Google Chrome OS

[Kaosu]

Originally Posted by Daerath

(which means getting them the fuck out of beta).

Please tell me a product that google has (moreso a app) that is under their beta category.

If you look at their business apps, they have a pay subscription for apps for businesses on their webpage as well.

Welcome to Google Apps

The only thing I can find at the moment is Google talk, which is something I've never tried and/or bothered with. (IM, it looks like)

[cosmic_cs]

Originally Posted by Daerath

I'm not knocking Google, they have some incredibly talented people, but I'd hardly say they are more innovative than Microsoft and possibly Apple, especially if you make the time period the last 15 years. Even if it were the last year I wouldn't give them that title, but 15? Are you insane?

Google did revolutionize searching the internet and the "pay-per-click" ad model, and they did make some steps toward a viable cloud platform, but they have a long way to go and they didn't exactly invent the concept of web applications. Their phone OS isn't anything special. Apple's crushes theirs both in terms of hardware, os, and software availability. All of Google's cloud apps already exist as non-cloud systems and other companies (ex. Microsoft) are converting existing apps and are close or almost done with some of them.

Google *could* be the most innovative company for years to come, but they need to cross the line between coming up with excellent ideas and actually productizing them (which means getting them the fuck out of beta).

Google created the first good search engine, maps application, email chat, online office tools, and lots more. They are the trend setters of the web generation, and since people basically only use the computer for the web these days, Google has been a major part of everyone's web experience. I'd say they're more innovative than Microsoft simply because Microsoft isn't a trend setter; they basically follow Apple around.

[Jooka]

Originally Posted by Hachima

Try spending a week without running a single program other than your web browser on your pc and see how much you can get done... No thanks. This seems to target people that buy e machines and all they do is check their e-mail/spend their time on social networking websites and that's it.

Everything I do for work is online, maybe you should look into new things, or at least your boss should.

[Grooverider]

Originally Posted by cosmic_cs

Google created the first good search engine, maps application, email chat, online office tools, and lots more. They are the trend setters of the web generation, and since people basically only use the computer for the web these days, Google has been a major part of everyone's web experience. I'd say they're more innovative than Microsoft simply because Microsoft isn't a trend setter; they basically follow Apple around.

This is so wrong, it's not even funny.
The first good search engine? There were numerous search engines before Google's domination. Many were fantastic, they just chose the wrong route (portal vs. search) and so fell by the wayside. Excite, Lycos, Altavista, Web Crawler.

The first maps application? Ordinance survey maps existed online many years prior to Google Maps. Although google maps is very good.

The first 'email chat'? I'm not sure what you're talking about here, Google Talk built into Gmail using Ajax? This google wave shit that nobody is using right now? All of this stuff was built long ago/has obvious alternatives of equal measure.

Online Office Tools? Google acquired their cloud office suite from another company.

People do NOT only use the computer for web these days. That's simply a ridiculous generalization. Perhaps you do.

Lets think up a picture here. Remove all Google products from the world, how would that affect your life? You would suffer for approximately two hours. Google search gets replaced by Yahoo. Google Maps gets replaced by some random competitor (there are many). Gmail gets replaced by numerous other online mail apps (there are many).

Remove all MS products from the world. Guess what? The world stops turning for the next year.

People get off Google dick. How an advertising company turned everyone into a bunch of fucking flag wavers is beyond me.

[Korioni]

He is at least correct in that Google sets many online application trends right now.

But then, so did AOL.

[ChewieTobbacca]

Google is a lot like Apple in a lot of ways - hype and branding make up most of its allure to the masses. And Google has definitely made some duds, they just do a good job at pulling the shit that sucks so no one remembers any failures

I hope Google realizes that designing an OS that covers what 80% of the things people do on a computer is a bad idea... you're better off making an OS that includes 20% of what people do than making an OS that covers the other 80% in awesomeness but excludes that 20%.

This'll be interesting..

[Daerath]

Originally Posted by Kaosu

Please tell me a product that google has (moreso a app) that is under their beta category.

If you look at their business apps, they have a pay subscription for apps for businesses on their webpage as well.

Welcome to Google Apps

The only thing I can find at the moment is Google talk, which is something I've never tried and/or bothered with. (IM, it looks like)

I was referring to an article in the New York Times two days ago that specifically addressed Google *FINALLY* removing the Beta tag from Mail and their Apps.

Google's standpoint has always been that something will be in Beta until it's fully complete, and that isn't really a bad policy, but you still don't leave something in public beta for years, especially when it is as simple as web-based e-mail. Compared to their lightning fast development and release of their telephone OS, it shows that Google cares less when they can make money off of a product (which won't surprise me), or that e-mail is truly perplexing to their developers (which I doubt).

[Gecko]

I think the point many are missing is google is targeting their OS for Netbooks. This is a shrewd move and positions them well.

Netbooks are selling extremely well, and honestly they are not bought for the OS. Those who buy them want cheap, functional machines, and could care less for gaming or Media Center or any of the main reasons to buy Windows.
Heck, there's a reason most netbooks still load XP.

If Google can give better functionality and features on Netbooks than XP or Linux then they'll have a window into the home market. That seems a good fight to make, given these are sold based on price and Windows jacks it up with things most netbook users don't want.

[Szlia]

Google has Vint Cerf working on an interplanetary internet protocol that has already been tested with some NASA satellites orbiting here and there in the solar system! How is that for innovation?

[Luthair]

Originally Posted by Daerath

No, I fully expect it will have strong ties into Google's cloud computing efforts. This is also why there will be such a massive lack of non-hobbyist interest for at least a decade.

Google's cloud computing platform is likely built on top of Linux and Microsoft is definitely building theirs on top of Windows. This makes it yet another "Linux vs. Windows" battle which ultimately translates into "which has a larger user base, what technologies do my developers understand, and which one will make me more money".

While you can make money writing software for Linux, assuming you don't choose the wrong version of Linux and alienate your user population by daring to charge for software instead of releasing it free and as open source.

If you go with Windows you know you'll have a massive user population, one platform to write for, a large number of developers, 3rd party libraries, literature, and experience with that particular market.

Google's cloud platform runs on Linux which means any company porting an app to their platform will have to rewrite their system to run on Linux. Microsoft's runs on windows, so you'll only have to update your UI, and in some cases you won't even have to do that.

Stop talking about computers, its evident from this post you haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.

Originally Posted by ChewieTobbacca

Google is a lot like Apple in a lot of ways - hype and branding make up most of its allure to the masses. And Google has definitely made some duds, they just do a good job at pulling the shit that sucks so no one remembers any failures

The major difference is that unlike Apple Google doesn't hype their products, its the users that do it.

[ToeMissile]

Google takes ideas/products and 'makes them better'/integrates it w/all their other services. convenience+cohesion+quality(?)

[Bralkan]

Chrome OS + Web Streamed Video Games = Profit?!

If you can stream games, you can stream any other application. Say hello to our new "cloud" overlords.

God, using marketing bullshit makes me feel dirty. In my day, we just called the cloud "the internet" and we liked it!

Also, this isn't just intended for netbooks. Its the obvious place to start, with the lower levels of processing power, but this could be used for any "form factor" (obviously, you wouldn't need a $2k desktop to run this...and it would defeat the purpose.)

Basically, with broadband+bringing back the mainframe we are turning all of our computers into terminals. We had to localize hardware after the mainframe because of a limit in bandwith. But as broadband gets better / WiMax / Fiber@Home / the mainframe model is worthwhile again.

It won't eliminate local hardware, but for most people, they could give a shit. And as google pointed out, are so lazy (just like we all are with our cars), they just "want it to work" and could give a shit about what version of the hot new GPU / CPU / Vibrator you have.


Edit: For the dumb ass a couple posts up - The "Cloud" makes your OS version insignificant. Do you have a standards compliant web browser? You are on the cloud. End of story.

Windows will be nothing more than a Brand name if MS wants to compete. They will have to take CE or re-work from the ground up to compete with a "Cloud" OS. Windows proper is built for heavy hardware localization. The purpose of the cloud is to use cheap and standardized hardware to run the minimum required to interface with the cloud. All the processing power Gamers have had to upgrade every 6 months to acquire is now offsite and someone else's problem.

[Daerath]

Originally Posted by Luthair

Stop talking about computers, its evident from this post you haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.

Enlighten me with your vast store of knowledge and explain *exactly* why each of my comments was incorrect or shut the fuck up.

The major difference is that unlike Apple Google doesn't hype their products, its the users that do it.

Are you kidding? Apple doesn't hype their products. They have a very simple marketing strategy involving a few short commercials. The users of Apple products are fanatical and hype them nearly every chance they get. This is why you don't hear a Mac user say that they were on their computer. They were on their Mac. I was on my iPhone, not I was on my phone. Check out my iPod!

[Grooverider]

Originally Posted by Daerath

Enlighten me with your vast store of knowledge and explain *exactly* why each of my comments was incorrect or shut the fuck up.

The reason he says you have no clue, is because you clearly don't understand the concept or the execution of cloud based distributed computing. The general principle behind cloud is it's client os independent. It's a return to the dumb terminal computing of the 80s and before.

[Bralkan]

Daerath - please see my post. I labeled you as the "Dumb ass"