Google Plans to Unveil PC Operating System

[Mystic]

I don't think most people care what operating system in on their computer. They want for their computer to be able to run their software and hardware and to be useful to them.

Fifty years from now we may all be using an operating system from Japan, or China, or Brazil. Microsoft, Apple, Sun, etc., are all just corporations. Somebody in power at Google apparently really hates Microsoft. They want to be able to take Microsoft down. I don't care. They can hate Microsoft until the Moon turns blue as far as I am concerned. If they want my business they can offer me an operating system that is user friendly and compatible with my software and hardware. I could not care less about how much they might hate Microsoft.

Microsoft is a corporation. You can buy Microsoft stock. Apple is a corporation. You can buy Apple stock. The CEO of Microsoft (what is his name anyway?) is not a cult leader to me. Steve Jobs of Apple is not a cult figure to me. I do not consider Microsoft to be the 'Dark Empire' and Apple, Linux, etc., to be the Jedi Freedom Fighters of the Universe.

Some decent competition (real competition) for Microsoft probably would be a good thing. I think competition improves things-what do you think?

What I care about is that the operating system on my personal computer is user friendly, effective, compatible with the software and hardware that I use, and that I can do the things I need to do with it. It really does not matter in the end who made the software and hardware for that personal computer. I do not sit in front of my personal computer and look lovingly at it. I do things with it.

Microsoft seems to listen to me. Apple seems to listen fairly well although they don't quite equal Microsoft in software and hardware compatibility. Why do you think they offer Boot Camp on Intel Macs? But if Mac OS X had the same software and hardware compatibility as Windows and if Apple Computers were not so expensive, Mac OS X would clearly be superior.

The Linux people do not seem to listen to me or care about me. So I don't care about them. My best guess is that this Google operating system will be some glorified version of Linux. Who really cares. If they do not provide what I need they can fade into ancient, forgotten history. Like a lot of others did.

 

[Lyondellic]

Let me preface this reply by clearly stating that I use Windows XP, Window Vista and the public beta of Windows 7. Microsoft dominates the market because the vast majority of computer users are in their comfort zone when they use Windows and Microsoft Office.

Linux has come a long way, but there is a learning curve associated with using it. Driver support in Linux has also improved, but there is still a lot of unsupported hardware. I have always had difficulty getting Wifi up and running when using Linux, but hear that this has improved as well. With the above being said, I think that the PCLinuxOS distribution has a lot to offer, is polished and fairly easy for a Windows user to adapt to.

I like Apple products. In fact, my 8GB Touch is like a piece of art, but I cannot see shelling out so much money for one of their computers. It is simply too difficult for me to get past the performance versus cost argument when it comes to buying an Apple computer. I am also starting to see shades of Apple's true colors lately, such as packaging Safari with iTunes.

Were am I going with all of this you might ask. I am sitting here typing this reply on Google's Chrome browser. Chrome is fast, I have never seen it crash, it's open source and free. Firefox, Chrome and Opera have forced Microsoft to get serious about improving Internet Explorer. In fact, I am not sure Internet Explorer 8 would exist today if Firefox hadn't eaten into Microsoft's share of the browser market. Google doesn't hate Microsoft, they may not like their business tactics, but it all boils down to money. Google makes money selling advertisments on the web, so it's only natural that they would release a Google browser. Microsoft doesn't want Windows users to use anything other than Internet Explorer as their primary browser, so they make life difficult for Google. Google decides to take the next step and free themselves from Microsoft and Windows altogether. Their logic makes sense to me and if Google builds a better OS then I will certainly use it. In the final analysis, competition drives innovation.

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

the Linux crowd cannot even develop drivers so that a person could use their hardware (photo printers, scanners, etc.) with the operating system. I would not be able to run my photo printer and my scanners with any trashy Linux operating system.


http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/index.html

Why do keep repeating this untruth.

Quote:

Chances are, your Linux system already has the HPLIP software installed. That's because all major Linux distributions regularly pick up the HPLIP software and include it with their distribution installation. However, if it is not installed or you need to upgrade to a newer HPLIP version to support your printer, you've come to the right place.

 

[greenaccord02]

Mystic, why are you so mad about this? This stuff comes and goes like farts in the breeze. It's really nothing to get your blood pressure high about.

 

[Mystic]

I agree with almost everything you have said Lyondellic. I would be still using Apple Computers (actually I still own an old iMac) if Apple did not charge so much. They need a desktop computer with a separate monitor priced between the iMac and the Mac Pro but they will not develop such a computer probably because of Steve Jobs. I think Job's time has come and gone and I think Apple would be better off without him. I will tell you flat out that in my opinion Mac OS X is superior in most respects to Windows but Apple Computers cost too much. An iMac is not too bad but I don't like all-in-one computers that cannot be easily upgraded and if something fails you lose everything. Windows is good enough and a person simply cannot beat the software and hardware compatibility. And like I said above I was able to print out more color accurate photos using Vista than Mac OS X-much to my surprise.

I have used Chrome. It is a good web browser. I like that you can translate foreign language websites. And I agree that competition is good. Competition does drive innovation. And it does boil down to money, even for the power people behind Linux. There is much more money involved in Linux than people think.

For me at this time Windows simply makes more sense. I can run Photoshop perfectly good in Windows and on computer hardware that is reasonable in price. In fact a person today can run Mac OS X on Windows hardware if they want.

And I too did not like Apple's tactics of trying to get people to download Safari along with iTunes (or Quicktime). Safari, at least when it first came out for Windows, was lousy and had lots of security holes.

There are a few things that really bug me. I can still remember all the people going insane when it came out that Microsoft might have been spying on its customers. But if Google does the same thing there is silence? If the Microsoft 'Dark Empire' does it it is evil and if the 'Jedi of the Free Universe' do it it is okay. Go figure.

And whenever something comes along, such as a new web browser or operating system, that might challenge Microsoft you have all of these people coming out of the woodwork ready to announce the death of Microsoft. I am not some diehard Microsoft fan but I get very tired of being the one who has to defend Microsoft against all of this nonsense. All of these people, Microsoft, Apple, Linux, etc., are in it for the money and the fame and the glory. The competition between them does all of us good. And what we really want is for the best technology to win in the end. The technology that will most benefit US!

What a lot of these people here probably do not realize is that I was a rebel and alternative operating system user myself long before they were. I started to use Apple Computers a very long time ago. A long time ago I gave Linux a try. Linux is okay for servers (well, a British security firm found that Linux servers were the most attacked server), but my time with Linux was pretty much a complete waste of time. I personally don't think Linux will ever be good for basically anything except for servers and various specialized applications.

I would use Apple if I could, if not for the expense. After all, with an Intel Mac you can even run Windows. Otherwise Windows is good enough on reasoanbly priced hardware.

 

[moribundman]

Do you go through several keyboards per year?

 

[Mystic]

Yes, greenaccord02, I probably do get too mad about all of this. Not so long ago I was a diehard Apple fan. Today I mostly use Windows but I am not going to ever again be a diehard fan of any computer technology, software or hardware.

It bugs me when some people have this weird concept of reality that we are in some kind of struggle against the 'Dark Empire' (Microsoft). Like as if this is some kind of Stars Wars movie rather than reality. Did these people play too many video games?

And you are right. All of this technology comes and goes. Microsoft is already working on the replacement for Windows 7 and Apple is already working on the replacement for Mac OS 10.6 'Snow Leopard.'

I started to leave the Apple world mainly when the hardware became too expensive. And I did not like how people who said anything negative about Apple on the internet were immediately silenced. There should be free expression allowed. But I also left Apple because of all the strange Cult of Mac people who started to show up.

The main reason I left Linux was because there never seemed to be support for my hardware I wanted to use with my computer. But I also left because it seemed to be okay at the Linux websites to distort the truth. I don't believe that the truth is relative and can be changed to suit conditions that exist at the time.

I am getting tired of being the one who has to defend Microsoft. I am not a diehard Microsoft fan although I must add they have always treated we well-better than Apple even though I was a loyal Apple fan for a very long time.

I guess the best thing is just to let various people say whatever crazy stuff they want to say. They will have to stand on those statements later.

I will say this-I don't worship any technology or any CEO of any corporation. I will use whatever technology best works for me, no matter who makes it. Right now Microsoft seems to work the best for me for operating system software but if something better came along I would use it. I have no blind loyalty to Microsoft, Apple, or everybody or anything else.

I can remember when I was young people arguing over Chevy and Ford pickup trucks. I don't know if Checy is even going to be around much longer and now the discussion also has to cover Nissan and Toyota. The same thing will happen with computer software and hardware.

 

[Mystic]

I probably have more to say than you, Mori.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: Mystic


I am getting tired of being the one who has to defend Microsoft. I am not a diehard Microsoft fan ....

I guess the best thing is just to let various people say whatever crazy stuff they want to say. They will have to stand on those statements later.

I will say this-I don't worship any technology or any CEO of any corporation. I will use whatever technology best works for me, no matter who makes it. Right now Microsoft seems to work the best for me for operating system software but if something better came along I would use it. I have no blind loyalty to Microsoft, Apple, or everybody or anything else.

I can remember when I was young people arguing over Chevy and Ford pickup trucks. I don't know if Checy is even going to be around much longer and now the discussion also has to cover Nissan and Toyota. The same thing will happen with computer software and hardware.


Why do you have to defend Microsoft? Who is setting this agenda for you?

 

[Lyondellic]

I just thought of another reason for Google to create their own operating system. Netbook sales are taking off and Microsoft's response is to offer slimmed down versions of Windows XP and Windows 7. Google is big into Web 2.0 and it would make sense for them to develop a small footprint operating system that would primarily use web-based applications. Everex released a line of computers that used what many referred to as a Google themed version of Debian Linux. Check this out for more information:

http://www.everexstore.com/everex/products/cloudbook/cloudbook.php

http://www.everexstore.com/everex/products/gpc2/gpc2.php

http://www.everexstore.com/everex/products/gbook/gbook.php

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

I guess the best thing is just to let various people say whatever crazy stuff they want to say. They will have to stand on those statements later.


Seems to work for you. Shall I post your assertion that the Iranians might be slipping code into linux, and that "no one" really looks at all the code?

References provided on request.

http://gcn.com/articles/2003/11/10/effort-to-compromise-linux-kernel-foiled.aspx

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: Mystic
My best guess is that this Google operating system will be some glorified version of Linux.


'Twas an excellent guess! This new Chrome OS business is indeed built on the Linux kernel, with a new graphics system (rather than X.org). I have read today that the whole shootin' match is open source, so with some luck they improved greatly on X.org we can all start compiling the graphics system ourselves.

I've been reading about it here and there a bit today. It seems like it's going to be pretty light weight, in that they're gunning first for netbooks, and it appears as thought there'll be very little in the way of "installed applications"; instead using cloud-based services like Google Apps and such.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: Mystic
The Linux crowd cannot even develop drivers so that a person could use their hardware (photo printers, scanners, etc.) with the operating system.


I cannot even imagine how difficult it is to reverse engineer a piece of hardware, and then write a driver for it. Remember, these manufacturers give Micro$oft and Apple the necessary information and pre-compiled, binary drivers to run their stuff. They do NOT often make that information public, and doing all of that tinkering for a driver is both the most tedious and least glamorous thing possible. When drivers are made open source, hardware often installs and runs better than in Windows. Users of Linux-based OS's need to check their hardware before they install, and need to research hardware before they buy.

Also, Linux is not an operating system. It's a kernel.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Mystic
I probably have more to say than you, Mori.


You say the same things over and over and over and over...

 

[Buffman]

Honestly I haven't been impressed with google's offering's lately. Chrome was slower than firefox an IE for me. While I do like Google Earth, Don't think I'd put too much thought into using an OS from them.

 

[moribundman]

I might check it out once it's out, although I feel my browsing needs are sufficiently covered.

 

[saberz]

Originally Posted By: Mystic
Yes, greenaccord02, I probably do get too mad about all of this. Not so long ago I was a diehard Apple fan. Today I mostly use Windows but I am not going to ever again be a diehard fan of any computer technology, software or hardware.

It bugs me when some people have this weird concept of reality that we are in some kind of struggle against the 'Dark Empire' (Microsoft). Like as if this is some kind of Stars Wars movie rather than reality. Did these people play too many video games?

And you are right. All of this technology comes and goes. Microsoft is already working on the replacement for Windows 7 and Apple is already working on the replacement for Mac OS 10.6 'Snow Leopard.'

I started to leave the Apple world mainly when the hardware became too expensive. And I did not like how people who said anything negative about Apple on the internet were immediately silenced. There should be free expression allowed. But I also left Apple because of all the strange Cult of Mac people who started to show up.

The main reason I left Linux was because there never seemed to be support for my hardware I wanted to use with my computer. But I also left because it seemed to be okay at the Linux websites to distort the truth. I don't believe that the truth is relative and can be changed to suit conditions that exist at the time.

I am getting tired of being the one who has to defend Microsoft. I am not a diehard Microsoft fan although I must add they have always treated we well-better than Apple even though I was a loyal Apple fan for a very long time.

I guess the best thing is just to let various people say whatever crazy stuff they want to say. They will have to stand on those statements later.

I will say this-I don't worship any technology or any CEO of any corporation. I will use whatever technology best works for me, no matter who makes it. Right now Microsoft seems to work the best for me for operating system software but if something better came along I would use it. I have no blind loyalty to Microsoft, Apple, or everybody or anything else.

I can remember when I was young people arguing over Chevy and Ford pickup trucks. I don't know if Checy is even going to be around much longer and now the discussion also has to cover Nissan and Toyota. The same thing will happen with computer software and hardware.



Apple hardware was always to expensive, it never became expensive. Granted the price of a "good" Apple system in recent years jumped two fold.

I had the privledge of upgrading our office computers and was advised to do a price comparison between a normal PC, self built and a Mac.

Suffice to say building them myself was the cheapest option, specced far greater than the Apple machine and beat out the PC Vendor machine buy about 100-150 a unit using Grade A components.

To top it off, as a joke to my boss(owner/president of the company) he wanted a "special" machine for himself, budget, 2grand. For 2 grand, I gave him EVERYTHING and the kitchen sink(water cooling, etc), 4GB of memory etc, the Apple version was 512MB of memory...lower HDD, etc etc.

Mac OSX is a great OS, built ontop of an already great OS. The hardware Apple provides now is no different than what is inside an HP, Toshiba etc yet they upcharge about 45% on it. A Mac version of a graphics card released 3 years ago for the PC is 400 dollars(Remember those 9800XT's from ATI?) They were 400 dollars for the Mac and like 150-200 a few years ago on the PC. Everything is a Premium. I've told people, if you are rich, and buy things as a life-style piece, then get a Mac or a Sony Vaio(POS).

I have no ill-will towards Apple, they serve a niche market and in doing so provide the "best" aesthetics and service to these people. Aesthetics alone though won't win me over, and most of the populace agrees to that.

Cost and Functionality are what matter for the masses. I still to this day, never understood why Mac's were user friendly?

One button mouse? Still have to use the Control/Function button on the KB to mimic stuff you can do with a multi-button mouse.

I won't defend or prefer any OS, I use what I use because it does what I want it to. Everyone indeed depicts Microsoft as evil, or Apple as the devil, but in the end they are after the same thing. Your wallet is their goal, nothing more, nothing less.

Microsoft makes fantastic hardware(accessories), their OS's are hit or miss(95B, 98SE, 2000, XP, Windows 7), misses(95A, 98, ME, Vista pre SP). As epic fail as they might have been, nobody really understands the burden of developing an OS that just work's on a wide array of hardware, only other people who can understand this are game developers on the PC platform, software developers etc.

 

[moribundman]

****, why turn this thread, which is about a Google OS, into a PC versus Mac thread? Has Mystic infected you?

Originally Posted By: Anies
One button mouse? Still have to use the Control/Function button on the KB to mimic stuff you can do with a multi-button mouse.


I haven't had a one-button mouse on any Mac over the past 9 years. I didn't know they still made those. My Mac mouse has five buttons and a scroll ball.