Google to launch operating system (and Gmail is no longer Beta)

[Genocidicbunny]

so you've got a linux distro with chrome instead of firefox. I'm predicting that it will be a huge flop.

You're missing a lot of factors here. Its not as if its a Linux distro with Chrome instead of Firefox, its more like a linux distro with only Chrome, and no Gnome or KDE, but instead a window system that will boot directly into a browser.

Something is also telling me itll be targeted towards low/no local storage devices, much like the CrunchPad which is meant to run everything on web services.

Obviously it isn't. But Apple is Next-based with Apple IP. Chrome will be Linux-based with Google IP. It's as much just a Linux distro, as OS X is just a Next or BSD distro.

But OS X isnt *just* a Next/BSD distro. Its more or less recognized as its own OS which is built on top of the BSD kernel. Its quite possible that Google is doing the same -- building an OS on top of the kernel. What we see of the original Linux kernel may be very little.

And you know what I find funny as well? Intel is developing their own version of this: Moblin, which is also built on the Linux kernel. Hell, even MS is doing close to the same with its Gazelle browser. Yet here we are, piling on Google. Now, Im no fanboy, but why the hell such pickiness?

 

[Mise]

FWIW ever since Apple took the (right, in my view) decision to migrate to Intel-based systems and produce an OS based on BSD, I've seen them as a brand of OS and a brand of PC. Apple as a company, though, clearly makes innovative technologies; I see them far more as a technology company than as a computer or OS company, whereas Microsoft are firmly embedded as a maker of OSes and software. I think Apple would be perfectly happy being considered in such a way, so I don't see what kind of dogpile Google might be under if we view it similarly.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

Google Chrome is quite all right. Its performance when playing more than one video is pretty down right terrible, but loads everything else quickly enough. I switched over when IE 8 had crashed on me for the very last freakin' time..

At any rate, I'm worried that Google OS won't be compatible with nearly everything. But again. If this is one of those new "air operating systems" thats designed for higher performance and function, I might be interested. We'll have to wait and see what the OS will be like.

 

[Zelig]

Google Chrome is quite all right. Its performance when playing more than one video is pretty down right terrible, but loads everything else quickly enough.

You can watch more than one video at a time?