Google Chrome OS F.A.Q.

If TechRadar can print a Google Chrome OS Faq, based on the extremely anemic amount of information (or misinformation) Google announced today, I figure that it’s fair that I print one too. Without any fanfare, here goes:

What exactly is Chrome OS?

Google has decided that it wants to get into the operating system business. Never mind that the 3 OSes currently available have all been in development for over 20 years, apparently it’s very easy and Google will have it to you next year. That said, I would say that Google Chrome OS is just another fork of Linux. Why they haven’t just gotten together with Ubuntu and helped do something useful by actually embracing the open source community and helping it succeed as a whole instead of adding yet another fork to the Linux family tree, is beyond me. So we know Chrome is Linux, and we know that Google is already appealing to the open source community to help code it. I am not sure I would be all that hip on spending my time writing code to help Google make money without getting a little something in return.

When will we be able to use the OS?

I think there is a much better question to ask here. When will we want to use the OS? I am guessing the tech savvy geeks like me will check it out pretty much the day they drop some code. I am geeky like that, I install pretty much every iteration of Ubuntu and Fedora just to see what’s new. The thing is, in the last 5 years, I have yet to come up with a single compelling reason to remove OS X from my Macs or Windows Vista/7 from my PCs. There are some facts that Google is going to have to deal with, the main one being that the web isn’t the only reason we use computers. Leaving out the working class of people who use Office, Photoshop, Final Cut, LiveMeeting and the like, consumers have needs too. iTunes, Photoshop Elements and the like are common needs (and don’t start babbling about Amarok and Gimp, bleh) The other side of the reality is that one thing that Linux has yet to tackle is digital rights management which although it is waning in the MP3 world, it’s going to be around for awhile in video. DHCP for HD, subscription based services, even something as simple as a DVD, cannot be legally used on Linux. I guarantee you that Google is not going to make it easy to decrypt DVDs lest they become the latest target of Hollywood’s lawyers. YouTube is already bleeding them enough there.

Is it a Windows competitor?

Give me a minute to quit laughing. Just one more sec, ok, I am good. Let me make this crystal clear. If there is a Windows competitor, it’s Apple’s OS X. Apple has managed to use 30 years to get to 10% or so. OS X is 100 times better than anything the Chrome OS could hope to be in at least 5 years. Windows 7 has the drop. If we have learned anything from the attempts at Linux on net books, it’s that people will pay a little extra to get Windows. I have had two, and Windows 7 is much better than XP on net books. If net books will obviously get faster, then Windows 7 will obviously get faster too. That means you can run the applications you know and love, you can use the hardware you own with the software it wants, and you don’t have to try and learn how to use a new operating system. I think that’s the common misconception. For Chrome to be able to do what it wants to do, it can’t be a little better, it has to be absolutely amazing. It has to make you giggle like the iPhone when you use it for the first time. The delight (smack me for using the marketing buzz word of the day) you get from OS X, Windows 7, iPhone, Xbox 360, etc. doesn’t come from a group of developers that code in their spare time. It comes from tons of usability research, an armada of designers, wads of cash in R&D, and experience. Google has the cash, but they are wanting in all other areas. Google is known for making design decisions on hard numbers, not designing with heart.

Will it run on my computer?

I am betting this one they will be able to manage. Most Linux variants will run on your toaster. Getting it up on your computer will probably be pretty easy and won’t need much for resources at all. The downside to that is going after the lowest common denominator guarantees that the OS is going to be spartan, unimaginative and plain. I am expecting something that looks just like gnome, some bright colors that remind you of 1st grade finger painting and that’s about it.

If it’s so heavily web integrated, will it be secure enough?

This one is a yes and no. Running entirely on the web on marginal hardware gives hackers very little reason to try and compromise your computer. I am guessing that Trojans and stuff will be unlikely for that reason and the fact that small install bases make for small targets. The same browser exploit issues that people try against current browsers will be just as threatening I figure. The real question is, how secure is Google owning all of your data. Not some, I am betting you get some sort of online profile that stores user preferences, payment information for micro transaction stuff, your email, your documents, everything! I have a certain amount of comfort in carrying a thumb drive or hard drive with my digital valuables on it. I am not sure I am ready to give my life to the cloud. That goes 100x for enterprise, not that they would touch a 1.0 product anyway.

So is this being done entirely in-house by Google?

No, it’s not. They want the open source community to help. If you have looked at Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, SuSe, etc. you will find that with some subtle variances, they are pretty much the same. It seems that when you hire a bunch of monkeys to sling code, they produce the same things apparently. It takes unique vision to create unique products. Code by committee produces bland products. That’s my opinion and I am sticking to it.

So how will this make my computing experience better?

It looks like Google’s big selling point is speed. Of course they are going for speed. But I have to ask a silly question. I do some seriously taxing computer work. I am willing to bet that I utilize computers 20-30 times more than your average home user. I can’t remember a time in the last 3 years or so where I was struggling with the speed of my computer. It almost seems like Google has a solution looking for a problem. My computers don’t boot too slow. My computers don’t make me sit and wait. Is this really a problem for people?

What does this mean for Android?

Ah, I don’t really care. What does Android mean anyway? Three words, one hit wonder. The honeymoon is over, the buzz is gone, is anyone still talking about Android?

Will this sound the death knell for Ubuntu and Fedora?

I don’t think so. They have a community, they have a history, there is support in place and people like it. There is a certain good will toward Ubuntu and Fedora because they are good enough, they are free and they fill a niche. The users of both of those OSes are not going to switch to a toy web OS. They still want a full fledged OS.

How much will it cost?

I am guessing it will cost Google a lot. It will obviously be free for you and me, but there is a cost with being free. That cost is that Google is not going to pump much money into support and they aren’t going to react with blazing speed to updates and patches. It’s a funny thing about Google, they use free and beta as a way to say “use at your own risk.” I like some of the Google products, but I don’t see customer responsibility being a strong point of theirs.

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