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November 28, 2009

The top 5 Google Chrome OS myths exposed

We set you straight on the web-based netbook OS

Neil McAllister

Google's Chrome OS has been surrounded in misconceptions and misinformation. Here we've rounded up the top five Chrome myths, and explain the truth behind them.

When it comes to Google's Chrome OS - it has been surrounded in misconceptions and misinformation.

The full picture of the Chrome OS will become clearer as time rolls on.

For now, if you want to understand what the Chrome OS is, you first have to understand what it isn't. Here we've rounded up the top five chrome myths, and explain the truth behind them.

See also: Google Chrome OS review

1. It's not Linux

True, the Chrome OS is based on the Linux kernel, just as it draws from a number of other open source projects, including Moblin and Ubuntu. All the more reason why the Chrome OS itself should be open source.

But none of that will matter to consumers who buy Chrome OS devices. Booting the Chrome OS takes you directly to the Chrome browser.

There's no splash screen, no progress meter, and no tedious initialisation process.

Right now, the whole boot cycle takes just seven seconds - and according to Google VP of product management Sundar Pichai, Google is "working really, really hard" to make it even faster.

Users won't have to worry about maintaining a Linux system, either. Updates and patches will be delivered automatically over the web, and the OS itself will make sure you have the latest ones installed.

In short, a Chrome OS device will no more feel like Linux than your home router, TV set-top box, or smartphone does - any of which could be running Linux right now.

So if it's a Linux desktop you want, get Ubuntu; but if a fast, seamless web experience appeals to you, the Chrome OS might be right up your alley.

2. It's not Android

Google turned a lot of heads when it unveiled its Android smartphone OS platform two years ago.

When it announced the Chrome OS in July, it sparked lots of speculation that Google was planning to unify the handheld and desktop experiences in a way that would put Apple and Microsoft to shame.

No such luck. The Chrome OS doesn't try to replicate Android's desktop, widgets, app store, or APIs, and the Android browser still isn't Chrome.

Don't expect to see the Chrome OS running on smartphones any time soon, either.

Google is working with manufacturing partners to create reference designs for Chrome OS devices, and their form factor is very specific: netbook-like appliances.

The initial Chrome OS devices won't quite be PCs, but they won't be phones, either.

They will be small, clamshell machines equipped with full-sized keyboards and touchpads. Unlike most laptops, however, they won't have hard drives - just solid-state storage.

So don't think of Chrome OS as the next generation of Android, or the bridge between smartphones and PCs.

Instead, think of Chrome OS devices as 'netbooks 2.0', rethought and reworked for web-centric computing.

Small business IT advice

NEXT PAGE: It's not a Windows killer

  1. We set your straight on the web-based netbook OS
  2. It's not a Windows killer
  3. It's not coming soon


Continued...
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Comments received


LinuxDude said on Saturday, 28 November 2009

Wow buddy... is this some kind of pessimistic viewpoint or what?

bilz said on Saturday, 28 November 2009

this has to be the worst article for clarifying what Chrome OS actually is. the author is contradicting himself in more than one place. it runs using the linux kernel but just cause it doesnt look like a linux desktop (im thinking he means GNOME UI) its not linux? seems he needs to learn more about the difference between operating systems and UI's. plus Google have announced that they are working on making applications available offline as well. so u dont need to be connected to the internet to do everything which uve already done. also, it will run most of the programs users prefer to use, just in a unique way. this article is just a collection of bits off the internet reviews without any proper links between the information. the author himself seems confused. was expecting something much better from such a reputed website.

Laurie said on Monday, 30 November 2009

So it sounds like Google OS devices will be similar to many of those novelty devices from the past that sounded like a good idea at the time, but then got left on the shelf when they were found to have little user value.

ActionParsnip said on Monday, 30 November 2009

Yes its not Linux, Ubuntu isn't Linux either. Linux is the kernel and ONLY the kernel. The rest is a distribution. While the first point is valid "It's not Linux" its also incorrectly clarified. If it uses a Linux kernel then its simply another Linux distro (Like Ubuntu). If it used a BSD kernel it would be a distro of BSD.

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