Google's Chrome OS

Mushroom Queen · **Posted:** July 19th, 2009, 9:52 pm

Do you think it'll make a difference? It's going to be a few years until it comes out and everybody is already going crazy for it. It's made with the same intent that Google Chrome (the browser) was made for--to be lightweight and simple. They plan on marketing it toward netbook manufacturers, but I'm honestly not sure how well this will go over. While it may drive the price of the machine down, Office cannot run on Chrome OS, as far as I know. A lot of business people, who make up a large portion of netbook purchasers, won't readily use Google Docs in lieu of Office.

Because of its lack of compatibility with Microsoft applications, I think that Chrome OS will have a hard time finding a niche in the netbook world, much like Linux. What do you think?

Adbot · **Posted:** July 19th, 2009, 9:52 pm

Evelyn · **Posted:** July 19th, 2009, 10:34 pm

A good OS for the netbook craze, but it can't compete with full OS's.

Aquw VettelS 776 · **Posted:** July 20th, 2009, 1:42 am

I'm very sceptical. Whilst I'm sure Google have every intention of making this thing, it just seems like a big publicity stunt to me.

I don't even thing the concept is any good either. The Chrome OS is a way of accessing easily stuff on the internet- whether that's websites, music, pictures- you name it. Now I don't know about other countries, but in the UK you can't get free wifi in many places and mobile internet is quite costly as well. I just don't see how this could possibly work unless you were at home plugged into broadband- which defeats the whole point of it. For me it's a question of mobility- and to me it just doesn't work.

And even if you had constant mobile internet, how many of us can truthfully say they could manage with the internet alone. I like my programs and applications- I like Microsoft Office, which is 50 times better than Google docs- I use Outlook for my email, and not the Hotmail website- and I like having a computer that can store nearly 2TB of data, which may be possible on the internet, but would cost vast amounts of money.

Ninjaa · **Posted:** July 21st, 2009, 6:21 pm

I knew it... by 2020, Google shall own the internet.

On a more serious note, I know that all of this sounds very enticing to people thinking of running the OS, but is any of it really neccecary or practical for that matter? Like aquw said, the idea of a large part of your computer being dependant on having an internet connection, sounds quite depressing to me at the moment, seeing as I dont actually know a single place in the city where I can get public access wireless internet. So that would limit me to either splashing out large amounts of money for permenant, stable wireless internet when out and about, or me being stuck in my house, where I mayaswell just stick to a convensional desktop. Maybe when wireless internet is A) More widely available for free or B) Quite a lot cheaper than it currently is, I think the whole idea of a higher dependancy on the internet is waste of time.

Maybe it is different it other countries, I dont know, but right now in England. I would pretty much need to be in my house to use the OS anyway. Which makes it no better than my current computer.

Aquw VettelS 776 · **Posted:** July 23rd, 2009, 10:49 am

Mushroom Queen wrote:

Do you think it'll make a difference?

Minimally. I think it will encourage Microsoft (and possibly Apple too) to expand and improve their online services and make them part of the OS- rather than having it all browser based. This is definitely a good thing. I think this is what Windows "8" needs to aim for.

Mushroom Queen wrote:

While it may drive the price of the machine down, Office cannot run on Chrome OS, as far as I know. A lot of business people, who make up a large portion of netbook purchasers, won't readily use Google Docs in lieu of Office.

Because of its lack of compatibility with Microsoft applications, I think that Chrome OS will have a hard time finding a niche in the netbook world, much like Linux. What do you think?

I totally agree. I consider myself a heavy user of Office, but there are lots of people who use it far more than me. Businesses rely on this software as a worldwide standard for document editing, and an operating system that can't run it certainly won't pick up any followers in the business sector. Sure, Google has Docs, but it has barely a fraction of the features of Office. And with Microsoft's new online and free-of-charge versions of Office, why would you move away?

Pfkninenines · Global Moderator 12/4/08

Mushroom Queen wrote:

... I think that Chrome OS will have a hard time finding a niche in the netbook world, much like Linux.

It is Linux, just with Google's GUI. I've tried Android in a virtual environment, and I can't honestly imagine using something so barebones as a main operating system. There are already small Linux distributions that do what Google hopes it's operating system will do, other than the pure browser OS. I think Google can do it, but I don't understand why they feel the need.

Adbot · **Posted:** July 23rd, 2009, 4:41 pm