On Google's Chrome OS

Google announced their upcoming ChromeOS to target netbooks. All the whilst, I thought that Android was being prepped for this but I was wrong - Google has more in mind.

ChromeOS will be released 2010 and will be based on Linux. This will definitely be a boost to the operating system BUT one cannot help but wonder - how will Google solve the issues that plague the OS. And oh, where will Ubuntu be in this game - the desktop or server? I guess we will have to see.

Issue 1. App Package Management. Whilst we have aptitude, yum, rpm, click-n-run - you name it, we probably have heard of it as each distribution's attempt to make third-party application management easier. UNFORTUNATELY, it is still cryptic for the ordinary mortals.

If Google figures this out - making it similar to how packages are handled by Mac OS X - drag and drop the app package and that is all there is to installing and removing it. Save for the .plist (preferences/settings), everything is easy to manage.

Issue 2. Look and feel. All GUI in Linux is handled by X Windows. Now, if Google finds a way to support all major windowing environment into a single unified kick-ass pretty one, then that will definitely give ChromeOS a huge boost.

Issue 3. Hardware drivers. If only it were easy to configure audio (playback and recording) and video-capture (talk webcams), then I am sure that more people will use Linux. :) Unfortunately, there are lots of hardware peripheral drivers available but none seems to work with most of what users have installed -- getting all the drivers to work together is a challenge. This is where Apple has done it correctly but providing hardware-software integration - but then again, not much choice either. :P

Issue 4. Cloud Integration. This will definitely be the main selling point of ChromeOS. However, Google must make sure that Google Gears is working flawlessly. Netbooks provide a way for Class C and D to have access to decent computing power without going to the internet cafes. However, these netbooks are not always connected - as intended - unlike in the US and other developed countries.

So, with ChromeOS being Linux-based and is full open source, developers will surely welcome this. Personally, I cannot wait to have my hands on it - am sure we can figure out what apps we can develop in our lab.

And oh, yes, this is a first for Google -- announcing something without showing anything! Very much unlike Google, if you ask me, but companies change.