And so it came to pass that the launching of the Chrome OS has finally been unveiled. Forget your skepticism about FAKE Chrome OS, this one is official!
According to the statement of Google today.
Today we are open-sourcing the project as Chromium OS. We are doing this early, a year before Google Chrome OS will be ready for users, because we are eager to engage with partners, the open source community and developers. As with the Google Chrome browser, development will be done in the open from this point on. This means the code is free.
See their demo-video:
Coming from the statement, “What if your browser was your operating system?” – One will realize that Chrome OS is highly-different from the ones you have with your laptop, but is it worth installing?
My answer: Perhaps … if you’re using Netbooks/ EPC, but I wouldn’t be expecting a skyrocket craze, using this new OS, anytime soon.
The peculiar changes made in Chrome OS: Forget all the slow booting you have on your laptop before, Chromium was made to work like a mobile OS. Think of your iPhone OS, put inside your netbook, add a little sauce from Google and you got Chrome! Voila! a 7 second boot-up… Does this sound promising?
According to engadget, there’ll be specific reference hardware. For example, Chrome OS won’t work with standard hard drives, just SSDs, but Google is supporting both x86 and ARM CPUs. That also means you won’t be able to just download Chrome OS and go, you’ll have to buy a Chrome OS device approved by Google.
Also, the Chrome OS will be open-source. This means the whole army of programmers/hackers /diddlers/developers will have the chance to build-up and also exploit the said “secured” OS. We wouldn’t be surprised if frequent-hack reports will be circulating the blogosphere later this year.
Engadget got the whole enchilada of the presentation and generously offered the live footage to the public
The Reply of Chromium developers about security issues?
“So what happens when it goes wrong? If this happens, it could be multiple reasons — malware, Chrome got hacked. It could be a random cosmic gray area, random error. When it happens, we detect it happens, Chrome detects it, and then we go through recovery procedure where it repairs itself.”
We’re using cryptographic signature keys to make sure when we load kernel off disk, it is the set of bytes it’s supposed to be.” .. “We will be double-checking each move”
“Double-check our behavior ?” Are you sure? Say that to a hacker who is already doing ROFLMAO while reading your statement.
Here’s the reason why Google develop this new Operating System:
The growth in netbooks is amazing. Growth is exploding despite the recession. Ultra thin, ultra light computers. The trend is clear that we’re moving to web applications – not desktop applications. It’s the most successful platform out there right now. We’re moving from laptops down to netbooks on the regular computer end. On the other side we’re going from phones to tablets – these are all computers. Laptops are becoming more like phones too – always on connectivity.
Yes no doubt we agree with that, but should Google Chrome be developed like that? Applications need to be connected over the internet always?
What users want is to have a REAL OS, wherein being tied to the internet is just an option …. NOT THE ONLY option. Does this makes sense? Also, Goog should realize that there are still places in this world wherein internet is not as free-flowing than in the USA. (and I’m telling you they are plenty) By the way, No internet connection means no Chrome right?
So far the chrome OS runs only google docs natively, so you may be a bit surprised when you use Chrome OS. First, you can’t install any applications. Second, all the programs which you love before won’t be compatible. Third, can’t go offline – This means all the things you usually do on your computer which became so hardwired to your brain will be lost on chrome’s forest.
And honestly guys, with BIG G watching your every move. I wouldn’t be surprise when that day comes when google can instantly pinpoint your chrome OS and shut it down when you are diddling with a rare-find – Things you can do using your trusty old notebook. I’m talking about the usual stuff you do on the net (..those things you download in piratebay for example…)
See the Conceptual Video:
Google says, we use “90%” of our time in the internet”.
That may be correct, but there are still many offline applications that make the netizen’s glutes stick to their seat. Agree?
In the end, the question here is: Would you sacrifice your Netbook’s native OSs FOR a Chromium system which can boot for 7 seconds, powered by BIG G… But wouldn’t work without internet connection?
It could be great for Netbook/Notebooks in the distant future, but not for our Desktop .. Never mi amigo!
So do you like the new Chrome OS? Show us your reactions through your comments.
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Tags: chrome features, chrome hacking, chrome on MAC, chrome OS, chrome OS disadvantage, chrome OS questions, chrome OS vs Windows, chrome vs MAC, chromium OS, how to hack chrome
Why sacrifice? Dual boot.
Chrome OS won’t be dual-bootable. It will only come on specific hardware designed for it (think Apple and Mac OS). You could try the open-source version, Chromium OS, but currently the source code has to be compiled.
Is Chrome OS replacing your netbook’s BIOS? I think I have understood something like this.
Chrome OS does have a required special customized firmware to skip the BIOS hardware checking slowness and to do some additional hardware level cryptographic tests. As for Hackers ROFLMAO-ing, Chrome OS is built on a very strong layer of open source code which is already powering massive targets. The linux kernel is already powering the NYSE, and Google itself. Cryptographic signing is a great concept in theory, but in the case of other cryptographically secured systems such as the Apple iPhone, it can be circumvented by hardware level flaws. Chrome patches that by making cryptographic signatures as part of the computer’s hardware.
You _can_ go offline. HTML5 has an Offline Cache manifest system, Google Gears has LocalServer. Nothing is really forcing you to be online.
For instance, in Firefox. Go to a site (this one?) and then close the tab. Got to File->Work Offline, check that and unplug your internet connection. Go to this site again. What happens? It actually *works*.
I definitely must be missing something because I don’t use the internet for 90% of my time on my desktop. I think I’ll be sticking to my desktop since it already has a browser, in fact three different brands and Chrome is by far the weakest.
Pass
[...] have recently made a startling revelation about Google’s flagship OS – Chrome OS a few weeks ago. Now, another surprising news came from Acer, a Taiwanese-based tech [...]
this will be an epic fail. we need REAL alternative to all those ancient oses which survive due to constant artificial pulmonary ventilation – they are all nothing less than 20 years old. isn’t it impossible to write something worthy from scratch, combining the best achievements and dismissing tons of crap accumulated up to this day?
Perhaps Google Gears for offline work? What are your thoughts about using Arrington out pacing the JooJoo by introducing a tablet device with Google Chrome OS?
This OS will be a godsend in the coming years. There is a reason why they mention phones and computers merging. Soon, you will ALWAYS be online. Is the reasoning for this new browser/OS starting to make sense. If not, let me try again.
YOU-WILL-ALWAYS-BE-ONLINE-EVEN-WHEN-IN-ANTARCTICA.
This is the future. This is a REAL OS. You will have full functionality of a PC in the palm of your hands, and you will have TERABYTES of data ALL-OF-THE-TIME. Google is taking advantage of the internet, and they are trying to use it to it’s full potential: infinitum.
And for all of you concerned about privacy, read this, it’s funny: http://www.theonion.com/articles/google-responds-to-privacy-concerns-with-unsettlin,16891/
But seriously, it is against the law and constitution. They will ask for permission, like always, and all you have to do is deny. They are not the Orwellian Big Brother that everyone fears, and if they were, the government would tear them down in a heartbeat. It’s a power struggle, and if you don’t keep up, no one waits up. Before you post stupid comments, read up on it. This is outside of the realm of opinion, and whoever wrote this article had no clue how the concepts actually worked. Just another idiot with an opinion.
I forgot to comment on security. Open source improves security. The incredibly large number of people working on it constantly will prevent any chance in hell some wannabe hacker has at editing the source to slip right in. I dare you: hack into a Linux computer through Chrome. If you succeed. If you succeed, then you can appreciate the magnitude of the task. Now think about how to do that on a OS designed by Google, that has so little processes on it, that there is almost no design gaps, and has been overseen be about two hundred thousand hackers who are better than you. Hackers would be wasting their time trying to get through that. The ones that do are one in a million, and would have no reason to hack into your computer. So the odds of you getting a virus for windows in a five year period is about .998 The odds for Google’s would be about .01 and that’s pushing it.