47 replies to this topic

[R4p1d]

Chrome OS

Edited by R4p1d, 10 July 2009 - 02:49 PM.

[Phail_Saph]

Chrome OS

Do you really think it will make an impact against M$? It's just another Linux distro...right? Linux isn't making much of an impact beyond the power user and hacker group...the whole netbook product line was supposed to be the opening for Linux but Windows dominates...the talk is that Chrome OS is first to start on netbook classes and then move on up the product line. My bet is that the same people who use linux, us, will install it and just add it to our pre-existing collection of flavors. What do you think? Will it change things around? Remember modern Apple OS's are linux based too and they've only inched up with the help of the semi-divine Jobs. BTW...ohm posted a link to a live Android distro...pretty cool.


-----Phail_Saph-----

[n3xg3n]

Chrome OS

Do you really think it will make an impact against M$? It's just another Linux distro...right? Linux isn't making much of an impact beyond the power user and hacker group...the whole netbook product line was supposed to be the opening for Linux but Windows dominates...the talk is that Chrome OS is first to start on netbook classes and then move on up the product line. My bet is that the same people who use linux, us, will install it and just add it to our pre-existing collection of flavors. What do you think? Will it change things around? Remember modern Apple OS's are linux based too and they've only inched up with the help of the semi-divine Jobs. BTW...ohm posted a link to a live Android distro...pretty cool.


-----Phail_Saph-----

Why does it have to make an impact on Windows market share to be a good thing? Really I don't care if Linux market share drops as a result of Chrome OS as long as, due to Google's involvement, some new and well polished software is released for the platform which I can use to my own benefit. (Well, I wouldn't want to see them go because strength in numbers is really good for 'fighting' vendors) Software can be good just by virtue of improving the current software ecosystem, it doesn't have to trash the competitor. So what if the same people are installing it and using it, it just means that those people have better software and more choices.

Also, Apple's OS is most certainly not linux based. True, it has UNIX underpinnings and much of Darwin comes from FreeBSD, but definitely not Linux.

Edited by n3xg3n, 10 July 2009 - 09:32 PM.

[Phail_Saph]

Chrome OS

Do you really think it will make an impact against M$? It's just another Linux distro...right? Linux isn't making much of an impact beyond the power user and hacker group...the whole netbook product line was supposed to be the opening for Linux but Windows dominates...the talk is that Chrome OS is first to start on netbook classes and then move on up the product line. My bet is that the same people who use linux, us, will install it and just add it to our pre-existing collection of flavors. What do you think? Will it change things around? Remember modern Apple OS's are linux based too and they've only inched up with the help of the semi-divine Jobs. BTW...ohm posted a link to a live Android distro...pretty cool.



-----Phail_Saph-----

Why does it have to make an impact on Windows market share to be a good thing? Really I don't care if Linux market share drops as a result of Chrome OS as long as, due to Google's involvement, some new and well polished software is released for the platform which I can use to my own benefit. (Well, I wouldn't want to see them go because strength in numbers is really good for 'fighting' vendors) Software can be good just by virtue of improving the current software ecosystem, it doesn't have to trash the competitor. So what if the same people are installing it and using it, it just means that those people have better software and more choices.

Also, Apple's OS is most certainly not linux based. True, it has UNIX underpinnings and much of Darwin comes from FreeBSD, but definitely not Linux.

No one is saying that it must take market share away from Windows to make an impact. But the objective of Chrome OS is to gain market share in a finite market dominated by M$. I'm throwing it out there that since alternatives have been out there for some time with minimal effect I'm wondering what people think of its potential to achieve its objective. I share your sentiment that the more ideas out there the better; diversity is good. Naturally, there are many things that can make a thing good or bad to a variety of people.

Also on that Apple thing you are splitting hairs...you are right technically...but the point I'm trying to convey is that all these alternatives are based in the Unix/BSD to Linux world and they haven't been able to penetrate to the consumer which has been the goal of each implementation. It is well known that when Apple made its move from its original proprietary OS to the modern one (forget which versions and don't care so much; I dislike apple more than M$) that it was based on a Unix-like paradigm which is what the general definition of Linux is...the Apple desktop is just a "shell" to the Unix-like machinery underneath. Chrome OS is "supposed" to be mostly Linux with some proprietary code so the definition here becomes cloudy but the important thing is that it follows the Unix to Unix like paradigm.

--Edit--
ouch...you gave me a minus...I gave you a plus anyway because we both believe diversity is good.


-----Phail_Saph-----

Edited by Phail_Saph, 10 July 2009 - 10:09 PM.

[crazyman]

After beta testing windows 7 and seeing it really isnt much over vista I am not excited.

[n3xg3n]

--Edit--
ouch...you gave me a minus...I gave you a plus anyway because we both believe diversity is good.

I'll give you a plus on this to balance out once you explained your reasoning better, I wish there was a way that you could un-vote in case you misvote or there is a misunderstanding. I thought you were saying it was pointless because it wouldn't dent M$ market share as your own opinion, I didn't consider that you were talking from the perspective of the stated opinion of the Chrome devs.

[Phail_Saph]

Talk about a good guy ...for that I added you as a friend ...marshmellows?

I had the same thought too, about being able to unvote, since I recently made a mistake, but I guess doing what you did balances it out. One can always find a post somewhere to add.


-----Phail_Saph-----

[R4p1d]

I'm highly anticipating CHROME OS, even if it is linux.

Google makes good software, highly polished solftware as N3xg3n would have said.

It will be good, it will have to be. After all, it's from "Google"

[Ohm]

I wonder if they'll be using X on Chrome OS? They could avoid a lot of bullshit, as well as help the Linux community out (if it's open source) by replacing that piece of shit. I think the only real clue they gave about the OS is it's "based on Linux." This could mean it's based on Android as well. Or they could be using the Linux kernel, but it's not just another Ubuntu flavor. They could be replacing the entire userspace with something pared down and purpose-made.

I don't think I'd run it though, unless I can do more generic things with it. I need to be able to run a command line and Ruby, for example.

[Phail_Saph]

I wonder if they'll be using X on Chrome OS? They could avoid a lot of bullshit, as well as help the Linux community out (if it's open source) by replacing that piece of shit. I think the only real clue they gave about the OS is it's "based on Linux." This could mean it's based on Android as well. Or they could be using the Linux kernel, but it's not just another Ubuntu flavor. They could be replacing the entire userspace with something pared down and purpose-made.

I don't think I'd run it though, unless I can do more generic things with it. I need to be able to run a command line and Ruby, for example.

You are right on about the Android thing. Even though they've said that it isn't going to be based on Android a lot of people are confused by what their marketing strategy is. They are already running spin around the fact that Android was 'supposed' to be a netbook OS too in addition to its claim to fame smartphone genesis. It failed miserably to claim any respectable market share and in fact M$ has slightly over 90% penetration in the netbook market...more than in the desktop...But now Chrome OS is supposed to start out in the netbook category...I smell as much a leap in OS technology as I do a marketing counter-attack...e.g., MSN->Live->Bing.

My fear like yours is that because they want to migrate the 'standard' user to the cloud space...which is part of the stated plan with Chrome OS...they are going to purposely limit access to lower levels...aka command line, shells, etc.... so that the user only operates the book like you operate a browser...start it up and go and don't care about what's going on under the hood. Obviously this is antithetical to the hacker ethos. But then again most hacks are web based with the uber goal of remote access...it might turn out to be an incredible web hacking tool box...

BTW, thanks for the link to the Android Live site...I didn't even know about it until you posted it.

[hacker_head]

Yeah, you should put in Chrome OS.

[army_of_one]

Just curious. There's a lot of buzz around about these lately so I figured I'd see where Binrev stands.

You might want to edit the poll to include Chrome OS...I'm curious to see how it compares against the other flavors of Linux.


-----Phail_Saph-----

I'd say wait until ChromeOS is something truly concrete. Almost everything I read about it is mostly promises, abstractions and very little implementation details. All I know is it's Linux, a Chrome browser, a small GUI, connected in ???? ways in addition to ?????? components to produce a result with a security level of ????? Not a lot of certainty here....

Personally, I don't see a need for ChromeOS. One of the smaller Linux distro's does fine, esp. with a very trimmed kernel and perhaps a good UI added. Extensions such as grsecurity could be used for some easy baked-in security. Hell, with Google building the system kernel up and designing the apps, even some form of MAC like SELinux or RSBAC could be used successfully. And while I'm not currently that excited about ChromeOS, both Chrome and Android are pretty nice offerings with useful benefits in the netbook market. So far, ChromeOS is just hot air.

[dinscurge]

true but chrome probably isnt going to be another android the only programs you can use are java/web bs. for the average user twitter and face book w.e. bs is good enough. but i dont see it being usefull at all if its like android.
edit: i mean what you can run java, theres no point in even using linux and dealing with the lack of hardware support to us java which will run perfectly fine on windows.

Edited by dinscurge, 18 July 2009 - 04:14 PM.

[Famicoman]

Windows 7 simply because I want to see how they are going to improve it. I never was a big fan of Vista, and Seven looks like something I can get behind. I like if from the RC1, and think that it could be something I could migrate too after I tire of my XP install. Chrome OS looks like it could be interesting as well. I think I'm just caught up in the novelty of it though, as opposed to the practicality.

[R4p1d]

theres no point in even using linux and dealing with the lack of hardware support

Um, excuse me?

There are plenty of logical reasons to use linux.

[dinscurge]

theres no point in even using linux and dealing with the lack of hardware support

Um, excuse me?

There are plenty of logical reasons to use linux.

than tell me why you would deal with basically no-limited hardware support to run JAVA, FLASH, and the interweb, and why they are sooo much better on linux.

[R4p1d]

theres no point in even using linux and dealing with the lack of hardware support

Um, excuse me?

There are plenty of logical reasons to use linux.

than tell me why you would deal with basically no-limited hardware support to run JAVA, FLASH, and the interweb, and why they are sooo much better on linux.

Wow, that's all I got to say.

Wow.

[dinscurge]

thats android basically no native apps. inless of course you want to downgrade to rc.29 which has more security flaws then w2k, if people use your phone they can execute shell code from making a text message, it probably has problems with security as well such as when chrome first came out. you shouldnt have to do anything to get native apps on a "open" operating system. if its anything like android im staying away from it like the plague. i mean it would be totally useless for a server or a netbook as netbooks are already slow you dont need to be running every application of the java run time engine.

[meandmine]

You forgot Mandriva, Gentoo or Slackware. All excellent distros in their own right.

[G-Brain]

You forgot Mandriva, Gentoo or Slackware. All excellent distros in their own right.

Also BeOS and Plan9.