05 Jan 06
Google OS Google
Something very interesting might be happening on Friday. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Larry Page, (co-founder and president of products at Google), is holding the last keynote speech. The rumours are rife that he will be unveiling a no-frills personal computer costing as little as $200.
OK, so not that exciting to some of you, but it is actually quite an important turning point for Google if that's the case. As it says on Fosfor Gadgets:
Imagine Google shipping out millions of cheap, small Google cubes (cost is rumoured to be under $200) - that instantly can be connected to your existing TV, computer, stereo or other systems you might have in your home. Existing problems with VoIP, IP-TV is solved instantly as long as you have a Google Cube and is hooked up on their dark fiber net. And this my friend, can be a revolution.
Fosfor Gadgets
More importantly, Google has set its sites on taking on Microsoft... a grand task indeed, and not easy to accomplish successfully, after all a Windows operating system powers more than 90% of the world's personal computers. But here is the idea- Google produce an email service called Gmail that is very easy to use, very reliable and "feels like someone with brains" designed it. This is what they've done- if you've played with Gmail you'll know what I am on about. Compare Gmail and Hotmail, and Gmail wins hands down every time, but this is just the start- the next idea is to take on Operating Systems... hence taking on Microsoft.
Imagine that you had a simple operating system on your computer, which was connected to the Internet- there are no programs on your computer, you do everything online. Its a tempting idea, it means that you would be able to use "your computer" anywhere in the world- not just have access to your emails everywhere, but your whole computer! Photos, films, documents, emails, games, all your music, your favorites links to websites...
Now that would be the bee's knees, and indeed the wasp's nipples. In fact, I would go so far as to say, all the erogenous zones of every major flying insect of the Western world.
Google isn't worried about Yahoo! or Microsoft's search efforts... although the media's focus on that is probably to their advantage. Their real target is Windows. Who needs Windows when anyone can have free unlimited access to the world's fastest computer running the smartest operating system? Mobile devices don't need big, bloated OSes... they'll be perfect platforms for accessing the GooOS. Using Gnome and Linux as a starting point, Google should design an OS for desktop computers that's modified to use the GooOS and sell it right alongside Windows ($200) at CompUSA for $10/apiece (available free online of course). Google Office (Goffice?) will be built in, with all your data stored locally, backed up remotely, and available to whomever it needs to be (SubEthaEdit-style collaboration on Word/Excel/PowerPoint-esque documents is only the beginning). Email, shopping, games, music, news, personal publishing, etc.; all the stuff that people use their computers for, it's all there.
kottke.org
So you see- Friday could be a very interesting day for us all.
Update I was wrong.