[real-eyes] Fw: google's new OS
- From: "Reginald George" <sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 11:14:21 -0500
What really blows my mind in the below 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.
To subscribe or to leave the list, or to set other subscription options, go to
www.freelists.org/list/real-eyes
Other related posts:
