We’re having a very slow newsday today, since basically everyone and their cow is compulsively pushing out articles on a product that doesn’t even exist beyond an announcement Google’s Chrome OS, with none of them being particularly interesting. What is interesting is the news that Intel has been aware of Chrome OS for a while now – in fact, Intel is working with Google on this new operating system.
A spokeperson for Intel-Pacific had already said Intel was working with Google, and El Reg got it confirmed straight from Intel’s headquarters in California. “We’ve been privy to the project for some time and work with Google on a variety of projects, including elements of this one,” Intel said, “We welcome Google’s move here.”
It seems like Intel has really come a long way since the days of the whole “Wintel” thing. Not only did they welcome Mac OS X on their chips, they’re now also working on various incarnations of Linux; the company’s own Moblin effort and now Google’s Chrome OS. In addition, rumours are popping up that Intel is also working with Google on bringing Android to their MIDs. The company didn’t want to comment on that.
Apart from Intel, Google’s got some serious companies backing the Chrome OS effort: Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba, among others. Let’s hope Google’s Chrome OS efforts bring more diversity and competition to the marketplace.
I’m not sure why it’s a surprise that Intel has decided that it’s worth helping all of Microsoft’s competitors to enhance their software for the Intel platform.
In the end, Microsoft’s competition still benefits Intel of course, as long as Intel products are being used.
I’m certain that Intel cares more about making sure all software runs faster on their processor than competing processors from AMD or even ARM-based offerings.
What’s interesting here is that Google Chrome OS will support both ARM and x86 – it should be interesting to see how efficiency/performance differs between the two versions – as ARM processors continue to get faster, and Intel processors continue to get lower-powered.
Edited 2009-07-10 20:42 UTC
It^aEURTMs Linux, it^aEURTMs supported on toasters.
Yeah, but it’s Linux allegedly running interpreted javascript applications – so the performance differences should still be interesting to watch…
As for a chrome toaster… do they make those any more?
I would imagine with the way V8 works, it shouldnt be too dissimilar on similarly rated machines.
No idea, they have probably gone the way of the Oak* toasters
*or would that be coffee makers?
.. is that maybe why they moved Moblin to the Linux Foundation?
I think Chrome OS might bring cool innovation to the Linux ecosystem. Even if it fails there will be some valuable lessons learned. And I am not even sure that it will fail. But I also think Chrome (the browser) hasn’t failed. Google at the end of the day only wants to push everybody in the right direction(from their point of view).
Which is: in their direction
It will be all about pushing ad content directly to the users easier… if no browser is required, and the google services are constantly being utilized for every day functions, Google will have the power to analyze user statistics and introduce new methods of advertisement placement not realized before.
Should be interesting to see how much “invasion” people will tolerate for “free” software and convenience.
Not much. I am certain that the first incarnations of Chrome OS will only have ads on webpages.
No normal desktop app will have ads or dial home.
Only if it kills all Linux distro vendors (which is highly unlikely) then they might try a litte more, but I guess they will instead leverage their Native Client + ads in the long run. That could mean a free ad supported Photoshop.
The other thing I keep thinking of is the name, has no one read the Jargon file or is this some kind of inside joke ?
chrome /n./
[from automotive slang via wargaming] Showy features added to attract users but contributing little or nothing to the power of a system. “The 3D icons in Motif are just chrome, but they certainly are pretty chrome!” Distinguished from bells and whistles by the fact that the latter are usually added to gratify developers’ own desires for featurefulness. Often used as a term of contempt.
http://www.ccil.org/jargon/jargon_18.html#SEC25
The use of the name “Chrome” has already been suggested as a huge inside joke. It’s especially intriguing that they chose to name their browser offering Chrome, given that Firefox also calls their UI layer (utilizing XUL/Javascript) around the rendering engine “chrome” already.
Heh I forgot about the other chrome XUL Bit.
I suggest a text mode only OS called… Ohh wait we have that.
Just like they are already working on Linux with drivers, Xorg, Moblin, etc. How is this news? :/
I have no idea. I have to put SOMETHING up
.
Hmmm could this be pointing in the direction of an Intel “investing in the future” strategy? Finding out the details behind it, now THAT would be news!
One size does not fit all, of course.
It’s not like the kernel team must be the end all and be all for systems development using Linux. Ask Con Kolivas about how well that works out.
Google is cutting the extraneous code (for their purposes) out of libc, and building a lean and mean library (Bionic) for embedded devices running Andriod.
It wouldn’t be surprising (in the least) if they took the same approach with the Linux kernel, and they have the resources and support to target their own product.
———— edit:
In addition, if Google decides to bypass X Windows, they likely will be looking at the framebuffer, including the work done on this subject by http://www.directfb.org/ and http://home.comcast.net/~fbui/ … To be efficient, this code must be in the kernel, which the kernel team has blocked for 5 years.
Video is an area where as a chipmaker, intel can help with 3D and driver support.
Edited 2009-07-11 00:48 UTC
Just like when we get to know that intel is helping Nokia in porting S60 onto x86. currently we know Nokia is porting s60 to x86 and we know intel and Nokia are working together. So, there will be an announcement soon. But still it will be news when they announce it
This is and will be pretty interesting.
I’m sure Google and Intel will bring a lot of good things for our Linux ecosystem.
Edited 2009-07-11 00:25 UTC
With all the talk and even HYPE about Google Chrome OS, I’m wondering if I’m missing something – if everyone else has read an exciting article that I haven’t seen.
Because, to me, it looks like Chrome OS is a browser running in kiosk mode on a framebuffer, on top of a locked-down Linux kernel.
How is that exciting? Such products already exist and are in 24/7 use all over the world. And have been for the past 5 years or longer.
Nobody wants to buy a computing device and be restricted to a browser. Nobody who bought a Linux netbook has stuck with the original software selection; they’ve either gained access to the package manager or installed a different distribution. How does Google think that anyone will buy a netbook that can ONLY surf the web?
Oh okay, there might be some mini applications available, but from the sounds of it they will probably be the equivilant of Opera widgets. Yawn.
Intel and netbook manufacturers should stop wasting their time, and reassign everyone from the “suck up to Google” project towards working with Moblin. The Moblin system has serious potential.
You are missing something: marketing and branding.
What’s generating the talk and hype is that the public cares about what Google does, not what the Linux Foundation is pursuing.
Google has a strong brand, a huge market presence, and the world at large now knows that Google is “competing with Microsoft” through wide media coverage. Perhaps, for the first time, the public knows and has a reason to CARE what the difference between a “Netbook” and a “Notebook” is (in their terms).
Further, in terms of missing something… you know what Google has that Moblin doesn’t? A nearly unlimited budget, and a stable of PAID staff to follow a clear direction, not a community consensus.
Intel is behind them because it will create profit for both firms if people want to purchase their commercial products. Intel is probably putting more resources behing the Chrome OS than Moblin, and with good reason.
Anecdotal aside:
Many non techies have asked me recently about this new Google computer system they’ve been hearing about (as they know me as an IT person by trade).
Nobody has ever heard/asked me about Moblin, and even if they did, they would probably pronounce it like Goblin, and think it sounded funny/odd.
I image Moblin conversations like this, from your regular Google user to their tech friends:
“Moblin? Oh, Intel is doing it? It runs on Linucks? Hmm. So, anyway, what do you think about the Google laptop? I heard they have an App Store like the iPhone. Sounds neat, when do they come out?”
Edited 2009-07-13 19:30 UTC
Actually I’m more interested in what are the features or software which will be included in Chrome OS
Will NX or X Windows client be available so that I can run my Unix/Linux apps ?
http://www.nomachine.com
Will RDP client be included so that I can run my Windows apps
http://www.aikotech.com/thinserver.htm
Will I be able to print locally ?
I think these are the more important issues
Interesting link for that RDP software. Total scam.
I was hoping for a new, cheap, legit alternative to Citrix/MS RDP, maybe even a reimplementation. Posting about this so no-one else wastes more than a few seconds on “aikotech”
It’s actually an illegal hack to the Windows operating system, that they are selling disguised as legitimate software.
Take a look at the ‘demo’: http://www.aikotech.com/thinserver.zip .. Looks to be written by a sloppy teenager with a hushmail account.
If you installed this in a business and got audited, get ready to pay big time. If I wanted to circumvent terminal service licensing fees, there are equally illegal and less expensive ways of doing so than being scammed by this crapware outfit.