@Gann: Holy #*! If their build and run time estimates are true, then it is indeed a game changer. The summary I read left me with the impression that its what I was hoping Java would be a decade ago (cognizant that Go isn't an interpretive language). I guess I'm not totally surprised: the Google folks are big on Javascript (and Python internally), so it makes sense to create something that borrows heavily from both. #chromeos
@tande04: That's pretty cool. I'm guessing there will be support for programs that already can run on any linux client? But for the most part, if i boot my computer with chrome OS it'll just be a really integrated web browser with google docs (which i think is kinda neat, especially since i don't play video games on my laptop and i mainly use it to surf the web. If i could get around the slow boot time from windows, and have a real speedy os to surf on... :) )? #chromeos
If it's true... Google has been running this a little secretively. Not to Apple levels, sure, but they seem to be leaving a little of their radical openness behind. #chromeos
@dingus: Also I think that everything they're talking about is years down the road.
They've got to have something to fill in the mean time. You can't throw all the eggs in one basket. Launch a web app only phone now would work about as well as it did for the iPhone.
I think that ubiquitous 4G coverage is going to be the key factor before you start seeing any of this.
I would think that, instead of dividing up Google's (albeit considerable) resources with Chrome OS and Android, they should concentrate on one or the other. I can see a lot of consumer confusion if both Android and Chrome OS phones sit next to each other.
Non-tech people are already confused between WebOS, the BB OS, WiMO, iPhone OS, Android, [insert random other OS here]... The market is just going to be too saturated with OS's. I think that only a few OS's are going to come out on top and Google may learn that lesson the hard way.
@k-napped: I don't think its going to be an issue.
I don't think any of this is a "next year we'll have android and ChromeOS phones side by side at T-mobile". Its all a ways off.
Think of it like what they originally tried doing with the iPhone. You don't have native apps, you've got web apps that will do everything. Just as he said, it was a bit early. Android is going to power the phone, Chrome OS is the underlying power for everything "on" the phone (though its really going to be in the cloud). Thats why they've got to be working on both at the same time.
I really don't think people are going to want all their data on the cloud. There are some things that just don't need to and shouldn't be out there. Even if it were a good idea to put all your data and applications on the web there are significant issues with carriers capping bandwidth and outages in general. If your internet goes down you basically loose your entire computer.
@Xeno: I agree. I don't like the idea of all my work in the cloud. I've got thousands of dollars of design and art done over years... do I want to trust external servers only for this?
I think not. And I think many people would agree with that.
@Xeno: While I think it will happen eventually (when internet access is like power, gasoline, or a coffee) I still think it is way too soon to go this route.
I doubt I will ever be comfortable storing my personal information on some cloud that I have no control over. It just seems like a disaster waiting to happen (for now).
@k-napped: I disagree with both of you. Those are part of the reason for the switch to cloud computing.
Even with your back ups of your art work something could happen. Hard drive crashes and you've got your back ups but you're still relying on physical preservation of digital data which is the problem. There could be a fire at your house, the bank where you keep the HD could get robbed, even just the fact that they're showing now many of the media people were using for back-up is degrading faster then it was ever assumed.
Its all more abstract in the cloud. I don't have a back-up of my work but its strung out on 50 different server sites all of which are redundant systems in place, etc.
I think we're a ways off from it and thats why people have trouble with it. Once more of the ground work is there I don't think people will even think twice about the fact that they don't "have" their data.
I think all data is going in that direction at some point. Yes your smartphone's contacts, apps, media, everything else is going to be in the cloud and accessed through "a browser" (though I'm sure we'll stop calling it that at some point).
So yeah, its all going to overlap because at some point it all isn't really going to matter anymore. The question is how far away that day is, its still a ways off I think.
Wow... does that ever bring back memories. And I *knew* AmigaOS and BeOS would be on the list. I'm surprised GEM (also known as AtariOS, but they were just one users of it) wasn't on the list.
I'm not sure I'd call CP/M a *failed* OS. It was a major OS in its day. It's more than the computer world moved on from the paradigms that defined it. In the same way, I think it's a wee bit too early to say desktop Linux has failed, although I certainly get their point.
It HAS been "The Year of Unix/Linux" for a LONG time now...
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It will be interesting to see if/how long it stays open-source. #chromeos
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http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/chromeremixes/1003530436
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They've got to have something to fill in the mean time. You can't throw all the eggs in one basket. Launch a web app only phone now would work about as well as it did for the iPhone.
I think that ubiquitous 4G coverage is going to be the key factor before you start seeing any of this.
07/16/09
Non-tech people are already confused between WebOS, the BB OS, WiMO, iPhone OS, Android, [insert random other OS here]... The market is just going to be too saturated with OS's. I think that only a few OS's are going to come out on top and Google may learn that lesson the hard way.
Apple will be on top... but who else with it?
07/16/09
I don't think any of this is a "next year we'll have android and ChromeOS phones side by side at T-mobile". Its all a ways off.
Think of it like what they originally tried doing with the iPhone. You don't have native apps, you've got web apps that will do everything. Just as he said, it was a bit early. Android is going to power the phone, Chrome OS is the underlying power for everything "on" the phone (though its really going to be in the cloud). Thats why they've got to be working on both at the same time.
07/16/09
07/16/09
I think not. And I think many people would agree with that.
07/16/09
I doubt I will ever be comfortable storing my personal information on some cloud that I have no control over. It just seems like a disaster waiting to happen (for now).
07/16/09
Even with your back ups of your art work something could happen. Hard drive crashes and you've got your back ups but you're still relying on physical preservation of digital data which is the problem. There could be a fire at your house, the bank where you keep the HD could get robbed, even just the fact that they're showing now many of the media people were using for back-up is degrading faster then it was ever assumed.
Its all more abstract in the cloud. I don't have a back-up of my work but its strung out on 50 different server sites all of which are redundant systems in place, etc.
I think we're a ways off from it and thats why people have trouble with it. Once more of the ground work is there I don't think people will even think twice about the fact that they don't "have" their data.
07/16/09
They're issues to overcome, not crippling problems that are going to destroy the world.
07/16/09
I think all data is going in that direction at some point. Yes your smartphone's contacts, apps, media, everything else is going to be in the cloud and accessed through "a browser" (though I'm sure we'll stop calling it that at some point).
So yeah, its all going to overlap because at some point it all isn't really going to matter anymore. The question is how far away that day is, its still a ways off I think.
07/16/09
07/16/09
07/11/09
I'm not sure I'd call CP/M a *failed* OS. It was a major OS in its day. It's more than the computer world moved on from the paradigms that defined it. In the same way, I think it's a wee bit too early to say desktop Linux has failed, although I certainly get their point.
It HAS been "The Year of Unix/Linux" for a LONG time now...
07/11/09
07/11/09
07/11/09
07/11/09
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