Thursday 9 July 2009

Lighter than light - the Google Chrome Operating System

Have been using Google Chrome for many months now, and really enjoy its simplicity and speed.
Since GApps has become my word processing and spreadsheet software, I have rarely resorted to Word or Excel. So - the web-based transition has occurred seamlessly.
However, switching on my computer means waiting for a Goliath to wake up. It takes a long time and readies a hugely powerful machine unnecesarily.
So Google's announcement for a Google Chrome OS is really exciting! We will have to wait (later in 2010), but it will be open source. It will be light, fast and made for surfing. This surely is the way to go.
I have been tempted by a netbook but now think it is worth waiting for the new OS.
Update: Operating Systems can exist at the macro and local levels. This 2004 post by Rich Skrenta predicted a huge GooOS which everyone will use. The Google Chrome OS will exist at the local level but I found it interesting to follow this five year old prediction.
Also, Google Chrome OS is not the only OS - must not forget Android OS.