Google’s upcoming netbook operating system brings to mind the question, is Google trying to take the desktop to the web?
In my last post I speculated a bit about what Google’s doing with the netbook operating system that we should see out later this year. Right now, it’s just a netbook operating system, but Google makes no secret about the fact that it’s designed the Chrome Operating System to work with people they way they work. Think about that. How do you work? Personally, I work online most of the time. I always have a browser window open, and when I can get away with it, I’m using web-based applications. Currently in my Chrome Browser tabs are Google Analytics, iGoogle, Gmail, and Google Docs. Most of the same applications that I have available on my desktop. That’s where I think Google is heading with the Chrome OS. It’s long been speculated that moving the desktop online would be difficult if not completely impossible. Some of the complaints include speed issues, bottlenecks, and security. But Google has been working toward a cohesive online unit for some time now. Calendar, Documents, Gmail, Orkut, Reader, and the whole range of other Google applications can be pulled together into a single unit that rivals the desktop. And Google has the chutzpah to do it. It’ll be interesting to see how this amalgamation of applications comes together in the future.
