Google Chrome OS -- First Look

Although I promised myself I wasnt going to spend time running Googles Chrome OS right now, I got the bug. Thanks to gdgt who put an image together, Ive spent about 15 minutes tinkering with it in VirtualBox. Chrome OS is definitely bare-bones right now and slow in a VM, but any performance judgements should be considered irrelevant right now. Two thoughts came to mind as I got my hands dirty: who is this for and what can make it successful.

As far as the first question, Chrome OS is for someone like me — someone who spends 98% of their day in a browser. Or it could be for everyone else, provided they use it in the manner intended. Is it meant to replace a daily operating system for most people? No more so than a netbook would be a replacement for a high-powered workstation. Its simply not that kind of tool. Chrome OS is intended for quick access to the web on a portable notebook-like companion device. Think of it as the environment and device youd go to when you dont want to boot up a full OS but you want a larger screen and keyboard than your smartphone has.

So what can make it successful? There are several factors, but one of the key ones is what makes Firefox so useful — extensions. As Mozillas browser has shown, you can do quite a bit in a browser with the right tools. And oddly enough, while Chrome OS doesnt yet support extensions officially, youll see in my video that I have a few installed anyway. Thats my first look and first thoughts. Ill have plenty more to say as the project matures.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• google
• chrome os
• chrome
• mobile
• tech
• gadget
• jkontherun
• web
• netbook

[texinfo]

look the Chome OS icon looks lke ubuntu icon! It's cool because I am a big ubuntu fan!!!

[kyismaster]

This is just google's basicly beta O/s. its not really on any computers built in..... you gotta get it yourself.

[kyismaster]

its a portable O/s & you can resize the Virtual Machine. its sapposed to run full screen if you run the "crome os" before your O/s. the software he is using just allows him to look at the o/s while still being on another O/s or better known as VM or Virtual Machining. if you want to look more into this look into VMware. :/ chill dude.

[responsestoidiots]

Apology for blasphemy but are you FUCKING sure this is an OS, not demonstrating us GC Browser ? It's toooo small to see if you're opening browser or os..

[PillowcaseHead]

Chrome "OS" is pointless, other than to allow Google to spy on everything you do.

A system like this turns you into a monkey typing into a computer, your ideas, thoughts, opinions, blueprints, source code, literary works, etc all able to be stolen.

[ryanthomasnewell]

looks really bad dude i was downloading the image while watching ur vid but have stopped it as it looks nasty

[werty1432k]

yeah! if all your stuff is in the cloud how can you access anything if you are away from the internet? Not everyone wants to pay for a 3G network.

[LensFilmsHD]

What's the Chromium logo in the dock?

[kostashalep]

agree

[shaolindreams]

i really dont get this OS.. you need internet for it to work properly.. and atom cpu is plenty ok handling xp... so whos this for?