Google OS????

[Brian Ellis]

I hear occasional but persistent rumours that Google may be developing a Windows look-alike (using Win software) with just the basic functions (no browser, mail client, media player, RTF wordpad, just notepad etc.). This has perhaps been reinforced by their association with Sun for the MS Office-compatible office suite.

I imagine this would be a Herculean task, particularly as they could expect a mountain of patent infringement suits from MS, but it would be wonderful if it were to see the light of day.

Anyone any insider info?

[Kooldino]

Maybe it's kinda like Bart PE or whatever it's called?

[Nowhere]

OK, no insider info, but:

IMHO - they don't have to. Browser is their land, their OS. Perhaps their long goal strategy is to make OS irrelevant eventually. Why throw a glove at Microsoft when it's safer to bypass their market and go with something new, something big...and something that will be a lot bigger. Sure, MS seems to try to capitalize on that new wave too, but it seems they won't be able to resign from focusing on Windows & MsOffice (weren't IBM not able to stop focusing on big iron & workstations, so newcomer, MS, started to thrive in the new reality?). BTW, it's ironic how, I guess, proposed at some point splitting of MS could actually helped them a lot...with Office and Windows divisions gradually loosing strenght, but with "MSN" division beeing real counterpart to Google...

[VJ]

also, no insider info...

Couldn't it be useful for Google to have an OS running INSIDE a browser?

You just start a browser, surf to a google site, and you have an OS (inside the browser) up and running. It might be more perfomant and more compatible then Java applets or Flash programs.... It would be more in the Citrix realm though (IMO)...
(FWIW, Corel Office had a version that ran on Java, and could be launched from any Java compatible browser)

Jörg

[Umfriend]

Huh? How do you run a browser without an OS? Or why run an OS within a browser runnign under another OS?

AFAIK, Bart PE is NOT an OS. It's simply WXP, no? Not sure what a windows look-alike using win software is supposed to be either. (But then, it's been ages since I did any programming.)

[Brian Ellis]

No, I don't think so. They would be looking at the corporate and server markets. 90% of corporate 'puters don't even have Internet access. I can hardly call myself corporate (mebbe corpulent ) but only one of my three 'puters has Internet access. In particular, I would avoid allowing my video editor one to have it, at all costs.

[VJ]

Umfriend: I meant using the browser as a platform to run other applications. In a sense it would be an OS inside the browser (ideally, independant of the OS on which the browser is running).

Brian: Well, many home users do have internet nowadays...


Jörg

[Umfriend]

Brian, what is it you do not think so?

VJ, then it would not be, IMHO, a windows alternative but a Java-alternative.

I still have no clue what these rumours actually imply they are working on.

[Nowhere]

I don't think there's some awfully big project that they're "working on". They do all thing gradually, I guess...
For example...I don't use mail app and news client that runs on Windows/Linux/etc. anymore... If I would use Atom/RSS I wouldn't need desktop app either...
And I don't need some app to view maps.
They don't plan some revolution IMHO...they wouldn't be releasing desktop apps in such case. But the ones they DO release look like www or can't be used without it/are much more functional with it.

[VJ]

VJ, then it would not be, IMHO, a windows alternative but a Java-alternative.

Not quite, what if you then consider a machine that almost only runs a browser (machine boots => browser).
Then consider that on every machine on which you have a browser, if you go to a certain url, you would 'see' the same desktop. It could be quite a revolution: if I come to your place, run a browser, connect to my url, I would have all my applications and files.

If you consider it a Java replacement, all the applications would have to be rewritten. However, if they were to manage to run existing applications (a bit like citrix does), it is much more powerful than a mere Java replacement.

It is just an evolution step furter, after web-based mail...


For Google, any development would likely be serioulsy web and browser based...


Jörg

[spadnos]

I'd say that it's not about the applications, but about the data.

The idea of a "network OS" is an intriguing one. Imagine being able to write a document (or some code, or make a video or whatever) on your home machine, then get on a train and have access to it on your PDA (where the capabilities of the unit aren't enough for editing, but may allow proofing), then when you get to your clients location, just pull up the same document on their computer.

If Google does anything in the application/"OS" realm, it'll be something where the data is on their network (and searchable, no doubt), and you log in to access it. Something like GMail for everything else.

Just my $0.02
- Steve

[agallag]

I already use GMail as more than just an email client. It's also where I keep all my personal notes. I just compose an email with the note and save it as a draft. It's very handy, and I don't use nearly as many sticky notes as I used to.

[Nowhere]

Yep agallag, I consider using something like loginnamebrain@gmail.com for ALL my relevant info - easily searchable and available from anywhere where there's Internet access.

BTW, potentially Google might be more "evil" than any computer company up to date, if they go the route we envisage - they'll "own" not only your apps, but also data.

But...we can trust them, they're Google

edit: perhaps something of interest for this discussion (don't have time to read it - cafe)

[Kooldino]

@VJ - Cool idea.

[Jessterw]

The real trend here extends beyond just what Google is doing, it's what the web developers as a whole are doing in regards to web application development. A prime example being 37signals, who've been at it for awhile - before Google even hinted at things like Gmail. The buzzword is AJAX, which is exactly that; however, the movement is the creation of simple, easy-to-use web applications that skimp on the fancy trimmings and deliver on robust implementations and must-have feature sets.

The goal is not to supplant desktop applications, which in various forms will always be with us, but to provide attractive alternatives to those who don't need the complexity of said desktop denizens.