Google OS A Solution not an Alternative

Google OS Desktop-based operating systems have been a core component to computers for the last few centuries yet Google’s Chrome OS claims to eliminate the desktop all together. Some feel that this approach is inline with the uptrend in cloud computing and a natural progression for the operating system while others argue that this approach will only benefit the less technical computer user who only relies on their computer for menial web related task. This document intends to look at the reason why Google’s Chrome OS may not be the be-all and end-all in the ever-competitive operating system space. Chrome OS requires a Gmail account. Although the Google operating system may not be officially released for another year it is currently available for testing and review in the form of a virtual machine image. I found one of these images over at gdgt. com website. (http://gdgt. com/google/chrome-os/download/) Like most operating systems upon launch of the Chrome OS you are presented with a login screen. Unlike typical operating systems Chrome OS requires a Gmail account. Your Gmail account is used for the username and your emails password doubles as the operating system password. After login and launch you are given a full screen window, which closely resembles that of the Google Chrome web-browser. Also included is a list of shortcuts to Google related services and a few other web applications. The Absence of a Desktop The major flaw that I see in the Google OS operating system is the very feature that makes this operating system unique. This is the absence of a desktop environment and native applications. The operating system makes the assumption that you are always online. Google Centric OS Given Google’s business and revenue models I can see how the company would like to steer people towards a Google centric always online operating system however this approach makes little sense to the user who is not always online. Say you are traveling and you are on an airline that does not yet include in flight Wi-Fi service, while others next to you are listing to music, watching movies, or working on a spreadsheet you have a laptop system that will do little more then start up. Apples Error Apple made a similar error early on in development of the iPhone. When the first iPhone was unveiled to the public in 2007 there were only a few propriety applications. If one wanted to develop an application for the iPhone they were expected to create web applications that were only assessable via the iPhones web-browser. This limitation severely limited developers as well as users and any such applications required an Internet connection for use. A few months after the initial release of the iPhone Apple announced they would be developing and releasing a SDK (Software Development Kit). Since the release of the iPhone SDK and Apple app store the iPhone has revolutionized the way people use mobile devices. As intuitive as the iPhone was with its touch screen controls it was really the introduction of iPhone SDK and native applications that set the device apart. Perhaps a similar model exist in the Google OS future but for now Google OS seems to be little more then a glorified web-browser. It Feels to Early The Google OS maybe a sign of things to come in the operating system space however it still feels to early. Even as wired as we have become there are still situations where one may find that he or she wants to use their computer despite not being online. The Google OS may be well suited for lightweight notebooks that have built in mobile broadband internet but I have a hard time believing that people are going to view the Google OS as an alternative to their staple Windows, Mac or Linux operating systems. Official White Paper http://gravityjack. com/what-we-do/white-paper

Tags: "mac, Adam ChronisterTelefon, Alternative, Approach,   Say,   This, Chrome, chrome os, City, com, Computer, core component, Desktop, E Mission, Google, google chrome, google operating system, Iphone, Lake State, machine image, native applications, natural progression, Online, operating, os operating system, revenue models, Solution, System, system password, system space, united states, uptrend