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Google announces Chrome OS, commences plan for world domination

Tech News & Advice

By Philip DiStefano

There are only two personal computer operating systems on the market today that really matter - the Windows operating system and the Mac operating system. There are many, many more (think hundreds and hundreds) thanks to open source projects that develop different flavors of the GNU/Linux operating system, but only one of those - Ubuntu - is really even being offered preinstalled on consumer PCs.

The market for netbook operating systems, previously predicted by enthusiasts and experts alike to be dominated by Linux, is instead being ruled by Windows - much like the rest of the computer market. Apple is nowhere to be seen in the netbook race, and company officials have said multiple times that they will never be in that market.

Online giant Google currently develops Android, an OS for smartphones, but other than that, they've been conspicuously absent from the OS market, despite speculation over the years. However, that's all about to change.

Last week, Google announced plans to release the Chrome OS, a lightweight operating system based on Linux that will be designed for browsing the Internet - of course, using Google's Chrome browser. The OS will first be targeted at netbooks and have a focus on simplicity, security and speed.

If they get their way, Google hopes that consumers will see netbooks with Chrome OS preinstalled by mid-2010, but the OS will eventually be released for normal laptops and desktops as well. Despite its rather simple sounding ambition, Google does plan for this to be a serious competitor in the market.

Even though Chrome OS is Linux-based, that doesn't necessarily mean it will fail like other Linux distributions have on netbooks thus far. Google states that Chrome OS will take what users normally do on their desktops and move it onto the Web, thus making it the first OS designed for users that spend most of their time in their Web browser.

This seems like the natural thing for Google to do, considering all of the Web services they offer, ranging from email to an office suite to video and much more. They already provide the services, and now they're giving consumers a platform to run those services on.

Since the Chrome OS will initially be targeted at netbooks, this announcement poses the biggest threat to Microsoft, who themselves claim a 96 percent stake in that particular market. Some experts have already begun writing Microsoft's obituary, but keep in mind that there are many free operating systems available that have yet to take even a nibble at Microsoft's foothold.

Whether or not Google will give Microsoft a run for its money is yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Competition is the best motivation for innovation, and if either Microsoft or even Apple are scared by the prospect of a Google OS, they'll certainly work their hardest to keep their products interesting and cutting-edge for users.

For more information on Google Chrome OS, rather than handing out a URL, it would probably be most appropriate for you to Google it.

Originally Published: July 15, 2009

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