Re: [Fsuk-manchester] google plan new OS?

[Chris Rogers]

> Hi,
>
> What are your opinions on the announcement that Google is to create a
> netbook\desktop open-source OS to compete with MS?
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8139711.stm
>
> Aidy

I think it's excellent news. It's going to be open source, based on the 
Linux kernel according to some, although the BBC news item above and 
Google's own blog at 
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html 
don't mention Linux at all. But Google's Engineering Director _is_ called 
Linus. :o)

It's the best hope yet to break the MS stranglehold on the PC. IBM didn't 
manage it with OS/2, probably because of the PS/2 architecture and their 
licensing approach. Apple didn't manage it, possibly because their OS is so 
tightly linked to their own hardware but also because it's expensive gear. 
Linux is gaining ground but very slowly, partly, I feel, because it's so 
fragmented, with dozens of different distros.

To quote the Google blog, "We are going back to the basics and completely 
redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users 
don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should 
just work."  That's exactly what most users want. A toaster, to use someone 
else's analogy.

If Google can apply their muscle to the problem, including getting 
manufacturers like Canon to write non-Windows device drivers for their 
products, it's going to be in with a chance.

Chris