Google Chrome OS - An OS for future computing?

While Microsoft continues to dominate the operating system market, Google has a high heel with the search engine. There have been several notes where Microsoft and Google are not being mentioned in the same breath. Much has to do with the on going battle between the two in different walks of technology such as search engines, web browsers and the biggest of all the Operating Systems.

It’s no secret that Microsoft has dominated the Operating scene for decades now, and it seems like everyone wants to have a bite of the Operating Systems pie. Google foray into this Operating systems world is through the Google Chrome OS.

After a year of the release of Google Chrome, the web browser which has received mixed reactions from users, Google intends to bring up an operating system for the users living on the web. Computer users today have carried a large aspect of their work onto the web and extensively deal with various web applications. Google intends on revolutionizing the world of Operating Systems with their vision of a lightweight suite of Operating system working exclusively on the web - Google Chrome OS.

Google always pictured Chrome as a cut above the rest of the web browsers in the market with its simple user interface and its ability to run web applications optimized. It also saw a potential extension from just being a web browser. In a way, Google Chrome OS is an extension of the Chrome browser project. Few features that leverage Google’s idea of a web based Operating system and hence a hype include,

• Architecture: Google being an ardent supporter of Open Source has the basic architecture of Chrome OS is structured around the Linux kernel which reignites the tussle between old foes (Microsoft and Linux).
• Scope of Usage: Chrome OS is designed to run on both ARM and x86-based chips. Chrome OS scores over Microsoft in this aspect as Windows is not designed to run on ARM based chips. What looks to be initially targeted for netbooks usage, Chrome OS is designed for instant web access with minimal user interface to avoid any hindrance caused to the instant booting.
• Web applications: Some news for the developers to cheer about - With the Chrome OS, web applications may be developed using any web technology and they can not only be run on the Chrome OS but across all standard browsers on Mac, Windows etc.
• Security: Chrome OS predominantly being aimed at being an Operating system for the web, security features needs a special looking into. The security architecture of Chrome OS is completely redesigned, just as it was for the Chrome browser in order to provide the users a virus and malware free environment to work on.

There is no denying the fact that Chrome OS has been developed with a very bold futuristic vision and promises to deliver, but there are potential short comings too like the fact that it is only netbook focused, which certainly is expecting a major shift in the netbook markets, even though Google could potentially do the needful. Also one needs to wait quite a long period of time before they could lay their hands on one of Chrome OS powered netbooks as it has been set for unveiling somewhere in the middle of 2010.