Google Chrome OS -- First Look
Although I promised myself I wasnt going to spend time running Googles Chrome OS right now, I got the bug. Thanks to gdgt who put an image together, Ive spent about 15 minutes tinkering with it in VirtualBox. Chrome OS is definitely bare-bones right now and slow in a VM, but any performance judgements should be considered irrelevant right now. Two thoughts came to mind as I got my hands dirty: who is this for and what can make it successful. As far as the first question, Chrome OS is for someone like me — someone who spends 98% of their day in a browser. Or it could be for everyone else, provided they use it in the manner intended. Is it meant to replace a daily operating system for most people? No more so than a netbook would be a replacement for a high-powered workstation. Its simply not that kind of tool. Chrome OS is intended for quick access to the web on a portable notebook-like companion device. Think of it as the environment and device youd go to when you dont want to boot up a full OS but you want a larger screen and keyboard than your smartphone has. So what can make it successful? There are several factors, but one of the key ones is what makes Firefox so useful — extensions. As Mozillas browser has shown, you can do quite a bit in a browser with the right tools. And oddly enough, while Chrome OS doesnt yet support extensions officially, youll see in my video that I have a few installed anyway. Thats my first look and first thoughts. Ill have plenty more to say as the project matures.
Although I promised myself I wasnt going to spend time running Googles Chrome OS right now, I got the bug. Thanks to gdgt who put an image together, Ive spent about 15 minutes tinkering with it in VirtualBox. Chrome OS is definitely bare-bones right now and slow in a VM, but any performance judgements should be considered irrelevant right now. Two thoughts came to mind as I got my hands dirty: who is this for and what can make it successful. As far as the first question, Chrome OS is for someone like me — someone who spends 98% of their day in a browser. Or it could be for everyone else, provided they use it in the manner intended. Is it meant to replace a daily operating system for most people? No more so than a netbook would be a replacement for a high-powered workstation. Its simply not that kind of tool. Chrome OS is intended for quick access to the web on a portable notebook-like companion device. Think of it as the environment and device youd go to when you dont want to boot up a full OS but you want a larger screen and keyboard than your smartphone has. So what can make it successful? There are several factors, but one of the key ones is what makes Firefox so useful — extensions. As Mozillas browser has shown, you can do quite a bit in a browser with the right tools. And oddly enough, while Chrome OS doesnt yet support extensions officially, youll see in my video that I have a few installed anyway. Thats my first look and first thoughts. Ill have plenty more to say as the project matures.