Sachendra Y
Interaction Designer / Product Manager / Mobilist / Social Media Enthusiast
Is Google's browser targeted at OS instead of other browsers
I happen to think so, this is no longer about browser but about the an entire marketplace spread between desktop, mobile and web. It has faster JavaScript VM, better memory management, better Windows UI rendering, faster text layout and rendering, and intelligent page navigation in comparison to other more widely adopted browsers. When combined with Google Gears technology, this is as close as you can get to replicating the desktop experience with web application. Google’s developing an ecosystem with Chrome, Android and Open Social. I would expect some more strategic roll outs to complete the game-plan.
More details on my blog
http://sachendra.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/googles-chrome-is-aimed-at-windows-not-ie/
What do you think?
I will make a post about the responses I receive and will publish them live in a few weeks for all to see (names are anonymous).
Clarification added October 3, 2008:
Thanks for insightful and interesting responses. I have captured the primary opinions in this post
http://sachendra.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/googles-browser-is-targeted-at-windows-not-other-browsers-linkedin-responses/
Good Answers (20)
Scott P
Director, Professional Services
Best Answers in: Computers and Software (3), Internet Marketing (1), Positioning (1), Web Development (1)
Great question. There are some very interesting things on the horizon, though I wouldn't say that Google hold a "monopoly" on this philosophy either.
Browser based technology is still an amazingly young technology, and hasn't hit it's mature stage yet. This is due in large part to the SPEED of browser applications. There are many factors that influence this, one of the key being network latency. Because you are working in a browser, you are at the mercy of the speed of the back end you connect to. This can be impacted by many things, both at the "appliance" level (and ultimately, as others have suggested, this is where "computing" technology is headed) and everything behind it, including the speed of your internet (or intranet, if working internally) connection.
For some applications in the business world, this latency is still too great. (Take Investment Banking and trading systems for example.)
As a whole, eventually these "thin PC's" will likely take over the traditional computer. Who will "win" the browser war is the question.
In the future (and I'm talking 10 - 15 years) the "desktop" PC will largely be a thing of the past. Internet "appliances" will be the norm, though you will be able to get many many flavors, just as you can get many styles of home telephone.
Technology has only just begun to reach exponential growth. (If you are familiar with the penny a day, doubling every day to get to 28 days to have $1,000,000 using the same analogy starting with the first chips made in 1965, with 240 transistors, we are fundamentally at day 22 now! which is where the power curve starts to lift off, and then that doubling every 2 years begins to be mind boggling.) Couple that with the advances in Solid State hard drives, and more countries moving to 100mb Fiber, or even 1gb Fiber (see Japan), the need for an expensive PC to run amazing apps will diminish.
This is also good news for the software industry... by moving everything to a browser based platform, you can virtually eliminate software piracy. Software becomes a service, and in some cases, (like Google) can completely offset the cost by utilizing advertisement revenue. Its a bold new world in computing technology and service delivery. Hang on to you hats... the "PC appliance" might even become "free", much like a mobile phone. You Internet Service Provider will just let you pick from a group of models they have available... stay tuned to the next 15 years.
-S
Many people share your opinion. Google is clearly focusing in the desktop concept: email, chat, documents, agenda, web browsing, blogging, etc...
For those things to run, you only need a browser and an Internet connection (not active all the time thanks to Gears).
So the next question is: what are the OS needed for (from and end user point of view)? They are needed to run apps... what happens if you can run apps without a so called OS? Would end user notice this?
I think the answer is NO. If you relate this to low cost PCs... it seems it's gonna be a hug market space for this. Of course pro users will still need OS+High Performance PCs for a long time... but Google has opened a new direction.
Finally, since a long time talking about SaaS, Google has showed they strongly believe in this approach.
Bob L
Director of Customer Solutions Engineering: Switch and Data Facilities Management Company
Hello Sachendra.
The short answer is, I think so. I'm thinking of it a bit more abstractly than targeting browsers and O/S's. To me, this is a baby step toward a new paradigm of end user computing.
We know how much capital Google has invested in "Cloud" capabilities (not sure which of the "xxaS" four-letter acronyms to reference any more). I think we should give credit to Google thinking well beyond the current dialogue about Cloud Computing, and with the capabilities proposed (but seemingly not yet there) for Chrome, I see this as setting the foundation for a new evolutionary step of end user computing. Viewed in this light, it's not only an alternative to the O/S but also an alternative to the applications used on the desktop.
Yes, I would think that Microsoft would be nervous about this, but not just as a threat to the IE roadmap. More progressive thinkers at Microsoft might identify an opportunity here, but one that would imply a significant shift of mindset.
Bob Landstrom
Links:
When you say, "an entire marketplace spread between desktop, mobile and web," I think you have nailed it, and I think that's very different from browser vs. OS. I think the lines between the two will continue to blur in the coming years, and that marketplace you mention will be created. Chrome has taken us a big step in that direction, and others will continue to do so. I would encourage all to have a look at the Adaptive Path Aurora concept that imagines the web browser of 2018, and some of the other things that Mozilla is envisioning while we look at what Google has done. More competition in these areas will be a good thing, and the companies and organizations that attempt to move us toward this marketplace will learn from and push each other.
Links:
I think it's quite interesting that computing is going full circle... When I started working in IT over 20 years ago people were using Mainframes, dumb green screens. They had applications like Email word processing software etc... We are now seeing IT move back to centralised systems with dumb(ish) terminals. This includes Citrix and what Google are doing.
Pete
John P
Software Partner Manager at Canonical Ltd.
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Not in how you describe it. You see, Google is not trying to "eliminate" an OS, per se. Google is trying to create another platform. A platform that will allow it's application stack to run best. Google has amassed a large portion of what the next generation compute user will require to perform daily tasks. What they lack is the platform that allows it to run the best. This is where Google Chrome comes to play.
Google Chrome will be to the desktop what the hypervisor is to a server. Abstracting a platform away from a specific OS will allow Google to run applications whereever they want on any device and allow for that application to shift from device to device with no change or interruption of service.
Google's Chrome will allow "cloud" based applications to run on anything, anywhere, anytime.
Computers still need an OS. Chrome cannot "boot" a computer. The OS is becoming far less relevant.
Carsten H
Senior Digital Signage expert & independent consultant, DBCI Advisory Board member, Business Dev. for growth companies
I beleive that the birth of Chrome, or rather the conception a while back, originally had a lot to do with the fact Google Apps couldn´t be and wasn´t a snappy app like experience in existing browsers. So the race is on to who can combine web access and instant snappy app like user experience with 10 out of 10 marks in both.
As a multi platform user, I prefer super fast, snappy and very easy interoperable Mac apps over fast and snappy Windows Apps and yeah OK have to live with web acces in some apps. The line between OS and Browser will blur in the coming years.
So for now Chrome is a testing experience. Apps will decide the war. Look at App Store for iPhone. There are only 1/1000th as many iPhone apps compared to other mobile platforms, but the attention is by App store.
well... as I see it... its a mix of both... apps, plugins, ease of use, teething issues, yet to grow up and handle the herculean task of accessing at speeds... thats more than a mix of 2 things.. right?
in other words i feel the issue is not IE or chrome or mozilla or xyz.. its about the end user.. you and me... asking the question.. how easy is it to use, what do i get out of it, can it make a difference, does it make my life easier, most of all .. is it fast and do i reach my goal?
technology is moving on at a rapid pace, today its chrome, tomorrow its something else... does this mean we'll stop using the various OS, apps, plugins needed? NO.. does it mean we (the non IT folk) care? NO .. cuz for them its all about speed, results, functionality and comfort.
i do not mean to take away any credit due, but lets stop for a moment and think of the basics applied to the common man and then discuss these issues....
as i see it.. i think its a great tool.. not a life changing event.... unless google goes up one and decides to bring on a NEW OS... MS beware...
While it has the potential to take over a few desktop applications, it won't replace an entire OS. Web applications are still pretty new and have a lot of kinks to work out compared to their desktop counterparts. Plus, even with the addition of Google Gears, not every application will have offline support. This is a guarantee for every OS that Google Chrome can not provide. Google Chrome is definitely aimed at other browsers.
I think it's a smart move from Google as we have started to expect form them. They have showed different ways of accomplishing things for end users. Combine chrome with Google Apps, gears and what have you - you indeed have started to blur the boundaries between OS and browser. How will this pan out will entirely depends on how well this is marketed and catches on with common man. One application I use heavily is Google notes - it's a neat concept.
David S
Manager of Product and Business Development at Aptara
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If Google is trying to target the OS, it's approach is very oblique. I think that Google is going after a _desktop lite_ rather than a real OS. While Chrome Beta is released only on Windows, the background info says that versions for Mac and Linux are coming.
The very fact that they are working on a Linux version argues strongly against the idea that Google is attempting to replace an OS. For those who have experience only with Windows, or to a lesser extent with Mac, the entire philosophy behind most Linux distributions is to give the user (or the IT department) a level of control impossible with other systems.
(For the record, I use all three OS's, and prefer the Ubuntu Linux distribution).
Google clearly wants a platform that will integrate with and showcase their own apps. What they've included and left out of the Chrome beta is kind of interesting. For example, there is presently no way to permit pop-ups, and the only ways I'm familiar with to allow desktop-like drag and drop between windows (not frames) rely on AJAX. Many times these sites or browers apps also have popups.
If you really want to see a browser target the OS, look at the open-source eyeos. I'll list a web resource that will direct you to a demo implementation. You will need to log in, but I've done so for some time and have received absolutely no contact from the site.
In conclusion, I have to see Chrome as just another step in the ongoing browser evolution, and not an attempt at the desktop.
Links:
In my opinion, Google is not aimed at Windows in particular, but it is aimed at Operating Systems in general. The idea might be to build a browser which is very reliable and very OS independent and can run heavy applications which Google or others might be offering in the future using the software as a service model. Once people get used to having all their applications online and stay connected around the clock, the operating system would be no longer of any relevance and companies like Google whose bread and butter comes from internet will flourish even more.
Sam L
Product, Process, Change and Requirements Management Consultant
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Certainly moving to content at your laptop and pc is a logical step forward in knowing more of your audience and seeking information about what you do, why, when and with whom. Part of it being for placement of ads, part being sold further the 3rd parties.
You really ought to read the user agreement... its a bit revealing.
I had a moment on understanding the recently.
#Google are an advertising agency.
#Advertising agency's get paid to put adverts in front of as many people as possible.
#People use services because of content and the public filters on the cost to get the content. (why pay to be advertised too)
Now Google have released chrome, they now have a way to control how you see the content, monitor how effective the adverts are and get kudos unconsciously from the public for another free gift.
My prediction.
To increase the size of the market, Google will create a Linux/FreeBSD distribution that only comes with Chrome and X, No local applications, just Google and the Internet. They will give this away for free. In shops you will be able to pick up a Google OS disk, just boot off the DVD put in your Google user name / password and everything you want is there including all your files, pictures, videos, contacts and emails. As the OS and on-line applications are free, the low cost hardware vendors will be better able to compete world wide in the cost concious markets especially China and India. Suddenly a much larger market to show adverts to.
Just my 2 cents.
Chrome is Google's latest item in it's innovation tray. Its seeing every website/page as an independent application. It gives an option to create an application shortcut of any website or rather webapp on the desktop. Incognito mode is another nice tweak. However the best is the opportunity to close any unresponsive tab & still keep working on others. It gives a task manger like utility depicting the amount of computer resources each tab is currently eating. Selective 'killing' of tabs is thus possible. The need to add/install plug-ins for every new type of application is gone. The minimalistic design might not be appealing to all user segments. But Chrome is one of the leading futuristic Google products and this is obviously not the final version, rather sort of pre-beta version. I expect much more variations, fine tunings, features etc in the coming days. IE will see stiffer competition. Firefox 3.0 is good. But I cannot compare them with Chrome as the basic idea of browsers & their capabilities are different in these browsers.
Joe T
Account Executive at Quilogy
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Absolutely. Cloud computing will continue to flood into our daily computing lives and minimize the role of the OS. We already rely heavily on 'the cloud' for our personal computing experience ... Linkedin, Facebook, Search, Wikipedia, banking ... the list is endless. For my personal and business computing I utilize a MacBook w/XP running on Parallels so obviously the OS is important enough that I am still using two of them, but I flip back and forth seamlessly any rely much more heavily on my browser/network connection than I do client based apps like Word or Excel. It is as if my day freezes when my network connection goes down ... if Word was not working, it could be hours or even days before I became aware of it. In my opinion as far as productivity tools go, MSFT Office '07 is outstanding - the user experience is excellent, integration w/in the suite is wonderful, and the quality of documents, presentations, reports, etc. that can be created is second to none. That being said, more times than not, most people do not or do not need to take full advantage of the functionality offered by the Office Suite ... Google Apps, for example, may provide them what they need. As Google Apps and similar cloud based apps continue to mature, the traditional MSFT Office Suite will loose its competitive advantage at a directly correlating pace.
The pace of change in business will be much slower than it has been in our personal lives. Companies have trillions of dollars invested in legacy technologies and most are not up to date on their traditional platforms much less embracing the opportunities of cloud computing. Line-of-business enterprise applications also reach a level of sophistication that is difficult to deliver as a 'utility', but companies like SalesForce.com show it can and will continue to be accomplished.
Microsoft will adjust.They have the cash, marketing, and sales engine to transform themselves into anything they want. They already offer a variety of their applications via Software + Services as they call it (Saas). That being said, they will have to continue to move fast because Chrome and similar technologies are changing the game faster than we can imagine and this technology is as disruptive as it gets.
Google's business model is around data - linking advertising to data as seen in Google Mail for example. Supplying applications with server storage supports that value chain. The AJAX technology underpinning most of their web application offerings makes them sufficiently functional for 95% of daily usage. Chrome then is either a protective measure against the IE changes or a cross platform solution to the client. A Google home appliance would seem to be an obvious next step. The TCO of windows is massive as anyone who supports their Operating systems in the home environment will know. How may users have had Trojan/spyware/virus issues or simply had to re-install for no known reason. How many home PCs are slower than 5 years ago because of the load of anti-virus/anti spyware? Microsoft have to up their game or they will be squeezed between Game Consoles, Macs, Linux desktops, Mobile devices and home Internet access appliances for web applications. Lower power consumption will also become an issue. The Mobile handset free with connection with a monthly fee, could easily be the delivery model for an appliance.
Hi Sachendra,
Yes, the chrome does do all the things that have been mentioned so far vis-a-vis the google 'ecosystem' consisting of chrome, google, google docs, anroid, and very importantly, google maps / earth.
but it also does another thing, it sets the direction for growth of other browsers. With JS V8 and its hyper-clean interface, it is attempting to do to firefox, IE, opera and safari what firefox did to IE with tabbed browsing.
great article on the chrome:
Links:
I don't think Google is as much aiming for an OS but for Internet marketing dominance as many have suggested in this thread. I'm on the same lines as Sam Rowe, Joe Tierney and Mike Jones. Providing for faster, easier and more stable internet is naturally in Google's interest.
I'd be thrilled (and satisfied as far as computers went) in someone could provide a cheap netbook+services that met the computational needs that I have, not matter which operating system it was on. But I believe the near future bottleneck, is in wireless speeds and not the land lines,
I had three computers and hated it (local vulnerability to hardware failure, ecologically, for electricity consumption, cost, maintenance and finally disposal), now I'm buying a laptop for which I'm forced to run three OS's because as yet I can't use online services for everything and curiously I'm annually paying more for my 'net connectivity+hosting than for my hardware & software, by far.
But thinking about it, if it were possible, I'd jump at the possibility of relieving myself of desktop requirements and storage and move everything online.
In conclusion, through Chrome Google has provided one more excellent tool that will allow us to use their services more effectively, it still isn't nearing OS's even though pure (as in everything except system core & os for hardware) online presence would be a great future goal!
Many services will go into the cloud for business...... give it 5+ years and it will all come back in due to security concerns and cyber terrorism. It hasn't happened yet, but it will... it has to. The water has been calm for too long.
Linux will come into its own now on the desktop/terminal... it will gain significant growth due to thin-client tie-in and some web based business technologies and service due to lack of tie-ins with Microsoft. MS have a hold that will last 15+years for the majority of office applications in my opinion.
Google? I believe they will set the scene for SaaS for many home and small businesses. Simple web browsing and apps focused on the consumer, i.e. personal storage, some sort of payment, picture editing, entertainment, etc. The Chrome browser is a start, but it wont take over MS yet... they still hold the real power.
Google are still in my opinion the best search engine in the world, simple... They can grab the consumer but business is so hooked on MS at its core and to break that hold will take....a decade or two.
More Answers (11)
I think probably you are correct. Slowly the OS might become necessary for memory intensive enterprise applications or for specialized applications. For other applications, they can move towards internet/saas and for them the browser becomes very important.
Angelos K
Internet Architect && IT Strategist
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Do not forget the office applications etc. It seems that Google is trying to grab all the internet traffic from under M$oft and collate and correlate everything. Now if they manage to develop a fast Speech to Text engine , they will start offering VOIP for the masses !
I feel Chrome is yet to mature, as in it needs some progress in plugins, which I am sure will happen. Till then it's just a novice browser and its too early to compare it with Mozilla.
Atleast I rely on my mozilla plugins heavily.
I definitely want to see Chrome running on RTOS such as vxWorks and MMU less embedded Linux so that non-console-type embedded systems like MFP LCD panel can use it. Google could open up their business not only Internet ads but also Printed ads.
As far as I know, ACCESS' NetFront has been dominating this particular market. Firefox, IE, Safar and Opera are only compete on PC-like devices market.
It is a smart move by Google. Google Chrome is fast, simple and secure. I have been testing it for a while now and thus far, I'm liking it.
In the long run Yes, but short term Google wants to kill Internet Explorer and its new beta IE(which is threatening their ad revenue). The other thing about Chrome is, Google able to successfully integrate it with other applications like GMail. Google made Chrome as a platform for its web-based applications.
It might be far fetched to imagine now, but they might kill OS and PC market, by making Chrome as window to their cloud computing network and your data will be stored some where in that cloud and you will have a small workstation to connect
If happens ( but hard imagine at least at present), then game will be different. What will happen to the traditional PC/Software market/Applications. Who will own/share that cloud....many more questions. But i think we are light years away from that, eventually we will be there.
A good friend of mine and a member of Linked In has a technical blog where she did a serious review of Google's Chrome browser that I believe you will find very interesting. It's not as benign as it appears. She also did a review of the new IE 8 Beta 2 prior to that. I've include a link to the Chrome post and as an expert in case you would like to discuss it further with her.
Links:
Jeff S also suggests this expert on this topic:
Sachendra,
Let me get my head out of the cloud long enough to say.....
Think Grid
I think we may want to leave the "Chrome is not robust enough" or "Google's sinister plan is to..." and understand that Chrome, Gears, Android, etc. are just intermediaries. We are on our way from OS's, Internet, malware, desktop apps to the Grid. Seamless, interactive, interconnection with people and things.
Carnot Antonio R
Senior Product Manager, Data Integration and Data Quality at Oracle Corporation
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Yes.
Bob G
COO at JGPHL
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I believe they have stated that on their blog
