Google’s Chrome OS
A lot has already been said about Google’s Chrome OS. I think it’s pretty funny that Google announced their Chrome OS just before Microsoft’s PDC. Guess Redmond execs are going to get a different kind of questions than they were preparing for.
Looking at the currently available information I’m not impressed. After all it’s just Linux 2.6 with a new Window Manager. I like the subtle change of Ina Fried’s take to “to challenge Microsoft, Google might want to think Apple”. With it’s appeal to the Open Source Community Chrome OS seems to be a product for techies by techies. Nothing wrong with that but Chromes OS needs a WOW factor. Something that the iPod, iPhone and MacBook Air all had. Where are the screencasts and pics? Where’s the OS?
The thing is the Chrome OS probably competes more with existing Linux distributions than with the products from Redmond (or Apple). Renai LeMay thinks that Google should have based their work on Ubuntu’s stellar work already carried out by Shuttleworth. Off course Renai is totally wrong. Ubuntu & Shuttleworth mostly leech on the stellar work done by others: primarily the Fedora and Debian Communities and commercial backers like Red Hat which probably employs more kernel hackers than Canonical’s total global workforce. Canonical’s marketing is great but their contributions back to the Community are negligible. So if you want Google to work with a distribution than Ubuntu just isn’t an option. It makes more sense to align with Fedora and cut a Desktop deal with Red Hat.