Vikram Pothnis
1st Year MS Computer Science
Topic: Google Chrome OS
Title]
22 August 2010
Google Chrome OS
Chrome OS is designed by Google based Linux kernel. The Open source version of the Chrome OS is Chromium OS (www.chromium.org). Google is following an approach of collaborative development for Chrome OS by getting inputs from the Open source community through the Chromium OS project as well as by its own development team.
Recent client operating systems including Microsoft Windows 7, Apple`s Snow Leopard OS and popular desktop Linux distributions are resource intensive and most of the computing happens on the client computer hardware. As a result of the dependency on hardware components, the performance of the Operating system is directly dependant on the client computer hardware.
Chrome OS takes a whole new approach; it focuses on getting the user connected to the network after which most of the computing happens on the cloud .This reduces the dependency on the client computer hardware and its role will be limited to getting the user onto the cloud .
Since the intent is to connect to the web from the word go, the user will need to have a constant web access from the time the system boots into Chrome OS. Essentially a major part of the operating system resides on the web. For facilitating a web access the operating system actually logs/boots into a web browser. There are no other applications that the system needs to load at any point in time other than a browser. This ensures that the boot up time is brought down by having a minimalistic approach .With solid state HDD`s the Chrome OS is said to boot up in less than 7 seconds which is almost 7 -8 times faster than any other desktop operating system .
Once the OS boots up into the browser based interface the user will need to enter his/her user credentials to log into the OS .On the homepage there are a few tabs similar to the chrome browser which are shortcuts to Gmail, Google Apps, and YouTube, as well as other applications, including Yahoo! Mail, Pandora, Hulu, Facebook, and Twitter etc.
Chrome OS is aimed at providing a virus free, malware free usage .Updates will be very easy to apply and can happen without user intervention. By and large the OS is very responsive.
By enabling a log in system similar to a browser based login Google can enable easy interoperability of all the applications within the chrome OS between other operating systems .On other operating systems than the chrome OS, the Chrome Browser can be used with a Google login there by enabling the users to the have the same interface and applications as in the chrome OS.
There seems to be a good connection between the development of the Chrome Browser and the Chrome OS.
Although connection to the web will be essential for a majority of the browser based applications, the usage of Google Gears in chrome OS could allow some amount of offline usage also.
Another Interesting point in the Chrome Browser which tends us to consider interoperability between the chrome browser and Chrome OS is the absence of a unique Network manager as opposed to a separate network manager in Mozilla Firefox or Opera .The Chrome Browser makes use of the network manager of the Operating system itself, in both Linux and Windows versions.
Since the Operating system is not resource intensive ,Google`s strategy could be to use Chrome OS for less powerful devices including netbooks and Touch Screen based Multimedia Internet Devices and carrying the same interface and applications on more powerful systems using the Chrome browser .
Google has been a pioneer in moving most of the desktop applications to the web with products like Gmail,Spreadsheet,Word Processor,Presentation,Contacts,Calendar,Youtube,Wave
With this move into a cloud based OS, it all appears to fit well and well timed.
In the wake of the world moving towards cloud computing, this is an amazing move by Google to capitalize the power of the web to the fullest.
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