Last week's Google Chrome OS announcement solicited a lot of virtual ink and had many in the blogosphere wondering aloud if Microsoft (or any other OS like Apple) should begin evacuating their headquarters for higher ground.
Hey, we're the first to admit we're always a little intrigued by news from the Googleplex. Still, these predictions notwithstanding, it seems there is value in looking at a few questions to determine what the Chrome OS announcement could mean.
To cut through the hype and hysteria, here are three questions to consider:
- Is Chrome really an OS?
So, is Google Chrome really an operating system? Well, yes and no. It will leverage resources from Linux so in the purest sense of the word it isn't and doesn't present much technical risk for Google. But, Chrome will help stitch together the amalgam of web-based applications Google has launched (e.g. mail, docs, etc) -- along with those developed to run on the new OS -- targeted at a growing group of users who do the majority of their working and interacting online. More importantly for these kinds of users, Chrome represents a shift away from the overhead and expense of desktop operating systems (and applications like Office) to more mobile, cloud/web-based computing. - Does Chrome OS represent a direct threat to Microsoft?
At the risk of lowering the level of tension here, I don't think so. While there may be classes of users within the enterprise for whom Chrome on a netbook will make sense, it doesn't seem logical to presume many enterprise Microsoft users will drop these OS platforms for Chrome. In the world of multi-boot computing with users supporting multiple OSes on one machine however, it may make sense to run Chrome when you are online - checking email, uploading a video or updating Facebook. Or even a separate netbook which runs Chrome for your online self. - What would be the advantages of Chrome OS?
In short, speed, security and simplicity if all goes as billed for Google Chrome. By eliminating the overhead of running applications locally and relying instead on web-based resources, machines running Chrome should run faster and be easier to maintain and secure.
I think another advantage of Google's move is that it leverages their leadership and market position to create "seed capital" in the space and should encourage (push?) other players in the industry to improve their products. Their forward pressure in the search area has lead to interesting innovations like Bing and many improvement at Yahoo (not to mention vertical search); though admittedly few have truly challenged their dominance in that arena. Still there will undoubtedly be innovations in the space by virtue of Google putting their hat in the ring.
Conclusion
While I think the release of Google Chrome OS will keep some executives at Microsoft up at night no one needs to begin packing offices just yet. There have been similar plays at a web-only computer which have failed miserably.
Google fairs a better chance than some of Sun's Java-based efforts in part because of the popularity of its online cloud-based application suite (over a million businesses use Google Apps) and the general perception that at least for the moment they are the good guys. Being in the OS business though will certainly place Google under that microscope more often.
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