Google has announced its plan to release its own operating system. In a post in Google’s official blog, the new operating system to be known as Google Chrome OS will be a faster and more secure OS environment. Google Chrome is an open source Linux based, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted on netbooks. Google Chrome OS will be available to consumers in the second half of 2010, but the code will be made available to developers later this year.
Google releases a new Beta Chrome browser, its 30% faster
According to Google, the new OS is necessary because “operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web”. Google Chrome OS, according to Google is “our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be”. Google Chrome is designed for those who spend most of their computing time on the web. It will initially be released for netbooks but will eventually run on larger notebooks and desktops.
Google Chrome OS is designed for simplicity, security, and speed. Google Chrome OS is essentially the Google Chrome browser running on a new windowing environment on top of a Linux kernel. Google Chrome OS will have a simple user interface, to get out of the way of the user and will rely on the web for most of its user experience.
Google is also promising to make Chrome more secure according to its official blog “We are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware, and security updates”.
Google Chrome OS is all about speed “We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds” Google said in its official blog. With Google Chrome OS, you can get to your email without waiting for your computer to boot or the browser to start up.
According to Google blog, Chrome OS will run on x86 chips (PC) and Arm chips. Google is already working with OEMs to bring products running Chrome OS to market by 2010. Some heavyweights that have been named include Intel, HP, Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba, and Texas Instruments.
Google Chrome OS will be a free OS, but will probably be monetized using advertising like other free Google applications.
Google Chrome OS is about a new OS philosophy. While Microsoft with Windows support the fat-client philosophy where your application and data reside on your computer, Google is supporting a new philosophy called Cloud computing (a thin-client philosophy), where your data and applications reside on the web on servers just like your email or facebook account.
This means you can access your data and applications from anywhere using any machine that can access the web. However, cloud computing raising privacy concerns about what Google or any company offering such technology will do with your personal data.
Google Chrome OS could be the beginning of the end of Microsoft’s dominance in the PC OS space. It will not be easy, but Google is one company that can do it. The battle will be fierce in some markets but in others like Nigeria it will be less challenging.
Although most people in Nigeria know Google only as a search engine, Google now do software. Google launched a browser a few months ago called Google Chrome, it is this browser that is now being extended to an OS. Google also has an operating system targeted at smartphones and some netbooks called Google Android.
Google docs is a free web based word processor, spreadsheet and presentation editor from Google. Google docs is similar to MS Office except that Google doc is based on cloud computing and your data resides on Google server. No software download is required just open an account. Google doc is as simple as having an email account.
Google also has an email service, called Gmail. Google Apps is a premium office package available to businesses.
Visit Google OS FAQ page.
