Google Chrome OS – a PC that runs on a browser?

Google, Inc. is an American based enterprise that is mainly engaging in Internet search, advertising technologies and cloud computing. It was founded in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page as a follow up on their research project, which they started while still studying at Stanford University. Their idea was to abandon the commonly used technology of ranking the sites by the repetition number of the search terms that appear on a web page and created the PageRank technology that scored site importance by checking up on backlinks. The BackRub engine they programmed became Google through a spelling mistake of the term googol, the term is used to define the number that has a one and hundred zeros behind it, and suddenly history was made.

What does Google do that has nothing to do with the search engine?

Because most, if not all services that are provided by Google to individuals are free of charge, almost the entire revenue comes from advertising. In lieu of this, most of the free services Google provides, must serve this purpose, namely collecting of information that will provide Google with sellable assets. These assets are being used by advertisers to better contact, influence, control, identify and manage possible clients for their products that they are eager to peddle. it is therefore questionable in how far does Google Chrome, the browser, assist Google the parent company in this task.

Android

Google acquired the Android, Inc. in 2005, and the financial push allowed the founders to develop the first and only true competitor to the Apple iOS until recently. Nowadays the former Palm, Inc. and now HP operating system for mobile and hand held devices, the webOS is entering the market in big numbers and with a lot of corporate and financial support behind it; as well as the only just established co-operation between Nokia and Microsoft that will propel the Windows Mobile 7 to the front ranks, both are capable of competing for the top spot. But despite Apple being the frontrunner for quite some time, Android has finally managed to overtake Apple with market share and combined revenue.

Chrome OS

Nobody really understands why Google is producing a competing platform within the same roof. The idea was simple, extending the Google Chrome browser to have an operating system kernel and be able to power certain devices, mainly for web surfing and limited tasks. Android does that and then some. But Google Chrome OS is not supposed to be more than Android, but less. Instead of creating a scaled down version of Android, or even allowing users to use as much, or as little, of the existing operating system, Google developed since 2009 an operating system that is supposed to be used in proprietary created netbooks, the so called Chromebooks, for surfing purposes alone, with some limited features added. General impression by the media and by people who had the opportunity to test the prototype Cr-48 is that they are convinced this idea will fail. Nevertheless, a handful of prominent manufacturers signed on to this project, such as Acer and Samsung, whereby first Chrome OS powered Chromebooks will be made available in mid-June 2011.

written by Andy G