If you have not been living under the rock for the past week, you must know that Google has announced its own operating system called Chrome OS. Yes, the same name as their Chrome Browser that has only managed to get its fifteen minutes of fame and then faded away. So, is Google Chrome OS also going to fade away like Chrome Browser?
Hardcore Google fans (like myself) are probably already drooling by the mere thought of test-driving the new OS. And it's not only fans, but also mass-media that are caught in the frenzy. Everyone is waiting for Microsoft's response as if it was the last thing that will ever come out from this company. In fact, there are some speculations that this was Google's response to Microsoft launching their Bing search. But hey, how about we all snap out of it?
Just like Chrome Browser has not killed Internet Explorer, Chrome OS is never ever killing Windows. Simple. Why? Well, let's start with the same argument as always -- people are lazy and also afraid of change. Except for several thousand developers and fans, no one is ditching their Windows, no matter how much it sucks. Various flavours of Linux have been around just as long as Windows and Windows is still number one.
Since Google will most likely fail to create the momentum, big companies like Adobe, and others will not see the point to port their software (there's still no Linux version of Photoshop after all these years), therefore a lot of people who could possibly switch to Chrome OS later-on, will simply stick with Windows, for the same reasons they are not switching to Linux right now.
Of course, at this point someone must argue that no other giant has ever stood against Microsoft before and that Google will make it right this time. Well, let me come back to the example of Chrome Browser -- Google tried it's best to make it right, but it seems like the only users they have really gained were not the ones using Internet Explorer, but the ones using Firefox, Opera, and other alternative browsers. If history is bound to repeat itself, Google is not taking Microsoft's candy away, it will steal users from its own kind (Chrome OS will be based on Linux kernel) -- other Linux {distros.
No, I have not forgotten that Chrome OS will have a strong focus towards netbooks, but I still don't think it will gain a significant market share there either. Yes, they can make it boot fast and have it pretty much on instantly, ready to dive into the cloud, but people will still want what's familiar -- they will want to see Windows XP.
There are two ways that Google could succeed though. First, if Microsoft remains stubborn (read: stupid) and decides to kill XP, despite the fact that it is gaining a significant netbook market share. Second way would be somehow seamlessly merging all of it: Android, Chrome Browser, Chrome OS, Google Apps, etc. under a single brand/product by the name Google. A recent survey in Times Square showed that most people don't know the difference between the browser and search engine, if Google seamlessly integrated other products into that "not knowing", people might just involuntarily drop Microsoft.
Anyway, for now Google Chrome OS has a rather cloudy (understand it either way you like) future and only time will show if all the sarcasm of this post was pointed in the right direction.
Kevin lives in UK, London. He is administrator of Host1Plus servers and web projects creator. Professional Multi-Location HostingHosting Advisor's BlogHost1Plus on Squidoo
