Google is releasing soon their new OS called Google Chrome. It is named like their browser and is similar. The OS is basically an embedded small OS with an browser only. The idea is that the user does not need to store anything on the local device like google docs or windows 365 today, plus not the need to have any application installed on the device. All is coming from the cloud.
The idea was great before iOS and Android came out for smart phones and other mobile devices. The beauty of the ChromeOs is that it does start instantly instead of taking minutes like other OSs.
But really bad is that the user needs to have Internet connection to access the data or applications. For a consumer device just useless, not only because we don't have all the time Internet access, but as well because Android (which is as well a google OS) is so fast to start and offers 80,000 software many of them free or very cheap. And the beauty is the user can store data and play games, or use any software without having Internet connection.
Maybe ChromeOS is target for businesses where the users are always connected to the Internet.
Linus Upson, Google's (GOOG) vice president for engineering in charge of Chrome had some big words for the NYTimes on their soon-to-be-released OS. "ChromeOS machines could immediately replace 60% of the Windows desktops in the corporate market," he said.
Why can he say this? I believe he did his homework and figured out the more than the half of the work we do at business we don't need software on the local machine or store data. And this is true. Many companies are using for their enterprise solutions web based applications, and employees are many times not allowed to store data on their local hard drive, but into an intranet to give everybody access who needs it.
Microsoft office could be run over the internet as well. Many users don't need heavy machines with big hard drives etc. It would be so much easier for IT operation to handle updates or to distribute software when all would be just on one server. No need anymore for endless configuration of notebooks or desktops.
But if Google wants to replace Microsoft then they should hurry. MS is already offering all their Office software and even CRM as SaaS solution, it will be hart for Google to compete. Google approach is to offer it free but with advertisement. But enterprises are rather preferring to pay for advertisement free service and much more important, for good support. Google is not famous for good support. And i believe the after sale support is the key to success. It does not matter how much a company can save, as long the support is bad. Linux did not make it very well into businesses because of not best post sales service and support. And flawless software or at least the confidence somebody will help within 24 hours is critical for companies.
I believe ChromesOS will be not much more successful than Google Wave. It was a good idea a few years ago, but not anymore.
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