Chrome, From Browser to OS

Google is making it's own operating system. Is this evolution? Revolution? World domination? Can Google succeed with it's operating system plans? What is the definition of success? Do we care and is this something we actually want?

It's a sign of the times that Google is expanding from the web to the desktop. From internet domination, to internet expansion. This isn't the creation of a new product or market, it's extending a market with great untapped potential. The operating system will be open source, and Google plans on collaborating with the open source community in order to get Chrome OS up and running. That makes Chrome OS less of a product from Google, and much more in service to Google.

Google knows how to make software, succeeds where others fail and now that the decision has been made, will undoubtedly throw the required resources at the project to make Chrome OS work... resources which Google has.

Looking at the quality product that Chrome the browser is, you'd have to assume that Chrome the operating system is likely to be of high to very high quality. It will be based on the Linux kernel, so will have exceptional driver support. That means that moving from a Netbook to a Desktop will be a short hop, step and jump. The aim from Google's post seems to be the production of something simple and safe. Functionality is really up in the air, but who knows where Google is coming from or headed on this road.

But I'd feel like a fool to suggest that Google is going to put together a glorified web browser powered by remote applications, and primarily using centralized storage. That would be highly unlikely because the market isn't ready for that right now, and won't be for some time to come (if ever). And the googlers rarely bet in the wrong direction, so such a public announcement and huge profile project will provide more than currently meets the eye. This means that a desktop application stack will be needed.

The applications will be limited by the GNU (or otherwise) infrastructure that's sitting beneath the Chrome hood. It's going to be essential for Chrome the OS to provide the essential desktop tools which open source developers use. Supporting popular desktop software will also hinder fragmentation on this new Linux derivative, which will be key to widespread adoption. The last thing people want to see is 200 derivative Chrome OS's that muddy the water for Joe Average User. And he's the consumer target for this work.

An operating system your mother would love.

But re-thinking the operating system isn't a direct thought process like building a browser. The web browser has a specific purpose and fairly well defined set of functionality. Comparing the work of engineering a browser to building the better operating system is a comparison between science and art. The next generation operating system can't just be a better Linux environment. The next generation operating system has to break through years of user experience and provide real additional facility for far lower cost and much greater ease of use. But don't get me wrong, my hopes are high.

The current environment is rife for operating system change. Even the people who loved Windows are hating it now. There are loads of people with bad desktop Linux experiences and loads of others who are switching to Apple to escape the torrent of computer problems that have plagued them for a decade. Any sort of contribution to operating systems from Google has got to be very welcome, let's all hope that the contribution amounts to more than white noise.

If some lovely Googler reads this please (please (please)) abolish shared libraries, they're a throwback to the 80's.