Google names Chrome OS compatriots, Dell noticeably absent

Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments -- according to the latest Chrome OS update from Google, you're looking at the company's initial ragtag team of co-conspirators for its entry into the operating system business. With Adobe's involvement, we can assume Flash support is a given, and the others unsurprisingly run the gamut of netbook and smartbook players. We can't help but notice a couple of conspicuous absences on that list, including Intel and Dell. With Intel, you don't need to partner to work on its chips, but we gotta imagine it'd help by offering more support, and as for Dell, we don't know about that one, but there's still plenty of time for the Big G to enlist more companies in the lead up to its second half 2010 debut.

Update: Google updated the list to include Toshiba.

[adrian @ Jul 8th 2009 8:08PM]

Dell is towing the MS line.

[Sisyphus @ Jul 8th 2009 8:18PM]

Ubuntu. First to preload it. Google it.

[Monkey with glasses @ Jul 8th 2009 8:26PM]

Dell was Delleted. Haha, lol.

[inteller @ Jul 8th 2009 8:31PM]

The OS that has the most to fear is Ubuntu, not Windows. So Asus will load this instead of their Mee OS....BFD.

[Terry @ Jul 8th 2009 8:36PM]

I know that playing "wait-and-see" in a period of any economic turbulence is standard operating procedure for big businesses, like DELL, with nowhere to go but down -- especially considering Ubunto, their last attempt at "innovation" -- but this is googleOS! They'll have a netbook pumping this no more than a year after Asus digs into their market share.

As for intel, they're just peeved that after buying up Clutter and releaseing their Moblin 2.0 beta, most of the blades from the buzz surrounding that just became too dull to cut cheese. Like DELL, though, they've got their seats reserved on the bandwagon, even if it's just because their marketing department demand that at some point they piggyback off of the GIGANTIC publicity.

[David @ Jul 8th 2009 9:23PM]

The circle is complete.

Now google will control just about every aspect of your time on the computer ... quietly collecting your "anonymous" data.

You'll start caring when it's too late.

[Andir3.0 @ Jul 8th 2009 9:27PM]

I'm surprised HP is on that list. They've been heavily Microsoft in their commercials and offerings.

[James Dumoulin @ Jul 8th 2009 9:27PM]

What is it with linux and circles...debian..ubuntu...now chrome?

[Andir3.0 @ Jul 8th 2009 9:42PM]

What's with Windows and squares? ;)

[deanb @ Jul 8th 2009 10:07PM]

And Apple n ....Apple shapes
Well at least it means we know who are The Squares, who are The Fruit n does circle signify anything?

[cromas @ Jul 8th 2009 10:11PM]

Who's square, who's curvy, and who's fruity...?

[Cy Starkman @ Jul 8th 2009 10:38PM]

@deanb

The Squares, The Fruits.... and the circle, well maybe its an Ass?

[Eddie.exe @ Jul 9th 2009 12:16AM]

Dell is shit anyways

[copeys @ Jul 9th 2009 2:27AM]

@David so true, but right now, I am nowhere near wanting to complain, especially from the company that bought me; google search, google image, google news, google books, Gmail, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Street view, Google chrome, and so much more free of charge.

[miky @ Jul 9th 2009 2:16PM]

How, exactly, are they going to steal your data with this? It's open source, for crying out loud!

[GRAMMAR POLICE @ Jul 8th 2009 8:10PM]

Dell is probably thinking about what FUN they had supporting Linux. Now they can safely say "fuck THAT" to the next Linux-based OS before seeing how it pans out with other companies.

[Terry @ Jul 8th 2009 8:42PM]

Support for googleOS?? PFFFFT! Aside from googleOS actually delivering on the promise to "just work," users will just open up their chrome browsers and Bing! the answers to any questions they might have. It all works out perfectly!

[Mikeweezer @ Jul 8th 2009 9:24PM]

Bing is the best way to Google things, IMHO.

[the4thheat @ Jul 9th 2009 12:58AM]

Yeah seriously, I would never, ever, want to do customer support as a computer company for PCs being sold to regular consumers with Linux. It's bad enough dealing with barely computer literate people who can't even figure out how to get to the control panel in Windows.
And even with Windows it's all made worse by the fact that 99% of Dell CSRs are as computer illiterate as the customers and just reading off some moronic script.
Even if Google dumbs down the OS the problem is that when something does go wrong with Linux the fixes usually involve opening up a terminal window and typing cryptic stuff, reading cryptic files, typing more cryptic stuff, editing cryptic files, setting cryptic permissions, realizing that it still isn't fixed, then poring over all sorts of config files until you realize that you made a typo. All of which sounds like customer support will mostly involve sending the computer back and formatting over it every time some idiot calls in.

[GRAMMAR POLICE @ Jul 9th 2009 1:54AM]

@the4thheat

Perfect.

[arash @ Jul 9th 2009 2:44AM]

@mark
perfect

[Goatee Man @ Jul 8th 2009 8:12PM]

I'd think Dell will help out anyway, even if they're not a "partner" per se.

[weg @ Jul 8th 2009 8:12PM]

A Google-branded Linux distribution? They've to add a lot of goodies to convince me to switch from Ubuntu....

[drinkypoo @ Jul 8th 2009 8:49PM]

This will not be a GNU/Linux distribution. It is a new operating system built on top of the linux kernel. Think of OS X and how they took a BSD kernel and built aqua on top.

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 9th 2009 4:53AM]

No, its more like a completely minimal linux distribution that exists solely to run a heavily integrated Chrome browser in a secure sandbox.

This idea of web app-only functionality gets more interesting when you look at the progression of technologies Google has been working on:

1st was Google Gears for offline-storage
2nd was Google Open3D, a new framework for GPU accelerated 3D in the browser
3rd was Googles work with OpenVG for GPU accelerated vector graphics
4th was Google's Native Client, which is meant to allow native code (aka C/C++ and more) to securely run in the browser

You can see they are completely replication EVERY major fundamental technology that exists in a modern computing experience INTO the browser! They are really going to change things here!

[Tom @ Jul 8th 2009 8:13PM]

Not really surprised to see HP up there. They tend to like to avoid having only one choice when possible, and dedicate a lot of internal resources to various projects to either run alternate OSs on their hardware, or even tweak and tune Windows to make it unique for devices like their touchscreen computer.

Asus and Acer, also no big surprise with their netbook lines.

Freescale and TI make sense since Google said ARM.

Adobe is a bit of a surprise, I wonder what their involvement is. HTML5 has many features aimed at Flash.

Not sure about Qualcomm.

And yeah, not really shocking that Dell is missing. They don't want to upset MS or Intel with the favorable pricing they get for their loyalty.

[sam @ Jul 9th 2009 8:20AM]

Qualcomm are on that picture because:

a) they are also major ARM licensees (currently w/ Snapdragon)

b) they wanted to make everyone else's logo look good

(seriously wtf is UP with that logo? it's the ugliest 'professional' logo I've seen in a while. did they get the boss's 10-year-old to design it in school?)

[Nick @ Jul 8th 2009 8:13PM]

Quite a bummer about Dell, but where the hell is Intel?

[L @ Jul 8th 2009 9:02PM]

Working on Moblin, obviously...

[Fanfoot @ Jul 8th 2009 10:29PM]

Where the hell are Nvidia (for Tegra) and AMD?

[drinkypoo @ Jul 8th 2009 10:44PM]

I don't really see intel being an important partner. The linux kernel already fully supports all of their processors and chipsets.

[thequinox @ Jul 10th 2009 12:40AM]

Agreed. Intel won't want any part of this because it has been investing time in Moblin.

[iKurt 7 @ Jul 8th 2009 8:14PM]

This is going to be a huge fail, because those people who switched to OSX know how easy to use and secure Apple's OS is. Google Chrome OS is basically computer nerd's wet dream like Linux, which did not gain mainstream acceptance and very patchy security and selection of non-industry standard software.

[Mike @ Jul 8th 2009 8:38PM]

You are missing the point. Google is gunning initially for low end, where Apple doesn't tread - so OS X here is irrelevant. As netbooks decrease in price, Windows makes up an increasing percentage of the cost... that's just not sustainable.

Other Linux distros are certain capable feature wise, but overall just don't have the warm and fuzzy familiarity that Google can bring to the table.

My grandparents get Gmail. It wouldn't take much to show them how to put a simple spreadsheet together on Google Docs. They can enter contacts that will stay with them even if they replace the computer down the road. They can check websites. Google is starting to put together all the pieces of an internet focused OS.

[miky @ Jul 8th 2009 9:02PM]

"those people who switched to OSX know how easy to use and _secure_ Apple's OS is"

What? You mean how little it's targeted with viruses?

I'm sick of this myth.

[Adderz @ Jul 8th 2009 9:44PM]

I think your a huge fail iKurt.

Im typing this on my iMac and its true, i love Mac OS. But im also running WIndows 7 RC on my Dell Mini9 and am very interested in this Google OS.

Ive been very happy with Chrome and Gmail and dont do anything overly taxing on the Mini9 so an easy to use, tailored for netbook OS would be perfect.

Ive looked at all the flavours of Linux and they just dont sit well with me, very patchy indeed, ive also tried OSX on it but didnt suit my needs, Windows 7 is good, but is just too much for a little netbook feature wise.

[deanb @ Jul 8th 2009 10:24PM]

Ask any of your relatives if they heard of Linux. Then ask if they heard of Google.
And there you have where GoogleOS can succeed over the original netbook Distros.
Google has huge brand recognition, and alot of goodwill. People have been using them for years, and Apple haven't spent millions in ad's undermining them.
Apart from Dell that list has most of the major Netbook guys, so when average joe is buying a netbook they can have the option between 'evil, crashing virus laden' Windows, or Google, the guys that rule the internet, and surely the internet guys sound much better on a 'net'book? It's like Asus n co laid out hte red carpet for Google with a new sector of PC's that they can thrive on.
I don't think Google are really aiming to take over the major desktop market, but think of devices like the crunchpad, netbook's, archos's Win7 tablet etc, these devices would work wonders with a simple web based OS.

[gouken85 @ Jul 8th 2009 8:16PM]

It feels like open handset alliance/Android all over again.

[JJ @ Jul 8th 2009 8:17PM]

it's the mirrors, dude.

[bquist @ Jul 8th 2009 8:23PM]

Dell Computers bug me.... I don't care.

[Quikboy @ Jul 8th 2009 8:28PM]

Apple is noticeably absent too :)

[vansmack @ Jul 9th 2009 1:50AM]

Best comment of the thread....

You guys can take on MS/Intel/Dell all you want, but any omission ofApple from this conversation shows how little you know of business models and how competition breeds innovation (let alone lower prices...).

[jay jay @ Jul 8th 2009 8:29PM]

when can we see some screen shots of chrome os?

[deanb @ Jul 8th 2009 10:37PM]

Download Chrome, hit F11 n have a play about with some of the Google App's n I think that should give a your a pretty good idea of what Google are aiming for.

[Parad0x @ Jul 8th 2009 8:33PM]

Dell probably just doesn't want to clutter up their OS choices any more I would imagine.

[Tony Montana @ Jul 8th 2009 8:37PM]

Dells wise decisions have lead to the fantastic sales surge they are seeing now while their opponents like hp have taken decisions that have given them the problem of being the number 1 pc maker in the world.

I know which horse I'm backing.

[Celedhring @ Jul 8th 2009 8:46PM]

Apparently their answer to that problem has been releasing cheaply made plastic laptops that break down as soon as you stare them intensely.

Really, I have owned 2 HP laptops the past year, and they have failed/broken down until I finally gave up and bought a Dell (out of no particular love but I was able to snatch a good deal). I guess that's the reason HPs prices are so competitive though.

[Postal Dude @ Jul 9th 2009 3:21AM]

^^^ True. I once bought a 1200$ HP laptop, and after 2-3 months of average use 2 parts of the casing turned black (burnt) and half of the keys fell out.

Needless to say, I will NEVER buy an HP again.

[Wolfticket @ Jul 8th 2009 8:50PM]

I bet Microsoft are genuinely worried. The familiarity of google with the support of most of the big oems.
It is possible that, given time, Windows would seem like a geeks play thing to the average user, when everything can be done fast and simply via Google.

[Guy @ Jul 8th 2009 8:59PM]

Poké Ball go? lol