Google is insisting staff dump Microsoft's Windows operating system as part of efforts to improve security, it has been reported.
Many of the internet search giant's 10,000 employees are being urged to move to alternative systems including Apple OS or Linux, the Financial Times quoted staff as saying.
But no mention was made of staff moving to Chrome OS, Google's own operating system that is due to launch in the second half of the year.
The system is based on Linux and will only run on specifically designed hardware.
The motivation for the move is understood to be the hacking of Google's Chinese operations late last year.
At that point, the company reportedly banned staff from installing Windows on desktop computers.
"We're not doing any more Windows," one employee at Google told the Financial Times, "It is a security effort."
Staff now require clearance from the CIO if they insist on installing Windows, one employee was reported as saying.
Another said: "Linux is open source and we feel good about it. Microsoft we don't feel so good about."
Google declined to give details.
It said: "We're always working to improve the efficiency of our business, but we do not comment on specific operational matters."
See also: Google Street View cars mapped UK's Wi-Fi networks
Comments
Datasman said: no mention was made of staff moving to Chrome OS Googles own operating system that is due to launch in the second half of the yearMaybe but thats what they will do come Chromes launch date
Datasman said: Ive always wondered what otherwise fills the minds of people who pick up on such trivia it really is of little importance whether someone writes Internet or internet What matters - at least to me and I suspect 999 of the readership - is the substance of whats written and not the minutiaeAs for hacking or cracking I have it on the very best authority that hack is indeed the right word in this contextGetting it right might be something some others should attend to before coming over all pompous about nothing
sirjohng said: With the general level of English used in this forum I am surprised that anyone bothers with spelling and grammar at all we rapidly seem to be decending towards grunts Having regard to the piece above I would happily go over to Linux if it was one operating system I have tried 3 versions and they are all quite different in looks and operation One worked fine but the other two had issues with my hardware and of course favoured windows software packages do not work at all
Matt Egan - PC Advisor said: Okay this could quickly get tiresome so here is my final word on this particular subject all those words are proper nouns and so are correctly spelt out in capital letters Its our contention and has been for the seven years or so Ive worked at PC Advisor that internet is now sufficiently part of our language to not require a capital I You disagree and thats fine but its not a mistake just our house style
John Smith said: Matt Egan - PC Advisor you spelled your name wrong its matt egan - pc advisor
Matt Egan - PC Advisor said: No Internet on PC Advisor John any more than wed refer to the Sea or the Sky Question of house style Im afraid
John Smith said: Could somebody tell me what this internet is I know what the Internet is but I havent the foggiest on what an internet isAnd the Chinese guys didnt hack they cracked Get it right
John Scott said: I heard a while back that those China Google people were using Windows XP Hardly the most secure version of Windows If Google was so concerned about security I question their motives