[real-eyes] Fw: [accesscomp] Re: Fw: google's new OS
- From: "Reginald George" <sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 13:51:43 -0500
Below is an interesting comment from a friend on another list. Jim, I see your
point about cloud computing. I used to hope it would just go away. Then I got
my Windows Secret newsletter this week and they were talking about a fire that
took down their web host and they were moving their operation to the cloud so
they would have fail over capabilities and not be dependent on a physical data
center. I'm not sure how it's all going to work, but I bet it's headed there
eventually.
----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Granados
To: accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 11:41 AM
Subject: [accesscomp] Re: Fw: google's new OS
Reg,
Good points but a few things to consider.
Remember that Google's accessibility lead is blind so I think it's reasonable
to think our community will receive attention. Just like in my company I bring
up issues of accessible I'm sure someone hired with that goal in mind will make
sure we're well represented.
Next, google tends to be an open source company. This means unlike
Microsoft you'll be able to get the source code with out having to enter in to
complex licensing or development agreements. This means anyone with time and
desire can write tools including screen readers and also means companies like
FS or GW will have few barriers to market but it also means inventive graduate
students or creative blind folks trying to get a foot hold can develop their
own products.
You already have Apple applying a lot of pressure in the accessibility
space now, especially with phones so I think yet another OS will eventually
lead to more competition. The only thing I worry about is there being to many
options so no one company can survive but I personally would like to see
companies like FS go by the way side and accessibility be handled just like any
other OS feature much like Apple handles this now.
Just my $.02
----- Original Message -----
From: Reginald George
To: accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; Adaptive technology information and support.
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 9:15 AM
Subject: [accesscomp] Fw: google's new OS
What really blows my mind in the below interesting article, is the
difference in the stock price. Could a computing sea change be on the way? If
computing fragments and everyone starts using their own favorite operating
systems what will this do for standards and accessibility? Microsoft has said
in the past that Windows 7 would be the last version of Windows. Much
computing is supposed to be moving to the cloud. At the end they say that
people have tried to compete with Windows in the past and failed. But they
didn't have a billion dollar company behind them. Google needs to have
continuing pressure applied from the VI community around the issues of
accessibility. The Chrome browser hasn't been accessible at all to this point.
But they have promised to address accessibility in the future. they really
need to address it now. Just my thoughts.
Reg
LLEY, Idaho (AP) -- Google Inc. is working on a new operating system for
inexpensive computers in a daring attempt to diminish Microsoft Corp.'s
longstanding control over people's computer experience.
The new operating system, announced Tuesday night on Google's Web site, will
be based on the company's 9-month-old Web browser, Chrome. Google intends to
rely on help from the community of open-source programmers to develop the
Chrome operating system, which is expected to begin running computers in the
second half of 2010.
Shares of Google jumped $6.92, 1.8 percent, to $403.55 in morning trading
Wednesday, while Microsoft fell 15 cents to $22.38.
Google is designing the operating system primarily for "netbooks," a
lower-cost, less powerful breed of laptop computers that is becoming
increasingly popular among budget-conscious consumers primarily interested in
surfing the Web.
Google has already introduced an operating system for smart phones and other
mobile devices, called Android, that vies against various other systems,
including ones made by Microsoft and Apple Inc.
The Android system worked well enough to entice some computer makers to begin
developing netbooks that will run on it. For instance, Acer Inc., the world's
third-largest PC maker, said last month it would make netbooks that run Android
instead of Windows. Acer said Android would make the computers less expensive
and possibly help them boot up faster.
Google, though, apparently believes a Chrome-based system will be better
suited for netbooks.
That is a direct challenge to Microsoft, whose next operating system, Windows
7, is being geared for netbooks as well as larger computers. And it would be
Google's boldest confrontation yet with its biggest nemesis.
Microsoft had no immediate comment Wednesday.
A duel between the two technology powerhouses has been steadily escalating in
recent years as Google's dominance of the Internet's lucrative search market
has given it the means to threaten Microsoft in ways that few other companies
can.
Google already has rankled Microsoft by luring some of its top employees and
developing an online package of computer programs that provide an alternative
to Microsoft's top-selling word processing, spreadsheet and calendar
applications.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been trying to thwart Google by investing billions
of dollars to improve its own Internet search and advertising systems - to
little avail so far.
In the past month or so, though, Microsoft has been winning positive reviews
and picking up more users with the latest upgrade to its search engine, now
called Bing. Microsoft is hailing the makeover with a $100 million marketing
campaign.
Now Google is aiming for Microsoft's financial jugular with Chrome its
operating system.
Microsoft has drawn much of its power - and profits - from the Windows
operating system that has steered most personal computers for the past two
decades.
Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, and its co-founders, Larry Page and
Sergey Brin, have not concealed their disdain for Windows.
Schmidt maintains Microsoft sometimes unfairly rigs its operating system to
limit consumer choices - something that Microsoft has consistently denied
doing. Google fears Microsoft could limit access to its search engine and other
products if Windows is set up to favor Microsoft products.
Google made a veiled reference to Windows' perceived shortcomings in its blog
posting Tuesday.
"We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear - computers need to
get better," wrote Sundar Pichai, Google's vice president of product management
and Linus Upson, Google's engineering director. "We believe choice will drive
innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google."
Schmidt and Brin are expected to discuss Google's new operating system this
week when they appear at a media conference hosted by Allen & Co. at the Sun
Valley resort in Idaho.
Despite its own power and prominence, Google won't have an easy time changing
the status quo that has governed personal computing.
As an example of how difficult it is to topple a long-established market
leader, Google estimates about 30 million people are now using its Chrome
browser - a small fraction of those that rely on Microsoft's market-leading
Internet Explorer. And there have been various attempts to develop open-source
software to undermine Windows on PCs, with relatively little effect.
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