Future of Computing - Google Chrome OS is only the beginning

© Bill Armstrong - Blog Corecompetence

During these days Google is announcing the Chrome OS.
quote - Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. - unquote
I think it's not only a gag. This is showing us the future of computing and it is a milestone. Secondly we must detect that this can become a tremendous challange against traditional Operating System builders like Microsoft.
How can this be?
It comes along with the increasing speed of the internet. Today 16Mbit downstream is available for private users. Companies are already using 100Mbit and more. The network streaming capacity (with exceptions) is much higher than the usage today. It will not take long time and private users will be able to use 64Mbit and more.
Reaching this capacity level combined with a speedy upstream why you should have a local computer with hard disk space and an Operating System like Windows, Apple or Linux that needs to be updated every time and costs a lot of time and money to administrate and buy the newest version?
It's only needed a Netbook, or anything else simple like a LCD TV, Thin Client or a Game Pad with adorable capability in graphics and with some memory to store the Internet Explorer and local settings. All your data, applications, games are stored at your Internet Provider and offered by other provider. Applications are not more running on your local computer but on the servers of providers. In the industrial professional area similar trends are implemented with the CITRIX virtual desktop.

This sounds simple, but the consequences are really revolutionary.
This is a hit against the tradional Software-, Hardware- and Operating-System Industry!

First for the user who will use Internet, Office, eMail-, Games,  Multimedia, Explorer, Private Data only thru his Web Access and Browser-Technology.
It isn't needed any more to maintain your Operating System, Firewall, Disk-Capacity, Anti-Virus, Office-Software,  Games, Multimedia. Everything is running on the server of the service providers. He should take care also about the backup of you data and has to guarantee your privacy.
Even people who today are not using a computer will be adressed to this technology if buying TV's able to support the scenario. Everything is available by demand, doesn't need to be installed in advance. Choose you music whenever and whatever you like. Watch TV while you are not limited by the schedulesof broadcasting stations. Play any game you like to play today. Connect to your companies application from everywhere.
Using wireless LAN  or the cellular phone network you are even able to do all this with a mobile device like MDA, WebPhone, Netbook accessing the complete set of functions from everywhere over the world.

It sounds like paradise this?

From a first impression, - yes. The other side of the coin is to pay while using the services or you have to consume a lot of advertisement. Many Open Source Projects will not be able to survive the scenario. The concentration from a lot's of providers to relatively few ones is supposable because the worldwide service delivery is expensive. The investment in infrastructure and security will be really expensive. Only multinational trusts are able to manage this challenge!

One of them for sure will be GOOGLE!

Your Bill