New Windows “Killer” Chrome OS on Chromebooks Is Almost Here

When Google first announced Chromium and Chrome I said that the search giant was positioning the new browser as a Windows killer and not necessarily as an Internet Explorer competitor. How can a browser take on an entire operating system? Well, fast forward a few years, and get ready for the first Chromebook (expected in June 2011) powered by Chrome OS a new open source platform based on the Chrome browser.

So the inherent question at this point in time is whether Chrome OS is indeed a Windows killer or not. I’m sure that there are quite a few in Redmond that have asked the same thing themselves.

Answering with a definitive NO to this question would be a huge mistake for the software giant. For anyone else as well.

Sure enough, there are already a range of opinions over the Windows–killer factor of Chrome OS, and quite a few making a wonderful job at highlighting the caveats of this new platform based on the open source Chrome browser.

I do agree with some, even though they are people far too comfortable in using Windows, so comfortable in fact that they’re blind to the real potential of Chrome OS.

Simple, simple, simple

I don’t agree that all consumers want, or better yet, need the full Windows operating system on their computers. I’m thinking about one of my friends in particular who hasn’t installed a new application in years.

I know this because I set up the machine she’s using, gave her standard user privileges and locked everything else in place through my admin account.

Usage scenarios involve basic activities, listening to music, watching movies, browsing the web, editing documents, etc. A Chrome OS netbook would be perfect for her.

It’s this simplicity that will be appealing to some consumers, and simplicity is a factor that should not be ruled out under any circumstances. Democratizing IT to this level means that all that’s required to run Chrome OS is to have used a browser before. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.

Chrome OS and Chromebooks downsides

There are a few disadvantages to Chrome OS and Chromebooks. First of all, there’s no choice in the software customers will be running locally.

If a particular site or web application doesn’t work with Chrome then users are stuck. They can’t swap browsers, they can’t install anything else. Chrome OS does a wonderful job at locking users in completely.

I can only imagine the “Armageddon” that would ensue if Microsoft would ever allow only its applications to run on Windows, or let’s say, just the Internet Explorer browser, and close the platform to everything else.

Connectivity can be another disadvantage. Chromebooks and Chrome OS need a constant network connection if they are to function as they were intended to.

But quality connectivity and high speed broadband are far from universal. Slow speed connections and offline scenarios will not make Chromebook users happy.

Yes, there are a plethora of Cloud applications available, and their number will only increase. Web apps do mimic at least to some degree desktop programs available. That’s indeed fine for the basic user, but advanced users and IT professionals might feel the need for more.

But let’s not forget Google’s definition of the Chromebooks:

“A Chromebook is a mobile device designed specifically for people who live on the web. With a comfortable full-sized keyboard, large display and clickable trackpad, all-day battery life, light weight, and built-in ability to connect to Wi-Fi and mobile broadband networks, Chromebooks are ideal for anytime, anywhere access to the web. They provide a faster, safer, more secure online experience for people who live on the web, without all the time-consuming, often confusing, high level of maintenance required by typical computers.”

And speaking about the Chrome OS machines themselves, I’m not all that impressed with the Samsung and Acer devices. But they are after all netbook equivalents, and not computing powerhouses, and with retail prices generally around or under $500 users will get what they pay for.

The subscription price will have customers pay as much as double that amount over three years, but $28 per month gets them not just the Chromebook but also enterprise-level support, device warranties and hardware refreshes replacements.

Security

I do have to agree that Chrome OS is secure, although I’m not referring to the quality of the code, but to the novelty of the solution.

Not that the code of the new open source operating system is lacking in terms of quality (there are features such as tab sandboxing, user data encryption, and verified boot), but even with Google saying that Chrome OS and Chrome were built with security in mind, a recent attack put together by VUPEN proves that they’re not bulletproof.

Still, Chrome OS is a new product with almost no market share. As such it’s bound to be all but ignored by attackers, since it simply won’t be worth for them to invest time, effort and money into targeting an extremely limited number of users, when there’s the mass of Windows users, some of which sitting ducks.

This being said, I think it’s extremely dangerous for Google to say that no security solutions are necessary. While this might be indeed the case today, tomorrow it could change dramatically.

Moreover, while widespread attacks are bound to ignore Chrome OS altogether, what about targeted attacks? Customers should not get the wrong idea that Chrome OS is infallible. It’s not.

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