Google announced 2 days ago, a new Google Chrome Operating System. This is Google’s attempt to re-think what an operating system should be and do. Google Chrome OS is going to be an open source, lightweight OS that will be initially targeted at netbooks, its going to be available in 2010 according to Google. Google Chrome OS will be running with a new windowing system on top of a Linux Kernel.
Google put the main three aspects of the OS, to be speed, simplicity and reliability. The aim of the OS is to advance the web as the main platform for applications and computer use in general, so that the entirety of the user experience will take place on the web.
Is the web ready to take over native applications?
Yes, the web is on its way to replace native applications completely. With the advancement of open standards, programming language, browsers, the web is taking huge steps towards reaching native like performance. With projects like Google’s Native Client, which is a technology for running native code in web applications that offers features like thread support and access to vector instructions while maintaining file-system and network security all this while maintaining browser neutrality and cross-platform support for all OSs. The web is advancing rapidly as the main computational platform of choice, due to its vast reach and cross-platform compatibility.
Features that I would like to see in Google Chrome OS:
Here are some of the features that I would like to see in Google OS.
Speed:
More speed: This translates into faster boot up, and a faster, snappier user experience. One of Googles keys to success is its delivery on speed. If Google wants to steel some users from the OS market they have to provide a user experience that is so other than that would blow my mind away, just as I noticed the speed difference between chrome and other browsers as I started using chrome as my browser of choice.
Oh by the way if your still using Internet Explorer do yourself a favor right now go to chrome’s download page or Apple’s safari and install the browser it will make your life so much better and you will thank me later.
Synchronization:
Instant synchronization betwen files and cloud data, between different machines, cellphones and servers. Out of the box just works. I want to be able to have my desktop, iphone, laptop, and netbook all synced up with each other without having to worry about the details. If Google can provide a cloud syncing solution that would work with multiple platforms and on all my data, in all my applications then this would be the kind of breakthrough that would send users by the flocks switching to the OS.
Search:
Google should take search to another level, with not only indexing the web, but also indexing the filesystem, application, the data itself for fast universal access from anywhere on the OS. This is more likely to happen as Quicksilver developer Nicholas Jitkoff is on the Google Chrome OS team, we are likely to a quicksilver like application integrated with the OS itself.
Hardware Support:
With the Linux kernel that Google Chrome OS will run on, hardware compatibility with existing hardware peripherals and devices will not be an issue. Google already announced that companies that will support Google chrome OS include Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, HP, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Toshiba among many others.
Endnote:
I think that Google Chrome OS is a big step towards advancing the web as a platform for serious computing. I think this project will also effect the future of current operating systems like Apple OS X and Windows 7. I think that this project will change the current OS paradigm.
Bassem Reda 