Google Chromium Os

[juniorm33]

I'm pretty sure my system board for main pc has an instant on BIOS/Firmware, I've never switched it on though to see how good it is.
It has some basic programs you can use without booting up to the OS.
May not be ARM and x86 based but does show that the concept is around and has even been used.

 

[Gary13579]

I'm pretty sure my system board for main pc has an instant on BIOS/Firmware, I've never switched it on though to see how good it is.
It has some basic programs you can use without booting up to the OS.
May not be ARM and x86 based but does show that the concept is around and has even been used.

The Instant On feature dates way way back, most of the classic computers were considered instant on (C64 is). Chances are the one that's installed in your BIOS is Splashtop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splashtop

HyperSpace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperSpace_%28software%29 ) is basically the same thing, but offers more features (like the ability to run WHILE Windows is running, just hit F4 and you switch back and forth). They apparently have a Cortex-A8 optimized version, which must be relatively new.. hmm..

 

[juniorm33]

I'm pretty sure my system board for main pc has an instant on BIOS/Firmware, I've never switched it on though to see how good it is.
It has some basic programs you can use without booting up to the OS.
May not be ARM and x86 based but does show that the concept is around and has even been used.

The Instant On feature dates way way back, most of the classic computers were considered instant on (C64 is). Chances are the one that's installed in your BIOS is Splashtop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splashtop

HyperSpace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperSpace_%28software%29 ) is basically the same thing, but offers more features (like the ability to run WHILE Windows is running, just hit F4 and you switch back and forth). They apparently have a Cortex-A8 optimized version, which must be relatively new.. hmm..

Yea, my point is, that it wouldn't surprise me someone trying to do an ARM x86 hybrid type machine. Especially based on a cheap ARM cpu

 

[reyawn]

My main question is, what does Chrome OS do when it's off-line? There should be local storage and syncing, but that's really the question. If it does, then it would have off-line document editing and PIM functions. Anyway, I believe that it would have to do something when you're off-line, rather than just showing a "not connected to a network" error message.

Google Chrome includes Google Gears for offline storage; I believe there may be an add-on for other browsers as well. I believe most (if not all) of Google's apps are designed to take advantage of this so you can queue up and write emails offline, read ones stored locally, check your calendar, etc.

Either way, I think that Chrome/Chromium OS sucks - I don't want to be stuck in a browser. The web has a long way to go before I can give up local apps and the speed and cohesive environment that results from using local apps.

 

[cobaltage]

Next, why would the notebook have both an x86 AND ARM CPU. This is just a waste of money, and I can't see anyone actually building a device like it. Yeah, it would be nice for battery life, but it's far too complicated for pretty much every manufacturer to waste their time with.

The main thing is definitely the battery life, which would start to approach all-day online usage. I don't think every manufacturer would make a product like that, but it is a feature that would distinguish a notebook from the pack. It would appeal to business users; when you travel, that's exactly when you want to save your battery life and use the internet at the same time. When you use a regular notebook for that purpose, you burn the battery faster by keeping the wifi going; but with a second CPU, you could browse while extending battery life by maybe a factor of 2. And a lot of businesses are using cloud services and online collaboration increasingly for other reasons, including data security during international travel. So any added cost to the notebook (which would probably be at most $200) gets a company an added feature.

The Dual-Cor PC (which never made it to market) and the HTC Shift were both based on a similar idea and were marketed to the business/enterprise market, but they used Windows CE as their secondary OS, making them more like "small computer/giant PDA" devices. If you replace the 400MHz Qualcomm CPU in the HTC Shift with a 600MHz Cortex A8 or 1GHz Snapdragon, and Windows CE with Chrome OS, that device is bound to sell more...than the two devices that didn't sell.

 

[Vorporeal]

My main question is, what does Chrome OS do when it's off-line? There should be local storage and syncing, but that's really the question. If it does, then it would have off-line document editing and PIM functions. Anyway, I believe that it would have to do something when you're off-line, rather than just showing a "not connected to a network" error message.

Google Chrome includes Google Gears for offline storage; I believe there may be an add-on for other browsers as well. I believe most (if not all) of Google's apps are designed to take advantage of this so you can queue up and write emails offline, read ones stored locally, check your calendar, etc.

Either way, I think that Chrome/Chromium OS sucks - I don't want to be stuck in a browser. The web has a long way to go before I can give up local apps and the speed and cohesive environment that results from using local apps.

There are many advantages to web apps/apps in the cloud though. Being able to access your data from anywhere is nice, along with the fact that it is likely backed up somewhere. Also, web apps are platform independent. All you need is a standards-compliant web browser (assuming your web app is standards compliant).

It is true though that local apps are often faster, and that many people don't want their data to be stored on someone else's servers. The speed gap is getting smaller at a fast rate though, as many modern web apps use a lot of client side scripting and therefore get the speed benefits that come with local execution of programs.

 

[lulzfish]

My main question is, what does Chrome OS do when it's off-line? There should be local storage and syncing, but that's really the question. If it does, then it would have off-line document editing and PIM functions. Anyway, I believe that it would have to do something when you're off-line, rather than just showing a "not connected to a network" error message.

Google Chrome includes Google Gears for offline storage; I believe there may be an add-on for other browsers as well. I believe most (if not all) of Google's apps are designed to take advantage of this so you can queue up and write emails offline, read ones stored locally, check your calendar, etc.

Either way, I think that Chrome/Chromium OS sucks - I don't want to be stuck in a browser. The web has a long way to go before I can give up local apps and the speed and cohesive environment that results from using local apps.

There are many advantages to web apps/apps in the cloud though. Being able to access your data from anywhere is nice, along with the fact that it is likely backed up somewhere. Also, web apps are platform independent. All you need is a standards-compliant web browser (assuming your web app is standards compliant).

It is true though that local apps are often faster, and that many people don't want their data to be stored on someone else's servers. The speed gap is getting smaller at a fast rate though, as many modern web apps use a lot of client side scripting and therefore get the speed benefits that come with local execution of programs.

But "cloud computing" sounds stupid. Come up with a better term, and we'll talk.
Also, data privacy. I don't know that Google is reading my e-mail, but I don't really know that they aren't, and it's an awkward feeling. Ideally, I would have a personal server for my UMPC to connect to, and I wouldn't have to pay / trust anyone else to do it for me.

 

[guilmon999]

I really think they're saying that the Chrome OS will be designed to boot from flash memory and not from a hard drive -- and not, that your device needs a 64GB or 128GB SSD, or that you can't access a hard drive on the device. 'Nothing' is stored on your device running Chrome OS -- everything is stored 'in the cloud' anyway, so you wouldn't need much space to run Chrome OS. It sounds like it will be featured on MIDs and netbooks and as a secondary, instant-on OS for notebooks and maybe desktops. The notebook would have both an x86 CPU and an ARM CPU, with a dedicated flash memory drive just for Chrome OS; otherwise, it's just like any other notebook PC. That ensures that the boot time will be fast and lengthens the battery life. (That design for a notebook with an instant-on secondary OS is real; I don't remember who is making it, or what instant-on OS they were working with.)

Imagine this scenario: a $250-300 5" touchscreen MID with subsidized 3G service costing $15-20 per month, with GPS, webcam, wifi, media playback, and an 8 hour battery life. Or a 7" "smartbook" (they're supposedly coming out soon -- basically like the HP Journada in design) for $200. Or a 10" netbook for $225. All of them would cost less than a Pandora.

If Google could subsidize 3G service on a limited, all-browser device to the point where it costs a little more than Tivo service or Netflix membership, that would have a huge impact, IMO. I think they could be working towards that, based on their overall philosophy, but not based on any real information. I do think the recent rumor of a Google phone is actually about a cellular data device, not a phone. And I've seen something online (a rumor of a rumor) to that effect. If Google is really going to make their own name-brand cellular data device, I can see them going for the gold and arranging for a subsidized data plan.

My main question is, what does Chrome OS do when it's off-line? There should be local storage and syncing, but that's really the question. If it does, then it would have off-line document editing and PIM functions. Anyway, I believe that it would have to do something when you're off-line, rather than just showing a "not connected to a network" error message.

I've said this in a recent discussion of Android for Pandora: any fast-loading OS that just gets you on the internet would be a great secondary OS for Open Pandora. If there are built-in document-editing and PIM functions with online syncing, all the more so. So if Chrome OS could work with the Pandora, that would be swell. Better than Android, because all of Google's services are designed to work completely well within a browser. (Except Navigator, but that's still in beta...of course.) However, Google seems to have implied that in order to get Chrome OS, you have to buy a device designed to run it. So we'll see.

Anyway, very exciting to think about.

arent you just describing a smart phone

 

[mvickers03]

I have been playing around with Google chrome OS today. I can see it being useful as an alternative to Linux on net books and maybe some less functional phones but to be honest there isn't much to it. It's very basic there is no way I can see to configure anything, install apps or even mount a CD. I tried switching to the console to manually run some Linux code but nope, it appears to be locked down!

It's just a browser with integrated Google docs. the whole OS is like using Chrome browser but with no accessible shell in the background, I know it's intended this way but it kinda sucks TBH, I definatly wont be running this on my Pandora if someone gets it running!

What we have running on the Pandora right now is much more powerful and practical IMO

EDIT:


@cobaltage

My main question is, what does Chrome OS do when it's off-line? There should be local storage and syncing, but that's really the question. If it does, then it would have off-line document editing and PIM functions. Anyway, I believe that it would have to do something when you're off-line, rather than just showing a "not connected to a network" error message.

You cant use/login to the OS without a internet connection and all files are stored online! I don't think it's possible to do anything unless your connected to the internet as far as I can tell!

Good post BTW mate. That's very interesting about the idea of a ARM/X86 hybrid from a power consumption point

 

[Sphinxter]

Forget google, it's the new microsoft.

 

[mali]

Forget google, it's the new microsoft.

+1

 

[WizardStan]

Forget google, it's the new microsoft.

Not at all. You have to pay for Microsoft's stuff. If you don't like it, tough luck, you've already paid for it.
If you find you don't like Google's stuff, you can change, and it didn't cost you a thing.
Other than that, yeah, they're really pushing the bounds here.

 

[GuchaRU]

as long as their stuff are free i like google over microsuxx.

 

[-Tj-]

Forget google, it's the new microsoft.

Not at all. You have to pay for Microsoft's stuff. If you don't like it, tough luck, you've already paid for it.
If you find you don't like Google's stuff, you can change, and it didn't cost you a thing.
Other than that, yeah, they're really pushing the bounds here.

I used to think Bill Gates was Satan incarnate. But you paid money for Microsoft's stuff. Google gives it to you for free... but you pay with your soul..!!

 

[-Tj-]

My main question is, what does Chrome OS do when it's off-line? There should be local storage and syncing, but that's really the question. If it does, then it would have off-line document editing and PIM functions. Anyway, I believe that it would have to do something when you're off-line, rather than just showing a "not connected to a network" error message.

I've said this in a recent discussion of Android for Pandora: any fast-loading OS that just gets you on the internet would be a great secondary OS for Open Pandora. If there are built-in document-editing and PIM functions with online syncing, all the more so. So if Chrome OS could work with the Pandora, that would be swell. Better than Android, because all of Google's services are designed to work completely well within a browser. (Except Navigator, but that's still in beta...of course.) However, Google seems to have implied that in order to get Chrome OS, you have to buy a device designed to run it. So we'll see.

I'd be interested to know what happens in the event of a connection outage, as well. This would really kill someone's workflow if they were in the middle of writing a document and suddenly it wouldn't work (oh noes! I'm outside the 3G network...).

I'm certainly not thinking of Chrome OS/Chromium OS as a replacement for what'll be on Pandora, but it would be nice as an option. Chromium OS on its own SD card would be great, imo.

Either way, I think that Chrome/Chromium OS sucks - I don't want to be stuck in a browser. The web has a long way to go before I can give up local apps and the speed and cohesive environment that results from using local apps.

It may be a while before networks are up to the speeds necessary to make this kind of thing work smoothly as well. However that time is coming fast. Hell, they're already making stuff that lets you play your 360, PS3, or PC (?) over a network when you're not home. Emulators exist online. Also, a lot of people just play games in facebook or Newgrounds, or other such communities. It's not for everyone (and certainly not for me), but Google's definitely thinking forward.

But "cloud computing" sounds stupid. Come up with a better term, and we'll talk.
Also, data privacy. I don't know that Google is reading my e-mail, but I don't really know that they aren't, and it's an awkward feeling. Ideally, I would have a personal server for my UMPC to connect to, and I wouldn't have to pay / trust anyone else to do it for me.

How about "matrix computing" or "group computing"... or "herd computing"... "flock computing"? :lol: Kidding aside, tech peeps are coming up with some really stupid sounding terms these days... like "snacking." **shudder**

On privacy: privacy is dead... but I don't want to believe it. I agree, it would be nice to have some kind of more private option than trusting Google with the info.

Edit: sorry for the double post. >_<

 

[cobaltage]

arent you just describing a smart phone

Yes, except it's larger and cheaper, and it doesn't make cellular calls. Today's smartphones are basically MIDs that make phone calls. Unfortunately, while the idea of the MID is great, it's not $60/month worth of great. Network costs as they are structured right now are the main problem for MIDs, not the hardware, which is do-able, or software, which is improving.

An off-line Chrome OS machine should be able to read external storage, play back multimedia files, and run locally-stored webapps/pages. Google Gears would add to that. Maybe those features aren't unlocked now, because it's still in development.

I don't view Google as a privacy threat, personally. They don't want to read your email, for example, they want to put up personalized sponsored ads based on the content of your email conversations. That makes their main product -- advertising space leading to financial transactions -- more valuable. In the process, no one needs to know anything about you individually. Google actually has a financial interest in keeping that kind of information confidential, because it acts as a resource for them, and not a marketable product; your information is more valuable to their own business model in aggregate with everyone else's than it is worth by itself, or in aggregate to someone else. Google makes billions of dollars based on having an accurate representation of the entire internet and of the flow of internet traffic unrestricted by reasonable concerns about privacy. The point of Google sending out a fleet of vans to map entire countries is to correlate internet space with geographical space, which, again, makes their advertising product more valuable. The data they have could be abused, but only if Google wants to stop making billions of dollars from companies that want to you to buy stuff from them or from people who want to influence your opinions.

Looking at their involvement in trying to secure public wireless spectrum, making all out-of-print books available for free and for individual publishing (that is, for printing out your own copy locally), and so forth, I tend to believe that Google's motto to avoid evil is pretty accurate. Even if you don't have faith in the people who work in corporations, it's possible to have some faith in their basic business model, which seems to be working for them. One way to portray Google is that they offer internet services to business and corporations for a fee, and they offer those same services on a slightly smaller scale for free to anyone and everyone, because the whole thing is paid for by advertising to the degree that they clear an enormous profit.

 

[mvickers03]

arent you just describing a smart phone

Yes, except it's larger and cheaper, and it doesn't make cellular calls. Today's smartphones are basically MIDs that make phone calls. Unfortunately, while the idea of the MID is great, it's not $60/month worth of great. Network costs as they are structured right now are the main problem for MIDs, not the hardware, which is do-able, or software, which is improving.

An off-line Chrome OS machine should be able to read external storage, play back multimedia files, and run locally-stored webapps/pages. Google Gears would add to that. Maybe those features aren't unlocked now, because it's still in development.

I don't view Google as a privacy threat, personally. They don't want to read your email, for example, they want to put up personalized sponsored ads based on the content of your email conversations. That makes their main product -- advertising space leading to financial transactions -- more valuable. In the process, no one needs to know anything about you individually. Google actually has a financial interest in keeping that kind of information confidential, because it acts as a resource for them, and not a marketable product; your information is more valuable to their own business model in aggregate with everyone else's than it is worth by itself, or in aggregate to someone else. Google makes billions of dollars based on having an accurate representation of the entire internet and of the flow of internet traffic unrestricted by reasonable concerns about privacy. The point of Google sending out a fleet of vans to map entire countries is to correlate internet space with geographical space, which, again, makes their advertising product more valuable. The data they have could be abused, but only if Google wants to stop making billions of dollars from companies that want to you to buy stuff from them or from people who want to influence your opinions.

Looking at their involvement in trying to secure public wireless spectrum, making all out-of-print books available for free and for individual publishing (that is, for printing out your own copy locally), and so forth, I tend to believe that Google's motto to avoid evil is pretty accurate. Even if you don't have faith in the people who work in corporations, it's possible to have some faith in their basic business model, which seems to be working for them. One way to portray Google is that they offer internet services to business and corporations for a fee, and they offer those same services on a slightly smaller scale for free to anyone and everyone, because the whole thing is paid for by advertising to the degree that they clear an enormous profit.

Yeah i hope they add offline mode soon (google gears) , I could sell all these solid state 8gb SSD aspire ones then! they run like crap with xp on them! wasn't impressed with the one they released today!

Have you tried it?

 

[mali]

as long as their stuff are free i like google over microsuxx.

As long as you consider privacy worthless, you are right.

 

[Wheels]

You can use the OS when offline, the changes you make are "cached" locally and the next time you connect the data is sync'd back to the cloud from my understanding.
Still, no media player? Pass!

 

[mvickers03]

Well I have it installed in VMware and after its booted you are prompted with the logon screen and it wont let you pass unless it detects your active internet connection.

It logs in using your Google mail user and pass