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62 Comments
- Nickedynick, on 07/14/2009, -3/+43Did I miss something? Where have Google said that they're creating an Ubuntu fork?
Also, "With Google Chrome OS, Google has signaled that it, too, can over-commit and under-deliver and still mint billions." - they haven't got anywhere near delivering the product yet so stop making sensationalist claims please, CNET! - dognadz, on 07/14/2009, -4/+24Google has a better chance of convincing people to experiment with different operating systems than Ubuntu (or insert different linux distro) ever had. Google is already a trusted brand name all over the world. It's kind of like Kleenex making toilet paper. People are going to think "Well it's soft enough for my nose, I'm sure my ass will love it!". Ubuntu is great, but it's still the great unknown for the general public. Once people know there are other options they'll feel a little more at ease about trying out different OS's.
- Stev3nSoo, on 07/15/2009, -2/+14Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's just the media creating the whole Chrome vs Windows. I haven't heard Google making any threats to Microsoft like how Apple's been doing so.. though a "Hey I'm Chrome.. and I'm a Mac" ad would make my day... though they're both Unix based. Anyways, for the people who are disappointed when Chrome is released because it isn't what they wanted... hey look at it this way, you've still got two (or three if you're a Linux lover) other major operating systems to choose from.
- inactive, on 07/15/2009, -0/+11A whole year to go.
A whole year of articles guessing what Google's latest press release means but adding zero new information.
And every single one of them will be on the front page of Digg. - Myztry, on 07/14/2009, -3/+11I don't think Chrome OS will (initially) be going up against Windows in the desktop productivity arena. I don't think there is even much value in them ad targeting the business user. Even traditional cold callers tend to wish to bypass the normal employee and speak to either the purchasing officer, manager or business owner. From an advertising perspective the standard employee is worthless as they aren't empowered to make purchasing decisions. Unlike the consumer who speaks for themselves.
Now the consumer is where the value lays. A majority of those who don't even have any interests in computers as such. They want to research family trees, buy lottery tickets, do their banking, get bargains on eBay, look up holiday destinations, etc. Things that can involve computers but aren't about computers.
They want to get on the Internet to pursue their everyday real life interests. These people don't want to get on a computer. They don't want to buy software packages. They don't want to backup files. They just want to 'do stuff' over the Internet. They want it to be as simple as playing a movie. And to this point a simple black box like a DVD player would be fine. A cheap simple purpose built Internet device they hook up to the TV. One where the OS doesn't even matter. Turn it on and up comes the browser.
The kids could have one in each of their rooms next to their Xbox for serious stuff like homework. Why not. They'd only be cheap. And it'd be a trusty worthy brand. As soon as visitors saw the Google logo on the device they'd know it was the Internet. - capn1time, on 07/15/2009, -0/+7According to the user comments at the bottom of the page the ubuntu fork idea is based on here say. The writer of this article somehow decided not to mention that.
- v4vishal, on 07/15/2009, -2/+8I stopped reading when the article said: Chrome OS is nothing more than the promise of an Ubuntu fork.
The author does not know the difference between Linux and Ubuntu.
Buried. - Moz34, on 07/15/2009, -0/+6Since everything will be open source, any good aspect of Chrome can become present in other linux distributions as well. I also would expect that any application that can run on Chrome OS will be much easier to use/port on other Linux distributions than Windows/Max applications. It should be an overall win for Linux users.
- DarkShroud, on 07/15/2009, -1/+7Buried as inaccurate.
- stonedgeek, on 07/15/2009, -2/+8I don't think Google hypes anything. They usually just announce a new project and it hypes itself because everyone who knows Google, knows that they're going to get a new top quality, useful and best of all free tool.
- MokeyAUS, on 07/15/2009, -1/+7Kleenex does make toilet paper.
- abhiroop, on 07/15/2009, -0/+5I don't think he literally means an ubuntu fork. What he is saying is that what Google Chrome OS endeavors to be is essentially a clone of ubuntu in many ways and whether we actually need another ubuntu.
- tama00, on 07/15/2009, -5/+10Chrome OS is just another Linux distro.
It may have a new window system but it will have a new window manager and they will just slap the Chrome browser on top of that and for all your applications like word processing etc they will just link to google apps.
Chrome is made from open source webkit which was an Apple fork from KHTML (used in Konqueror in KDE) and considering they are taking pretty much everything else from GNU/Linux its not like google are actually putting in much effort into their OS. It just collecting pieces of open source software and relabelling it.
I think it is personally kind of an insult that they removed the Linux name from their OS name, but I guess it's your own opinion. I also believe it will be quite a failure, Apple and Microsoft have been in the game for a long time and have crushed many OS's in the past. Especially consider Windows 7 can run rather fine on most netbooks and if Google do develop their own window system then it will break a lot of Linux programs which will make the OS very limited in software. I really don't see what it will have going for it. - Angostura, on 07/15/2009, -1/+6Faulty logic I'm afraid. Just because Google currently uses a tweaked Ubuntu does not mean that Chrome will the same.
I expect most people in the Google Offices used Firefox before the Chrome browser appeared. - Gyga, on 07/15/2009, -0/+5My only hope for Chrome OS is that it forces Google to release SketchUp for Linux, and native versions of their wine wrapped products, and that it gets others supporting Linux.
So my expectations are pretty high. - CeeJayDK, on 07/15/2009, -0/+4A Moblin fork perhaps ?
From Googles FAQ : "We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds"
Intels Moblin can do that.
And there are signs that Intel is backing Google on this one:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1433251/i ... - FutureGuy, on 07/15/2009, -0/+4Google has had more than its fair share of failures, remember any of these?
Google Lively, Google X, Google Catalog, Google Video Player, Google Web Accelerator, Google Answers, Google Coupons, Google Voice Search, Google Viewer, Orkut.
They are all either total or semi failures, in fact outside of search and gmail they have very few success stories to brag about. But lucky for Google, they own the internet. - DS2600, on 07/15/2009, -1/+5Oh believe me, I completely agree that MSN is pure fail. I'm just saying I don't see it working out no matter who puts their name behind it.
- Gyga, on 07/15/2009, -0/+4It's like election year with Ron Paul and Obama all over again ...
It's like a new version of an Apple iProduct ...
What's one more thing for the Collective to obsess about. Just don't open the links. - superherofive, on 07/15/2009, -2/+6Wow the author of that article seems like a really pissed off teenager.
- lazyrussian, on 07/15/2009, -0/+4The ubuntu-fork idea comes from a similar announcement back in 2006, when GooOS was thought to be in the works. I think I remember that GooOS exists, but only internally.
- DarkShroud, on 07/15/2009, -0/+4Yeah never mind most of those tools have failed and been discontinuted. Picasa is one of the few that's useful and Google bought that out.
- DarkShroud, on 07/15/2009, -1/+4People do know there are other options. The issue is that they do not want those other options. The return rate on Linux netbooks was/is pretty high because people either don't like using them or couldn't use the for what they needed.
Put all the hersay aside and just look at what goolge acutally did say. They want a fast loading OS for their browser and it will use their web apps. That doesn't sound like a winning combo for people who would actually need to do work on it. - geoken, on 07/15/2009, -1/+4Wow, I always thought writing for a big site like cnet required both writing skills and knowledge of the subject material. I guess the latter is optional.
I like the part where he tries to accuse Google of bundling. Apparently, because Google's web apps run in a browser and Chrome OS will include a browser Google is bundling their web apps with Chrome OS.
FTA "Of course they won't support Microsoft Office. They're going to support Google Docs!" and by support he means include a browser which will also coincidentally adds support for Adobe's online office suite(Adobe is a Chrome OS partner so Flash support is expected), Microsoft's recently announced online office suite and the bevy of other online office apps.
Apparently all this author needs to claim the OS is bundling something is that the OS has the inherent ability to run a specific app. So MS must be bundling office since Windows has the ability to run Office (amongst other apps). - FutureGuy, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2They really can't can they? What are they going to say? "Hey I'm Chrome...I don't yet exist...I might eventually but right I am just vapor, but then I am vapor from Google so I will end up on digg's front page at least ones a day"
- Lucid00, on 07/15/2009, -1/+3I don't think Chrome OS is intended to win. Especially if all of the apps it can run, can also run within Google Chrome itself. I think their only plan is to push their competitors to move faster and further within the web industry, especially when it comes to browsers.
- dafragsta, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2Only with third party support. With that, any OS can win or at least be appealing to early adopters. Get Adobe to build apps for your platform and everyone else will fall in line I think.
- zimsters, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2"It used to be that only Microsoft could pre-announce a product to mass hysteria"
What is this, 1980? Isn't apple a better example of this for today's audience? C'mon cnet, let's catch up to the times here. - WolfHook, on 07/15/2009, -1/+3Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Google use it's own modified version of Ubuntu in their offices?
Why on earth would they use anything else, or build their own Linux distro from the kernel up?
Of course this will be a Ubuntu fork, what else could it be? - kevcool, on 07/15/2009, -1/+3The headline is a strawman and the author comes across as a bit misguided. Google doesn't need to win. They simply need to compete and preserve meaningful share in key markets. Given that nearly every 2nd tier mobile phone vendor is looking to standardize around Android, Google has some history of making headway in introducing an OS for a targeted audience. There is a huge consumer segment which has no interest in having full-blown apps on its netbook. If executed well (like Android - and unlike the initial vanilla Ubuntu attempts) Google may well capture this segment.
- weeFred, on 07/15/2009, -1/+3It's still an OS.
- laptoplarry, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2Great points there! It's only wishful thinking for corporate America to say bye bye to MS's monopoly. It is the average user who is fed up with the upgrades, lack of support for older "unsupported" MS products (Office 2000)and compatibility issues (had to chunk a printer because Vista didn't work with it).
I wish Chrome OS would at least put some heat on Microsoft. - custangro, on 07/22/2009, -0/+2Hopefully you're right!
- warp99, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2Apple will NEVER produce a version of iTunes for ChromeOS or ANY Linux distro because the duopoly of Apple and Microsoft is in Apple's best interest.
Do you really think that Apple wants to turn the desktop into the same multiple operating system landscape as with smartphones? Anyone using iTunes software as a measurement benchmark for success should know that it's meaningless. - 92fsInox, on 07/15/2009, -0/+2I think the author was referring to the fact that Microsoft hypes up they're releases but doesn't deliver the advertised quality or support. Apple is a little better at keeping their promises, albeit for the premium price.
-PC User (hate Mac, love iPhone) - trebol, on 07/16/2009, -0/+2In a related story, the Google Chrome logo meets it's brother Simon after being separated at birth.
- pokobunt, on 07/17/2009, -0/+1Chrome OS will be Unix-like, not Unix-based.
- tnoy, on 08/25/2009, -0/+1The media is expecting FAR too much from Google.
- DarkShroud, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1There a bit old now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkOXwXHvFa4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsXaebhabmk - ldog, on 07/17/2009, -0/+1While I agree that their wine based ports would be better native, a lot of good has come out of them using wine. They've submitted hundreds of patches to wine in the process.
- HavocXphere, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1>>Google has a lot to prove, and doesn't have a track record of >>churning out hits.
WTF? Must be smoking the good stuff...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_produc ... - paradigm1220, on 07/15/2009, -1/+2Well it's soft enough for my nose, I'm sure it'll catch my semen too!
- JosedeNoche, on 07/17/2009, -0/+1it's too soon to smoke up Google Chrome OS, we don't even know what things haves in store. Buried
- sirdarksoul, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1Wow. Lots of people are predicting success or failure considering they've never seen the end product.
- custangro, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1The only way Linux is going to "win" the distro wars is if Apple releases iTunes for Linux...
No "average user" is going to want to take the time to "hack" their ipod/iphone to make it work with songbird (or anything else).
-C - KiloKaan, on 07/15/2009, -2/+3"Still mint billions" ...with chrome OS? how?
- ifallen, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1This article kinda makes me wanna rip my eyes out...
when has google ever fallen flat on a product offer like microsoft has?
when has google ever ripped me, or anyone off? (i mean, with a price tag, i'm not stating anything about originality)
maybe i should expect this type of slandering as i look to the bottom right of the screen and see bill gate's face with some praise about some internet physics...
grrr....
no office for chrome?! um... office is gonna have a free online version within a year... and that's completely to battle with google doc's... (apperintly he doesn't read digg)
which, btw, if ya got google doc's you might not need f'n word anyways...
i think google has a huge advantage as it tries to move into netbooks, it's their Name!
of course the average pc user looking for a netbook doesn't choose Ubuntu, they may have never even herd of it...
(and when i say that, i mean the stupid average user, which is, a large majority)
however, Google pulls a lot with it's name. People trust it. They don't even have to advertise themselves like Microsoft has recently attempted with BING (which, btw, hasn't gone up much recently, still only sitting at about 8.4 % market share!)
ok ok, and as for chrome browser share...
first, it's not compatible for mac yet, and while that's a giant section, that does help your adoption, especially with people who own both mac's and pc's, they like to use the same tools when they can.
And look how long it took for the growth of firefox, the majority of people do not consciously decide what browser to use... they just click the button "oh, internet explorer, well... sh*t, it has the word internet in it..." when firefox is obviously leaps ahead... so it will take a while for chrome to get settled in. And though the linux community may be small, those people generally default as a firefox market. (sry konqueror)
last but not least, no one has seen the google OS. Don't just call it a "fork of ubuntu"... no one has said that. Only you have said that. And I'm more than positive that you are damn wrong. - ifallen, on 07/16/2009, -0/+1google sit's on apple's board, so i could see them working out a deal for at least google's OS.
- cantormath, on 07/15/2009, -0/+1Chrome OS is running on Linux. Google is bringing Linux front and center. We should give it every chance to succeed.
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