbooks are running 8-year-old Windows XP. Microsoft better hope Windows 7 is a big hit.
It’s predictable, and understandable, that people are seeing this as a “new, major assault” on Microsoft, said Rob Hof in BusinessWeek. But I don’t think that’s Google’s “main aim.” As with its Chrome browser and Android mobile OS, Google is “trying to simply make the Web work better.” That’s not “altruism”—when people use the Web, Google profits.
This is about the Web, but that shouldn’t make Microsoft rest any easier, said Stephen Shankland in CNET News. Chrome OS, which essentially runs the Web over a Linux base, is cloud computing taken to the next level, and it shows that Google believes Web applications—think Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Calendars—are the future of computing. If Google’s right, Chrome OS could spell trouble for Microsoft Office, too.
Microsoft isn’t taking this lying down, said Tom Warren in Neowin. Recently, the software giant has been “dropping hints” about its experimental Gazelle browser, which is being designed to act “like a self-contained operating system.” If Chrome OS gets a lot of positive press, look to hear more about Gazelle.
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2 Comments
Posted by PDH, Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 8:15 pm Still waiting for more information to come out on this new OS largely being a browser I don't see this as being a HUGE cut into MS' dynasty, unless Google's also got a ton of new webapps in the works.Hopefully it will overtake it, however. I for one use cloud computing almost exclusively it is definitely taking off into something that OSes were not initially designed for.
Posted by Josh Young, Sunday, November 8, 2009, 1:49 pm I don't understand why people want to support Microsoft's monopoly. How many people would still buy windows even after Chrome OS and Gazelle? The ignorance of the people are the problem, they don't realize the freedom of choice they are throwing away when they support Microsoft.At least when Chrome OS comes out I will have a choice for the first time in generations since Microsoft locked people into their OS and out of anything else. Why do people not care about this? Microsoft has control over what software you use on their systems.
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