Acer Review, Asus Review – Netbook 10

Here we are prepping ourselves for the Oct. 22 Windows 7 launch and for the first Android based netbook sometime this Fall, when Google goes an announces a whole new OS intended purely for Netbooks. That’s right, according to the Google Blog, we should see the new Google Chrome OS in the second half of 2010.

What is the Google Chrome OS? Why is it awesome?

• Dedicated to the Web – Google is trying  to differentiate the Chrome OS from the Android by streamlining the Chrome OS for cloud computing on netbooks now and eventually laptops and desktops. The lightweight Chrome OS will focus on making all of Google’s products (Gmail, Google Docs etc. etc. etc.) accessible both online and offline via Google Gears. That way you’ll never not have the latest version of that file on you, no matter where you are. The Android on the other hand is intended to be a lightweight OS for all sorts of mobile devices including phones and computers (and pretty much everything in between!)Will it kill Android? Maybe, but Google doesn’t seem to (outwardly) worried about it: “While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.”

• Just plain Better – The Chrome OS pledges to rid us of all the things we hate about computers and software *cough Microsoft cough* like long boot times for both, security issues, viruses, the constant need to install software updates, performance deterioration (how your computer does not function the way it did when you first bought it),  the need to back up files in fear of hard drive crashes, and the eternity it takes to install new software and hardware. If anyone can do it, Google can, and I am happy to let them try. They intend to do so primarily by starting all over from scratch – unlike Windows 7 which just started over from pre-Vista which is still saying a lot.

• Speedy, simplicity and security – These are the three S-es the Chrome OS will be based on. The OS will be primarily web based, and all applications will be web-apps. This means the OS will be really lightweight with a minimal user interface – something we can just drop onto a device and run hassle-free. After switching from PC to Mac, I believe it can be done. The question is if Google can succeed at taking over Microsoft’s ‘portion’ of the pie when Apple failed to (oh c’mon, OS X is not mainstream and you know it!)

• Open Source - What better way to infuse the market with cheap/free web applications than by making the OS open source. We’re yet to see how successful the Android will be, but an open source netbook/notebook/desktop OS is probably more scalable than a mobile one.

• Universal - The Chrome OS will be designed to work with x86 chips (aka Intel) as well as ARM chipsets, as well as all browsers and not just Google’s Chrome Browser (which they claim is used by 30 million people which is surprisingly large and in the grand scheme of things absolutely tiny).

• Meant for netbooks – The Chrome OS will launch on netbooks first – which may actually give netbooks the boost they need to ensure sales don’t drop off. Netbooks really are the logical choice – they’re intended to be the most portable computers and the Chrome OS is trying to be the most portable and lightweight OS. Also, if the Chrome OS works well with netbook specs, it’ll probably work awesome with the better notebook & desktop specs.

Sounds awesome – what’s the catch?

I didn’t come across any thing on the Google Blog that implied how desktop applications would work with the new OS. Web apps may replicate what iTunes does, but there is no way they can replace software like the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop etc). (Web based Aviary editor does come somewhat close though). Who knows, in 5 years everything could be web based and the kids will scoff when they learn that we old fogies had to download and install software before we could get things done. But that ain’t happening anytime this year.

2010 will be interesting as more people start using Windows 7 and as we learn more about the Chrome OS. The good news for netbook fans is that both work on netbooks, and we’ll be the first to test what Chrome OS has to offer. Oh and the Chrome won’t cost us anything, how did I forget to mention that part :)

Related posts:

1. Google Docs and Netbooks
2. Silicon Alley Insider air their Netbook ignorance
3. Android Netbooks – HP etc. looking to Android Netbooks
4. Microsoft brings back 1GB RAM restriction in Windows 7 Starter
5. What MS Office 14′s Entry Will Mean for Netbooks

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