Why Chrome OS will fail -- big time @ InfoWorld

Read the whole story

The Chrome OS article is the biggest load of BS I have read today... and being a Friday I've been browsing the web for a long time at work. The writer just doesn't seem to see the fact that web-based computing really is the way forward, and although Chrome OS might be lacking in a few departments, at least its a step in the right direction. It's designed for netbooks, which people only use for browsing the internet, basic word processing and playing movies anyway, but boots in a few seconds. What I'm not a fan of however, is going the Apple way and restricting Chrome OS to certain hardware. I can imagine installing it as a secondary OS on my desktop and booting it up when I want to quickly check something on the internet, etc.

@slh28 Chrome OS is not a step in the right direction. People want freedom and Google just doesn't deliver it. The OS is way too restrictive. I can only imagine it being used with the lowest of the lowest specs you can find on a netbook. Anything else that is just a abit capable win run Xp or Win7 starter (or linux for those who are tech savvy)

The Chome OS article is an opinion piece fro Infoworld of all places... What do you expect? ;-)

Google's goal isn't to deliver 'freedom' to everyone on every platform. They are goal is 'speed, simplicity and security' and Google feels that there is a market for appliance-like computers. It's honestly what 'netbooks' probably should have been starting out.

Manufacturers have been interested in trying Android on netbooks for awhile... It's not *intended* to just be on a phone though, so Chrome OS seems like a natural progression.

Even if this were intended to be a full fledged OS, they have to start somewhere. Google *cannot* release an OS for every platform and for every user and expect success with all the feature knobs turned to 11. They *need* industry support and by doing this in increments with a really basic OS at first, they'll get that.

You and I might not like the idea, but computer illiterati might appreciate having something that is super easy to use for just what they need (internet/email), spyware/virus free and runs awesomely fast. Remember WebTVs? It was a terrible idea IMO, but it stuck around for a bit. WebTV is gone now, but Chrome OS is going to be leaps and bounds beyond WebTV and eventually we'll be looking at free netbooks etc...

I don't expect Chrome OS to be very successful first starting out, but I think Google can get their foot in the door. Then they can move onto their bigger plans, which is beyond netbooks.. or at least that's what Google inferred when they said:

Face reality Puiu, convenience and speed trumphs everything else. If people were interested in freedom (however you're defining that exactly) then they'd be flocking to Linux and Apple's marketshare would be dwindling, whilst here in the real world, we all know Linux on the desktop has being going in circles and getting nowhere since forever now, and I don't even think Linux zealots believe their own hype anymore - while Apple has been cleaning up due to a combination of their smug self-satisfied marketing and Microsoft complete and utter incompetance at making a half decent OS.

Google OS will most likely achieve exactly what Google want it to, that is a minor success in the low end, very cheap netbook segment, and make gradual increases in market share and more importantly in attitudes towards the web, which is where their bread and butter is.

Google look very very far ahead and their business is still just selling ads online, mainly on their search results, everything else they do is essentially just to ensure people are online more of the time, so they'll be more exposed to Google's advertising, with the added bonus of keeping Microsoft on their toes from fear so they don't end up investing too much resources into their own competing search efforts.

okay I have a question for you guest, and cant wait to hear the answer. would you be so kind to explain to ,e this comment you made?
I have to assume from your statement that you include Windows 7 in that. what exactly is
about windows 7?

Indeed it is a wrong step to make cloud-like computers.

Maybe people will look for speed and convenience, but not all of them. Why hasn't googletalk then beaten up msn messenger? It's extremely light and fast at connects and communications, but it leaves all the goodies in msn messenger besides and, this is why I think google OS will fail.

I don't use my netbook as a toy to write mails, I get all the juice I can get out of it. Google Chrome OS just feels like... a linux distro sort of SDL or puppylinux but trimmed and cutting out the liberty to add whatever feels like you want to have in it.

How presumptuous, pedantic and predictable of you, red1776. I knew some pedant/fanboy would go specifically bring up Windows 7, despite it only being out a month, and a very small part of an overall statement. Yawwwwwwn.

oh please guest, nice try (insert applause here) and its the exact type of reply i expected, why not windows 7? the statement was you want to speak of being presumptuous? I am in no way shape or form a Microsoft fanboy, another pompous and arrogant assumption.
And as I predicted.....you wont answer the question, because you see, you don't have a valid answer to back up your solipsistic, and ill informed screed.

I think that a browser based UI is a good match for the cloud. And I do think that things will move further to web apps. You'll have more decent online software (with some ability to run it offline), and you'll be able to stream games instead of installing them locally. That said, I see no particular reason that Chrome OS will be the particular interface. It might have some success being the first.

In the long run (the ExtremeTech article about the death of desktops made me give this some thought), I do think that desktops are likely to die slowly. Weak notebooks, not necessarily small, and possibly ARM based, will be good for cloud apps. The missing factor for home users is mainly gaming. Consoles do that well, and could easily be extended to run all cloud apps (they're already getting more and more internet apps). So you'll have notebooks and netbooks running something like Chrome OS, and consoles and notesoles running a custom OS with games, media and web applications.

Might not happen soon, but I think that it makes sense, and I don't see much need for desktops as we know them today. I'm sure they'll remain, as workstations at least, but they, and the power PC laptops, will likely have a smaller part of sales.

Google Chrome OS could be a very big hit in cyber-cafés. It's very secure, cheap & could run on very "underpowered" hardware probably saving lots in power consumption. It also helps that it has a limited amount of possible applications, especially if there are ways to customize it & only allow certain applications (web-Office applications, Email, chats).

I could even see it as a more effective way of offering Internet access in airports, libraries or other public areas instead of free WiFi.

@red1776 The valid answer to your question is that although I concede Windows 7 could just about be considered "half-decent", my point - that Apple has gained ground due to marketing and Microsoft failings, was still perfectly valid since Windows 7 is about one month old. In addition, this was a small remark amongst a wider statement, and - frankly - beside the point. The fact you chose to pick up soley on this slight against Microsoft, whilst ignoring the ones against Apple and Google, indicates a degree of bias or fanboyism, if you like.

WELL SAID and shows good understanding of both computer and internet usage as well as human factors

[ps: Like to invite you to join as a full member; get some gmail email account to retain anonymity ]

pps: when the only tool in your tool box is a hammer, everything looks like a nail