Google announcing Chrome OS launch plans this Thursday
By Ross Miller 
posted November 17th 2009 7:38PM
posted November 17th 2009 7:38PM
It's looking increasingly unlikely that Google's Chrome OS is really launching this week (not that we were really that convinced anyway). What is true, however, is that the company is hosting an event later this week at its Mountain View, CA headquarters to showcase its progress, provide an overview of the platform, and give information on its "launch plans for next year." Excited? Us, too.
This will probably get low ranked, anyway, does anyone think that google is becoming too powerful? Yeah free is good, but what will happen 10 years down the line and google has wiped out the competition? Does anyone think that Google needs to (will need to) be broken up?
I've been using Chrome beta on my MacBook Pro for a few weeks (and right now). It's quite zippy. Some of the things don't work (like the bookmark manager), but I expect those to work on Thursday. So far, I like it!
yup, been using it pretty regularly for the last few weeks, that bookmark manager and a few pdf problems seem to be the only thing not ready for prime time.
This article is about Chrome OS, not Chrome. There are no updates planned for the Chrome browser this Thursday, and the very fact that you think the announcement of the release of Chrome OS has something to do with Chrome browser.... well... this is Engadget. I don't know why my expectations are so high.
i, for one, am not really that interested. just a web apps OS?
Any excuse I can use to get a computer without Windows preinstalled, I'll take.
If you use your computer for more than just checking email then you probably wont be interested. I personally could not use Chrome OS as my primary OS because I need other tools like Photoshop/Dreamweaver/etc., but I can see plenty of uses for it. Examples:
1) Library computers used for research
2) Classroom/Business computers
3) The older crowd that is only interested in email and doesn't need a full blown OS to accidentally mess up.
@daniel142005
Yeah... there are probably many uses for Chrome OS. But, classroom students might want to run some piece of Windows software for their class. And business users? Unless they are 100% Google Docs... and can guarantee an internet connection everywhere... even a Windows XP netbook running Microsoft Office would be better for most business users.
daniel142005: the crowd you're referring as old is bigger than you think, most people use computers for checking email, word-processing, social networks and youtube, the resource-heavy application using crowd is way smaller than the "older crowd"
I hope that google will release a standalone version of this that is compatible with most netbook hardware out there (90% of netbooks have the same hardware anyway) and without the configuration headache of linux. My Dell mini 9 runs Windows 7 just fine, but if this Chrome OS is more snappier, I may switch.
Chrome.
Here comes the future. And it's free.
Apple. Microsoft. Dell. HP. Kaput.
Generic phones/netbooks manufactured in China, all running variants of Android/Chrome.
Complete collapse of the tech industry in the United States.
Complete collapse of the ad/marketing industry in the United States.
Google eats itself alive because paying for ads is no longer viable.
Huzzah!
That's... premature.
Similar things were said for Ubuntu. I'm not saying it's going to fail, Google =/ Canonical, but just because is Google doesn't automatically mean it will succeed.
Chrome browser : big win. Android : fairly big win. Google mail : so-so win. Google apps : seriously, anyone actually use that?
umm.. it think gmails a great win...
bebop: Gmail is a part of Google Apps, but if you're talking about Calendar and Docs, yeah a lot of people and businesses use it, did you hear Los Angeles is going Google? yeah that's a shitload of people.
I am definitively looking forward to this =D*
*Don't worry Apple, you are still my favorite company
Chrome OS is the official operating system for Summakor [ www.summakor.com ]
Chrome is the Village!
MORE VILLAGE!
During my time as chief neruological technology advisor for Summakor, we worked with Google to develop a peaceful way of promoting balance in the mind. This is the result of our work.
So you think Chrome OS is actually LSD?
So... you're basically and evil, corporate illuminati type then are you?
1080p to follow?
Hey, 10 ten years ago all we had was Linux in the most difficult form of its evolution, Mac os which was only for the rich. And the most necessary evil in the computing industry... Microsoft. Now we have people making exceptional products like Ubuntu, Suse and more recently Mac os x snow leopard. When someone like Google comes in on the scene and offers a free alternative. I say GREAT!! bring it on. How do people compete with free Os'es?
They make their own ones better. Thank you google for keeping people in the industry honest (Probably not deliberately but anyway)
What about Amiga Workbench?
I'm more interested in seeing what the final feature list will be. I think a web-only platform will fail. Or even web-only + google gears. I think it's going to need some form of local application layer (in the same way that Android has Dalvik apps). It would make the most sense if Chrome OS also runs Dalvik apps, and Java apps (both Java applets and Java applications), but Dalvik makes the most sense. I'd also think it will need support for local media playing (because sometimes you'll want to play media on it if you're, say, on an airplane and can't access the web).
I think if ChromeOS's features include:
1) Fast Boot (like a splashtop),
2) can hand off to other OSes (also like a splashtop, but not limited to Windows as the "other OS" ... specifically, I may want to have it hand off to Ubuntu and/or Android, depending on other device specifics),
3) can properly handle touch screens, multi-touch, and screen rotation (for both tablets and convertible-tablets) (Ubuntu fails at proper screen rotation with a touch screen),
4) can handle hybrid display devices (like the PixelQi hybrid e-paper/LCD screens),
5) has e-reader software (like the ereader.com software released for Android today, and hopefully Kindle software),
7) has media software (local music files, local video, local pictures, as well as support for remote streaming apps, like Rhapsody, Pandora, and such ... though, the remote streaming stuff can probably be done through Flash),
6) can run local Dalvik, Java, and/or Python applications,
7) has some planned tablet and/or convertible-tablet netbook devices in the line-up, and
8) possibly has both x86 and ARM support,
then I'll probably be rather interested. But for each of those things that isn't present, I'll be progressively less interested.
Just so cold as the weather!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsbBXFKBp6E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsbBXFKBp6E
The problem I have with Cloud software is that networks just won't be able to handle it. How long will it take to boot if my traffic is being shaped and my laptop is downloading stuff, and my kids are watching some youtube nonsense? I live in rural Devon, UK, and my broadband is dodgy as hell. Just don't think it will be up to it!
Love google, and this will probably be a great product, but I think unless the internet somehow gets the ability to handle tons more traffic than currently I think it is doomed to fail.
You can download beta version of Chrome OS from http://getchrome.eu
Eh- If Windows7 runs so well on Netbooks (I don't know does it?) why do I need this?