Google and the Cloud OS...

Interesting article:

http://www.technologyreview.com/web/23140/?nlid=2255

FWIW:
The real benefit to the work that Google is doing is not in the "Death to Microsoft OS" or "Death to the CMS" as some proclaim. Rather the good work here is that their (Google's) efforts have the potential to advance the technology while offering choice - choice to use an OS (and services) which matches the devices it is run on and integrates with the services we use. In short an OS which meets our individual needs. Whether Google succeeds or fails based on OS market share is largely irrelevant - where Google will succeed is in the pushing of boundaries and comfort zones of vendors, hopefully further advancing the secure integration of "Cloud Applications" with those running on the desktop.

Where this all could fail, and Google shows a great understanding of this pitfall, will be if Google decides to proprietize access to their bit of the Cloud or to otherwise limit the available tools - to date Google has taken strides to ensure that their APIs and tools are open and accessible, enabling adoption.

Not so random thoughts on a Monday.

Comments

[Joshua Kim]

Definitely "print worthy".

Also a great example of how a community blog works - in that with a colleague recommending this article it moves to the top of my cue to read.

We are deluged with information and worthwhile materials. Having this sort of social filtering really works. I wonder how we could scale this model?

I think MS should be very worried about the Chrome OS. Google will be able to push the cost of a Chrome netbook dramatically down - capturing customers in their search based (and advertising driven) ecosystem.

MS needs to purchase Acer or some other OEM and come out with a Bing Netbook. The BingBook. They could fulfill a charitable mission by creating the true $100 laptop - and at the same time optimize the BingBook around the online Office suite and search.