Google had a low-key event today to preview
Chrome OS, its new operating system based on Linux and the Chrome browser. Things are still pretty early -- it's not even in beta yet, let alone on shipping products -- but that's the first official screen shot right there, and the big features are all roughed out. The entire system is web-based and runs in the Chrome browser -- right down to USB drive contents, which show up in a browser tab, and the notepad, which actually creates a Google Docs document. Web apps are launched from a persistent apps panel, which includes Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and Hulu, among others, and background apps like Google Talk can be minimized to "panels" that dock to the bottom of the screen. Local storage is just used to speed up the system -- everything actually lives in the cloud, so all it takes to swap or borrow machines is a login, and you're good to go. Google also said it's "very committed" to Flash, and that it's looking to hardware accelerate whatever code it can -- although Google didn't have a solid answer to give when asked about Silverlight. Overall, Google was upfront in saying that Chrome OS is focused on very clear use cases for people who primarily use the web, and that it's not trying to do everything: "If you're a lawyer, editing contracts back and forth, this will not be the right machine for you."
As far as going to market, Google's not talking details until the targeted launch at the end of next year, but Chrome OS won't run on just anything -- there'll be specific reference hardware. For example, Chrome OS won't work with standard hard drives, just SSDs, but Google is supporting both x86 and ARM CPUs. That also means you won't be able to just download Chrome OS and go, you'll have to buy a Chrome OS device approved by Google. Interesting move, for sure -- but since the entire OS is
totally open-source as of today, we're sure it'll be hacked onto all kinds of hardware soon enough. (And for the record, the demo was run on an off-the-shelf Eee PC.) Check Google's intro videos after the break!
posted November 19th 2009 12:53PM
Googa please lol
http://www.smartswipe.ca/en/blog/Googa-please-.html
I think this technology would be very valuable for e-paper (http://www.eink.com/press/images/highres_downloads/LG.Philips_LCD_E_E_Ink_Flex_Tablet_Display.jpg) but I would not use this on a netbook or any device that is capable of holding a harddrive. I'm also cerious to know if GoogleOS will be as fast as they said. When my netbook boots (can be anywhere from 10 to 30sec) the first thing I have access to is my email which is checked immediatly and checked every 10min (I can choose how often my email client fetches the mail) that is because I still use a email client , Evolution. But if I want to check my email from work I have to open a web browser, navigate to gmail.com, wait for it to load or if I'm not already logged in then I'd have to do that and then finally I can read my mail. Finally I'm wondering about security. If I'm at a cafe and I'm checking my mail or having a conversation will other people be able to snoop on that information and if so will Google provide any tools for that. In the corporate world most people are required to use VPN when they're out of the office if they want to check their mail or surf the web expecially if they're dealing with sensitive material. Otherwise I think Google has done a good job.
I wish they implemented apps like google docs into it without having to go to the internet, but still a nice alternative to hyperspace 2 from phoenix.
AlexRua: you know you can use Google Docs offline and sync when online? Just install Google Gears and you don't need the internet to write.
I did not know that thanks, but I still wish it had some more basic functionality i mean what you can do with it from what i understand you can almost do everything from a smart phone. Perhaps some basic file manager plus a page with a desktop like icon set to launch apps/web apps and web pages like the quick launch that you find in chrome but a bit more developed and integrated to the OS. Plus its all nice that google wants to do a fast booting os just for the web but ubuntu stock in a medium spec machine can boot in 20 sec with ext4 and its a full OS.
Fail and useless. It is like taking a wheel of the car and saying "Look I am building a unicycle", Well guess how many people are driving a unicycle these days on the streets?
I've just installed Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix on my Samsung N140 netbook. My Samsung has a 160 GB harddisk but I will probably only need 8 GB since I use it for internet (e-mail, twitter, facebook, youtube, skype) most of the time, and some writing. I use OpenOffice but Google Docs would be fine as well. Google OS would have made perfect sense instead of Ubuntu Netbook Remix.
It's definitely not for everyone. Would be good for a laptop or netbook. I would of course dual boot with a hardware OS for when there is no internet connection available.
Second the dual boot! It be useful when I need to get on my laptop fast. But probably won't be possible because of "means you won't be able to just download Chrome OS and go, you'll have to buy a Chrome OS device approved by Google."
This is a big FAIL for one reason, there will be that one program you wish you could install but... oh... you can't.
I'm happy that Google is making the operating system world more competitive. Hopefully it will not cost a lot cheaper than others, maybe even open sourced like Linux it self. Let's Google!!!
It was cool until the part where they said everything is stored on the internet. Didn't we already establish putting stuff on the internet is fair game for anyone to get a hold of?
I mean even if you make it as secure as possible, hackers will still find a way to breach and then they'd have information about your whole life. Seems a bit too wired for me.
It would work for netbooks though, but what happens when I get disconnected from the internet? does my netbook just shut down?
Well done Google has cover another mile stone watch out Microsoft
By John Jones
www.tsintegrator.com
Meh - Fail - not impressed.
Funny, true story - my netbook currently boots Win7 in that "45 seconds" noted in the video - but it allows me to store private/sensitive documents locally, run Flash AND Silverlight, among many other applications widely available today - doesn't require an internet connection at all times, and doesn't *force* me to buy into the Google mindset. Oh - wait - I can do the majority of that with Ubuntu too for "free", or - if I'm willing to hack - OSX.. all of which boot typically in less than 1 minute on any netbook out there today - especially on netbooks with SSDs installed (duh it's *going* to be a lot faster).
So - all of this hoopla to show me a super "fast" boot screen that they don't *actually* log into, along with essentially a powerpoint presentation (ahem "showing screen 7 of 16" or something like that - check out the lower left corner), a couple of web browser sessions and a flash demo? Just so I can gain back 30 seconds of time?
I'll pass and take a sip of my Starbuck's coffee while waiting for a more usable and extensible OS to load. And I can actually do all of this TODAY - not in another 4-5 years now when Google finally decides (if ever) to take this thing out of "beta" status....
Check out the video of Google Chrome OS that I built.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icl59WmC56I
I like it
There is some nice ideas behind and related but we don't really need a internet-only OS cause it goes nowhere (except on internet) and people who ONLY need internet are probably very rare. Their idea on the file sharing or file server is nice but, I wonder if they know that, even in 2009, a lot of people don't have big and ultra fast bandwidth like in google temple.
but in 5 to 10 years?
I think this is the thought in google
Google Chrome OS Download
======================
Filename: Google-Chrome-OS-Build-enming.teo-22Nov2009-0704hrs.vmdk
Filesize: 697.38MB
Type: VMware VMDK image file
MD5 checksum: 1aec57157dd2083b166e493c0e831a67
Download link: http://www.zshare.net/download/68819648ff817281/
I think for its purpose this will work well, hopefully allowing thinner, lighter, longer battery life netbooks. My mom would probably be able to benefit from this. I still use my Aspire One for PhotoShop & Dreamweaver, so this won't be for me, but imagine an 8" wide screen ultrathin multitouch with gesture support, I could probably find something cool to do with that ;)
Isn't this Chrome OS a "window" to the "clouds"? If it is simple and fast enough, I think lots of folks will use it. I am afraid the current Windows OSs are just too complicated for most non-technical folks. Most people, like me, just want to be users. They do not want to deal with virus, spywares, updates, etc.
what google is saying is that most every thing you do can be done via web apps and its true. in the future all devices will be connected all the time. wireless internet speeds will be far faster then what we get via hard lines now and we can offload all the heavy computations onto massive super computers running software.
this is just the beginning and it has to start somewhere. look how far we have come in the last 20 years. imagine what we will be doing with computers in the next 20 years.
The main selling point is that people can't wait 45 seconds for the computer to boot up in order to get online? So, umm, don't turn your computer off.
I want to be able to surf when I should be working, instead of having to grab another piece of hardware to get online. Plus, I like sandwiches.
Any word if google will expand the ability to use programs like google calendar offline to the rest of their OS?
Tim Mastrogiacomo
I really don't get it. A lot of people have a big mouth about 'monopolist' Microsoft and worry about privacy issues. Now there's this 'open source' Chrome OS and people are cheering and clapping to trust all of their personal data to a commercial company. I really don't get it.
Latest Google Chrome OS Download: Guaranteed to Work!
Filename: Google-Chrome-OS-build-enming.teo-24Nov2009-0528.vmdk.bz2
Filesize: 280 MB
Type: VMware VMDK image file bzipped
MD5 Checksum: 23371970c3b1c5dee287b9bb97901b7d
Download Link #1: http://www.zshare.net/download/689075349802a081/
How to Use:
1. Decompress with bzip2 on Linux.
$ bzcat Google-Chrome-OS-build-enming.teo-24Nov2009-0528.vmdk.bz2
2. Use as virtual harddisk with the open source Xen hypervisor, Sun VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, or VMware Player
3. To convert the VMDK image file to Xen HVM domU image file for use with Xen, follow the instructions at the following link.
http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/VMDKImage
I'm SO tired of everyone flip flopping and hatin' on Chrome OS... granted much of what you do on a computer is done outside of a browser, but THIS IS A NETBOOK OS!!
People keep posting ignorant stuff like... I can still run wine, or I can't use photoshop (I've actually read two articles griping about photoshop) HELL, you CAN'T run photoshop on an EEEPC (or any other netbook) using Linux or Windows or ANY OTHER OS efficiently enough for it even to be a factor...
Simply Put, if you are IN the market for a netbook, YOU WON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES GOOGLE CHROME ON IT, it's a secondary computer OS people...
oh yeah, one of the writers even said they were upset that it wasn't a second OS option... have you ever heard of partition, or HOW about the latest article in which Chrome OS is running off of a thumb drive
QUIT COMPLAININ', SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!
@jarob1 since I KNOW I'll be attacked in a most horrific manner, I'll just say, I know people use their netbooks and mini super tiny 8-10" laptops, but WHY AND HOW?!??!?
@jarob1 I meant to run photoshop and other apps that you typically would rather have a larger screen for...
I left that part out in my rant...
Yeah this is definitely different from what we usually associate with the term OS. However, people shouldn't automatically write this or Google off. They're obviously not gunning for apple and Microsoft with this. They are creating a new product which they feel there is a market for. As a hardcore techie/gamer, I know this isn't for me. I feel like this is going to be like the wii for OS's. We think "how can this succeed when that has all these better features", then bam, its the top seller because its so simple and appeals to all the people that competitors didn't think to appeal to. This definitely will not outsell Windows 7 or apple's next cat-based craze, but it should have a strong enough market. I do hope that Google does make full-fledged browsers in the future to go at Microsoft and apple because Google is a company that I admire and respect enough to actually leave Microsoft for.
@GaMeBoY
Full-fledged OS's*
Good ideas but way to visible to the outside world. Security should be a huge factor.
forever beta