Windows 8 vs. Chrome OS – Windows Azure vs. Google’s Cloud

[JMH]

Windows 8 vs. Chrome OS – Windows Azure vs. Google’s Cloud

Microsoft’s next iteration of the Windows client will come in a world a tad different from today, in the sense that there will be a new rival to take into account beyond Linux and Mac OS X.

Google is putting the finishing touches on Chrome OS, its Chrome browser-based open source operating system, designed with netbooks in mind.

Chrome OS changes the concept of what a computer platform is. Unlike Windows, which acts as the foundation for applications, Chrome OS is a platform for services.

What this means is that Chrome OS, anchored as it might be on an actual device, will put users into the Cloud from the get go.

In a recent article in The NY Times, Linus Upson, the vice president for engineering in charge of Chrome recalls a funny moment in which he tried to swap the computer running an older version of Chrome OS that Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder was using, with a new machine featuring the latest release of the platform.

Brin’s first reaction was to keep the computer, as he was used to having all information, data, applications, stored locally.

Windows 8 vs. Chrome OS – Windows Azure vs. Google’s Cloud - Softpedia

 

[Vertex]

I am not that of a great fan of cloud computing. Its not useful anyway if you don't have a connection and since your data is not stored locally on cloud, it becomes less private one way or another.

Google has strong guts with their new Chrome OS, but they are still newcomers in the OS business.

 

[Phone Man]

I don't trust Google with my searches and I sure won't trust them with all my data. Give them access too all my data, never!!!

Jim

 

[Gornot]

Totally agree with Jim. I'd rather not even be able to watch certain YouTube videos flagged as 18+ than making a Google account to register on YouTube. Google can kiss my rearend.

 

[nitroman84]

There is no way I would trust a remote server with my data, or for that matter depend on one to provide all functionality to my computer. I travel most of the time for my job and I can say that the Internet in it's current form could not possibly support this. Until WIFI is piped to all corners of the globe, (something that cell phone reception still fails to accomplish in nearly 40 years of existence) this will remain a pipe dream that in no way can replace local software and storage.

 

[x51shadow]

If Steve Jobs is involved in any way, it's just to continue his plan of world domination...

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[nitroman84]

If Steve Jobs is involved in any way, it's just to continue his plan of world domination...

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

It seems like the only thing Steve Jobs has dominated is copying the ideas of others.

A Brief History of Windowed Computers

YouTube - Steve Jobs: Good artists copy great artists steal

 

[x51shadow]

Just proves it's all about the sales pitch and not ethics or even knowledge of the product or company being run. F U Apple.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Dave76]

Nice links nitro.

I like the part about jobs suing MS for stealing his GUI, then Xerox suing jobs for stealing their GUI years before.

Hilarious.


:focus:

I don't think everyone is ready to trust that everything will be safe and accessible in the 'Cloud'.

The sad part is at least 70% of users will accept it without a second thought if it runs what they want and is cheaper.

The biggest problem is internet connectivity, if a cloud based OS came out tomorrow and was accepted by 20% of users the connection bandwidth would be choked off.

There is a large percentage of the world's population that have very poor internet connectivity and would struggle to do any resource intensive work through the net.
Though most people get email, social network, chat, and browse with their computers, which is all in the cloud now.

It will slowly head in that direction.
At least for a while we will have the option of choosing where we keep our personal information.

 

[nitroman84]

Nice links nitro.

I like the part about jobs suing MS for stealing his GUI, then Xerox suing jobs for stealing their GUI years before.

Hilarious.

Yes, a history founded on copying. I have to wonder what our computers would be like today if Xerox had continued to refine their desktop OS. We may have ended up on a forum called Xerox 7 forums.

 

[Dave76]

They didn't seem to be on the right track, but that could have easily changed.


Welcome to X-7 forums


MS was sued for copying a copy of a copying company program

 

[blackzero]

My opinion: Cloud-based OS is overrated. =\

 

[nitroman84]

They didn't seem to be on the right track, but that could have easily changed.


Welcome to X-7 forums


MS was sued for copying a copy of a copying company program

No they were not on the right track, but they had "included network connectivity to larger more powerful computers". In the 70's we already had the cloud, why 40 years later would we be considering going back to it? Did we miss something?

 

[Dave76]

The cloud has been used for 40 years, someone just thought it would be nice to have everyones information in one easy to access place.

We need to ensure that we are the ones who get to decide where our information is kept.

 

[Skulblaka]

Windows OS for the win...

 

[funkybassist]

Google can kiss my *** I'm not letting them have access to all my info.

 

[Skulblaka]

Google can kiss my *** I'm not letting them have access to all my info.

I agree, I heard they keep tabs on our information while we use their services.

(Google maps, email, search etc.)

I think, not sure, just heard rumors that's all. :sarc:

 

[RogerR]

The biggest problem is internet connectivity, if a cloud based OS came out tomorrow and was accepted by 20% of users the connection bandwidth would be choked off.

Seems I heard Netflix alone is eating up 20% of bandwidth in the US. Enough that ISPs (Comcast) want bandwidth surcharges ...

Slice it anyway you want, we don't have anywhere near enough pipe. Certainly not us po' folk out in Flyover Land.

 

[Product FRED]

How are you guys comparing a netbook OS to a full-fledged desktop OS?

 

[nitroman84]

How are you guys comparing a netbook OS to a full-fledged desktop OS?

It's not that we are comparing a lightweight netbook os to a full fledged os. We are saying a cloud based os, on any power of local computing equipment is not feasible in todays available connectivity or bandwidth. A cloud based os would be essentially 100% dependent on bandwidth because all software would be run from a remote server. Not to mention all personal data would also be stored on a remote server giving third parties access to our data. Believe me this is not what you want.

Let me add, imagine you are traveling on business and you need to edit, let's say a spreadsheet for your company. In today's computer os you would open a local program (Microsoft Excel, or Open Office Calc.) Whatever program you use. Then upload the finished document to your companies server. Minimal bandwidth is used in this process. How well do you think this would work if say a few hundred thousand people were trying to connect to a remote hosted spreadsheet editing program at the same time? This process would slow to a crawl on todays available bandwidth (if you were even able to complete it) and finding sufficient Internet access to connect in the first place? Good luck most places I have been, current infrastructure is most certainly not ready and I doubt if it will be any time soon.