14 DAY TRIAL // Some time ago, rumors about a potential operating system developed by Google and meant to challenge the one developed by Microsoft were continuously spreading on the Internet. Although the company refused to comment, its officials never denied them, letting the fans hope their computer activities will be revolutionized by a new operating system. Recently, several publications started to talk about an Office suite designed by Google, the company really announcing Google App often regarded as an Office alternative available in two flavors: Free and Premium for paying customers.
Because the Office speculations are now ended, let's get back to the operating system and analyze several signs that make Google fans believe the company is preparing an operating system. Today, MarketWatch published an interview with Google's Chief Executive Eric Schmidt who sustained Google and Apple are now working to develop new projects but avoided to specify some of them.
"Schmidt was addressing a question concerning rumors that Apple and Google were working on a tablet-style personal computer. Without commenting specifically on the rumor, Schmidt said Google and Apple are "doing more and more things together. We have similar goals, similar competitors." Already, Google's search features are to be standard on the iPhone, a cell phone Apple plans to release soon," the publication reported.
So, Google and Apple are working at new projects after the search giant announced some time ago they are preparing a Googlephone to compete with iPhone developed by Apple. Maybe the two companies are trying to make a partnership to provide Google products (or even a mobile operating system) to the Apple's iPhone.
The second reason to believe Google prepares an operating system was revealed by Blogger Simeon Simeonov, Andy Rubin, who is now working on the Google Phone. It provides some interesting specifications of the upcoming Googlephone: Blackberry-like, slick device; C++ core w/ OS bootstrap (some version of Linux?); optimized Java running on the C++ core (similar to what Andy did at Danger); vector-based presentation courtesy of Skia?s technology; many services, including VoIP. All of them were published by Slashphone.
The third reason is provided by blogger Ionut Alex who sustained that "recently, we found out that Google bought a small company named Skia in 2005.Skia's first product, SGL, is a portable graphics engine capable of rendering state-of-the-art 2D graphics on low-end devices such as mobile phones, TVs, and handhelds."
So, I don't know if Google is really preparing an operating system but the common word of all these statements is "mobile". Maybe an upcoming mobile operating system?