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So now that Google has broken the OS barrier are we going to stop it or do we wait until GoogleNet goes live and eradicates human life?
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Chronos[Ha-G]
Bowielee said:
As long as it works with the majority of PC games, I'm willing to check it out personally.Denbrought said:
Also, if the AI of most games I play is anything to go by, I'm not too worried about their OS'es consuming us...
figmentPez
Staff member
Considering they're aiming at running it on ARM processors (as well as x86 Atom processors), I'd guess zero compatibility with Windows programs.Bowielee said:
Wired: Five Things Google’s Chrome OS Will Do for Your Netbook
"Chrome OS is designed to run on low-powered Atom and ARM processors, and web-based applications don’t require that much horsepower on the client end so it should be faster still. Better, it will be small. Google is promising boot times measured in seconds, not minutes..."
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Reboneer
It isn't so.Calleja said:
figmentPez
Staff member
Is this just an expanded version of the Android OS for cellphones?
Given the initial reports, that's not gonna happen any time soon.Chronos[Ha-G said:
To the best of my knowledge, there has been ONE mainstream game that worked natively with Linux (like it or not, this new OS *is* Linux) straight out of the box, and that was Unreal Tournament. They were the only game I ever saw that had Tux the Penguin on the box next to the Windows logo.
From what I've seen it's basically a lightweight linux install that uses chrome to access all of the google apps. All most people want to do with netbooks is get online, use word processors, and watch some movies. If it can do all of that for free and also allow it to be fairly useful while not connected to the net it should go over well. It's definitely not going to replace your desktop OS.
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Chronos[Ha-G]
Yeah, I didn't think so. Suffice to say, I probably won't have a reason for this, unless they manage to somehow make AutoCAD run lightning fast on it or something.DarkAudit said:
fade
Staff member
11 undocumented things Google Chrome OS will do for you:
http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=8677
http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=8677
From my now defunct blog:Denbrought said:
Since that day, I have imagined Google's future as a benevolent skynet that will DEFEND us from it, starting the first robotic civil war!
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zero
Yes, it's pretty much a Linux distribution without X11 (apparently they're going with a new graphics interface).Shakey said:
It will most likely have full binary compatibility with non-graphic linux software (compiled for arm, of course). Also, as many graphic toolkits today have multiple back ends (qt for example), I expect source-level compatibility with graphic linux software very quickly. (A bit like openembeded).
Linux on ARM is very old news now (I've been running linux on my IPaq for more than 4 years), you find on it every open-source software you would expect from a x86 distribution. Closed-source are a different matter. As you cannot recompile it for arm without access to the code, you need a bit of collaboration from the original developer. So far, there's no adobe flash for arm, for instance. I suppose that with google's weight, Adobe will certainly consider an arm port.
About Windows software, this one will be probably a no-no. With the most recent versions of wine, linux can run windows software just fine, but the main issue is again the ARM processor. Windows software is traditionally compiled for x86 ONLY, and that's a culture incorporated on windows-only developers that is not likely to change soon. With QEMU you can get an emulated windows environment, but performance is awful (but just fine to play old DOS games).
As a linux user, I am glad. This will probably enlarge the linux user base and get more proprietary software developed for linux.
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Mr_Chaz
Well the Chrome OS will exist for both x86 and ARM, so if WINE will work with the Google Windowing system there's no reason Windows software shouldn't be usable.zero said:
I like the idea of the OS, as long as they stick to their guns about it being fast, minimalist. But one report I read said it would be basically just a browser, with all applications web based. Which I'm not too impressed with, if you have no web connection you're in trouble! So If that report's true then it's of fairly limited use, but no other report has mentioned that, so hopefully be ok.
fade
Staff member
If only there was already a popular variant of Linux or FreeBSD running a non X11 graphics layer...maybe it's own proprietary UI layer above that...zero said:
What's wrong with Ubuntu? I've been using it for about a year, and it's pretty damn great. It's free. It has Open Office. It's relatively fast. What more do people want.
If Ubuntu hasn't taken down Microsoft, how will Google do it?
If Ubuntu hasn't taken down Microsoft, how will Google do it?
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Chronos[Ha-G]
They'll force google.com to work only with their OS. Everyone on the internet who relies on google will flock to their OS, thus leaving windows in the dust.drawn_inward said:
It is, without doubt, an oxymoronic conglomeration of both cunning finesse and brute force. It is, unquestionally, brilliant.
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Pojodan
Well, personally, I like 'Google' as a name better than 'Windows', 'Linux' or 'Macintosh', so it much be superior!
The name will probably do a lot. Google is a name people can recognize, so they will be more inclined to join in. They will probably do something similar to apple and palm and make a storefront for people to sell or give away apps. If they are smart the apps should be made compatible between this and android. It's not going to take down Microsoft though. Just make it harder for them in the netbook/mobile class.drawn_inward said:
They'll force google.com to work only with their OS. Everyone on the internet who relies on google will flock to their OS, thus leaving windows in the dust.Chronos[Ha-G said:
It is, without doubt, an oxymoronic conglomeration of both cunning finesse and brute force. It is, unquestionally, brilliant.[/quote:1yemoyu6]
seeing as google is basically the only search engine worth using, and also that i use it 100+ times a day... such a move would leave me high and dry.
figmentPez
Staff member
It's not about what's wrong with Ubuntu, but what Chrome OS will potentially do much better:drawn_inward said:
- Boot time (and application boot time, OOo isn't exactly speedy). If Chrome OS can boot and load programs significantly faster than Ubuntu, especially on a netbook, that's a huge win.
- Developer commitment to battery life: every article I've read suggests XP still beats Ubuntu in battery life on notebooks/netbooks, easily.
- Name/Brand recognition
- Hardware/Manufacturer support: Right now Ubuntu and other Linux versions are treated as the cheap option, and not much work is put into them. Leading to poor customer experience. I've read several netbook reviews saying that various things in the Linux version didn't work right, or didn't work at all, while the XP version did.
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Chibibar
The main problem is program compatibility.
I love PC and Mac. I have a nice iMac at the office. It will not load Steam easily (there is no mac version without using Crossover or Parallel. I use my rig mainly for gaming. So the OS would need to work with a lot of games to get the gaming community. Office is another popular app that needs to work with this new OS.
Most people in our office uses MS Office, Email program (GroupWise, Outlook), and accounting apps.
If Chrome OS can do any of these without much trouble, then it could be a contender with MS.
I love PC and Mac. I have a nice iMac at the office. It will not load Steam easily (there is no mac version without using Crossover or Parallel. I use my rig mainly for gaming. So the OS would need to work with a lot of games to get the gaming community. Office is another popular app that needs to work with this new OS.
Most people in our office uses MS Office, Email program (GroupWise, Outlook), and accounting apps.
If Chrome OS can do any of these without much trouble, then it could be a contender with MS.
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Mr_Chaz
It won't do any of that, not off the bat at least. It's going to be essentially Linux. However, it might have WINE support, which will bring some Windows software compatibility, but at an overhead. Its benefits over existing Linux distros won't be in software compatibility, it'll be in the fact its a new OS built with specific goals in mind. This means it doesn't have to have legacy support for old APIs and such like. All current operating systems (even OS X to a certain extent) are designed to be an improvement on a previous generation, adding current requirements to a code base that already exists. Chrome however is intending to build a large amount from scratch to current requirements, so it's not bodging adaptations onto what's already there: everything in it will be designed for purpose. In theory this'll make a quick, sleek, robust OS.Chibibar said:
That's what they're aiming for at least. Wait and see how well that works, it is built on the Linux kernel afterall, so they might not have quite as much flexibility as they hope for.
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Chibibar
Yea. I figure that is their goal, but in order to capture the "major" hold of Microsoft, the software compatibility is the key (IMO) unless they are going after a totally different market (like portable apps for mobile type devices) I mean it is nice that you can buy a new netbook that can boot up fast and look pretty, but if it can't run all your favorite old app, guess what? people will go back to Microsoft to run those apps.Mr_Chaz said:
figmentPez
Staff member
From what I've read they're aiming at people whose favorite apps are web applications. As strange as it is to me, and probably most of the people on this forum, there are a growing number of computer users who do nearly everything through their web browser.Chibibar said:
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Mr_Chaz
Yeah I see what you mean. I did exactly that. A distro called Xandros came on my EEE, booted in 20 seconds, opened programs in no time...but was so limited in what it could do I replaced it after less than two weeks. I've tried a handful of distros and yet the only OS that's pleased me is Win 7. Funny that.Chibibar said:
Well yeah, it is Linux, but I'm guessing the intention will be that no one would ever notice that it's Linux. All people will ever see is Chrome I would assume. Just as no one cares that OS X is FreeBSD, it's so coated in stuff that the kernel is almost irrelevant to the standard user.DarkAudit said:
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chakz
Aw c'mon guys, Windows 7 is coming out. Its going to be like a bazillion times better than vista. We don't need Google chrome.
/billgateshandpuppet.
Actually I'd just like an OS that has stability, good features, and a nice select of games and software.
and also a dragon mount.
and a car that runs on hope.
/billgateshandpuppet.
Actually I'd just like an OS that has stability, good features, and a nice select of games and software.
and also a dragon mount.
and a car that runs on hope.
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