Google to launch new OS
Google announced today that it is to launch its own operating system for netbooks, laptops and desktop PCs.
Google Chrome OS, which is scheduled for release by late 2010, will be direct competition for Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7.
The move is being seen in the technology industry as an aggressive challenge to Microsoft’s long-standing dominance of the OS market.
“This announcement is huge,” commented Rob Enderle from industry analysts Enderle Group. “[This] is the first real attempt by anyone to go after Microsoft”
Google’s Chrome OS, which follows the Chrome internet browser released in late 2008 (now accounting for approximately 2% of the worldwide browser market), will be based on the open source Linux kernel. This means it will be essentially free, with possible payment for add-ons like enterprise support.
Google claim that the key aspects of Chrome OS will be “speed, simplicity and security” and that the browser will do away with unnecessary features.
“We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you on to the web in a few seconds,” said the company’s official blog post.
Web integration appears key to Google’s masterplan, with the ultimate aim being that users will run their applications online and dispense with the need to store software on computer hard drives; replacing MS Outlook with the web-based gMail service and MS Office (inc. Word, Excel etc) with Google Docs.
As Microsoft’s core business is built on its Windows OS and applications, this may well sound like their worst nightmare and a massive threat to its market share. Although other solutions have tried to muscle in lately, such as Apple and the free Linux OS, none have had the potent combination of Google’s strong branding and a free offering.
However, Microsoft do have a strong position in the market which could prove hard to dent; their Internet Explorer software is still the most popular browser despite countless security exploits and other assorted complaints.
In addition, Windows 7, which is also billed as a much faster and more lightweight OS in comparison to the widely panned Vista, will have a full year to illustrate to everyone that they don’t need a new OS and that sticking with Microsoft is the better option.
If all else fails, there remains the possibility that Microsoft will be able to take their case to their old friends the European Competition Commision and fight Google’s continuing expansion on a legal front.
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