google chrome OS (gOS)
it was about time that a global player would announce to launch a web based operation system (OS). google (who else?!) recently confirmed rumors about chrome becoming an operation system. for me it is now clear why google initially launched chrome – not to become a player in the browser business but in the OS business (think big!).
the idea is as simple as genius: most office applications are nowadays available as rich internet applications (RIA) which are accessed via a browser. by making a browser an OS the initial OS-layer (like windows XP) just vanishes. the available RIAs replace the office package. only precondition: a broadband internet connection. google offers one of the leading RIA office suites, google docs, which will for sure be integrated into the chrome OS.
splashtop interface
the idea is not that new, but finally a big player announced to launch it. splashtop, a DeviceVM, Inc. product, provides a similar OS for Lenovo and Asus computers. but splashtop normally is installed together with an OS, because it is seen only as a browser shortcut and not as a platform to work with.
‘Splashtop is intended to be integrated on a read-only device and shipped with the hardware, rather than installed by the user. It does not prevent the installation of another operating system for dual booting. It boots in about 5 seconds, and is thus marketed as instant-on’ wikipedia.
advantages a browser based OS:
- faster boot time: splashtop needs 5 seconds to boot the browser
- less memory and RAM costs: the application are running on the server of the provider, eg google. the computer does not have to carry out any computing.
- locally unattached: using RIAs all data is stored on servers, no longer on local computers
the google announced stated the following reasons for developing chrome OS:
‘We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear — computers need to get better. People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files. Even more importantly, they don’t want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates. And any time our users have a better computing experience, Google benefits as well by having happier users who are more likely to spend time on the Internet.’
google heralds a new age of computing, the one we all dreamed of since using a computer: no boot time, locally unattached and always connected.
