In Google's ongoing quest to dominate the world they have announced the new Google Chrome Operating System. The new operating system is based on Linux and it will be open source. It is expected to be free, but perhaps they will follow in the footsteps of other companies who give away the OS for free but make money on supporting it. This is exactly what Oracle does with Unbreakable Linux. Oracle's Unbreakable Linux is simply Redhat Linux rebranded with a few minor tweaks so the Oracle products will work a little bit better. Anyway, I digress...
The new OS is expected to launch by the second half of 2010 and apparently they are going to target the netbook market first. This is probably due to the fact, that traditionally, netbooks are shipped with some form of Linux on them because they can maintain a lower price point by distributing a free OS. However, this may change because Microsoft has been making strides in capturing their share of the netbook market. They have recently partnered with Asus on the whole "Its Better With Windows campaign".
So what advantage will the Chrome OS have over Windows:
- Web-based system will provide a more seamless experience for end-users. (Hmmm, I think Windows 7 is also touting this)
- Its Free.
Ok. The second point may be valid. However, Linux is traditionally free and in most cases you get what you pay for.
On a fun note check out this slightly sarcastic article on the 11 Undocumented Features of Google Chrome OS LOL