Beyond browsing: Google thinks the Cr-48, which relies on the Web for all its software applications, can compete with conventional laptop computers.
Credit: Google
Web
The Browser Takes All
Google's new computer throws out everything but the Web.
- Friday, December 10, 2010
- By Tom Simonite
This week, Google unveiled a computer like no other: the Cr-48, a notebook that relies on the Web for all its software applications. Yet the Web search giant thinks the notebook can compete with computers that run all kinds of installed software.
The matte black Cr-48 won't be sold to the public, but thousands are being sent to consumers and businesses who have volunteered to test it. It introduces a new kind of operating system, called Chrome OS, that turns to the Web for almost everything. Google is pitching Chrome OS as its vision for a new form of computing—one that shifts the data, functionality and almost everything else you would expect from your desktop computer into the cloud. Chrome OS will get its biggest test when Acer and Samsung start selling notebook computers customized to run the software in mid-2011.
Google's Chrome OS vision is perhaps best understood by examining the differences between Chrome OS and the operating systems commonly used today, says Sundar Pichai, the vice president of product management for Chrome OS (and the related Chrome Web browser). Those differences come from a single design decision about the relationship between a person and his computer, Pichai says.
"Operating systems today are centered on the idea that applications can be trusted to modify the system, and that users can be trusted to install applications that are trustworthy," he says, "it turns out those are bad assumptions."
In contrast, Chrome OS assumes that applications and users can't be trusted. And it has just one application: the browser. "There's a cascade of things that happen when you make this core assumption," says Linus Upson, a Google VP of engineering working on the project, from making it easier to protect against malware, to reducing the need for users to act as administrator for their own system.
Chrome OS—based on a pared-down version of the Linux operating system—automatically downloads and installs its own updates. Any data downloaded in the course of using the Web is kept carefully in a secure place, separate from the OS.
Google still needs to prove that the simplicity of Chrome OS doesn't undo its usefulness. To this end, it has built a Web "app store" to encourage developers to create Web-based software that will match the diversity and functionality of the applications that can be installed on the hard drive of a Windows or Mac computer. These apps are basically advanced websites that offer similar functionality to desktop apps software.
Users of Chrome OS—as well as the Chrome browser on a conventional computer—can search or browse the Chrome Web Store and with a single click install apps. The store has far fewer software applications than are available for a conventional machine. But some Chrome apps can compete with more traditional, desktop applications, for example a Photoshop-like image editor, Aviary.
Pichai says the fact the app store takes payments—either one off or subscriptions—should stimulate the creation of apps that otherwise wouldn't exist because developers couldn't make them profitable. "I wouldn't find a random game on a website and give them my credit card details to pay $3.99. It's not worth the time or the risk."
Somewhat surprisingly, given Google's claimed commitment to the open Web, Google's app store is not compatible with other Web browsers. But it is possible to easily modify apps developed for Chrome's store for other "modern" browsers, says Pichai, since they use HTML5 and other web standards designed to enable advanced functionality, including working while offline. The latest versions of Internet Explorer, and other browsers, support those standards. However some features of Chrome apps remain exclusive to Chrome, such as 3-D effects that tap into a machine's graphics processor. "We need to make sure that apps can do everything that apps can do on the desktop today," Pichai explains. He expects other browsers to catch up as HTML5 and other new Web standards become more common.
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Bonobo
22 Comments
- 895 Days Ago
- 12/10/2010
From your article you noted 'users and applcations can't be trusted'.
The drones of the world may trust Google, but...
Given what I have seen from Google's progression in the last 4 year, I personally will not ever trust Google for anything.
What happens when Google screws up your data or privacy (what privacy).
It starts at the top with Google CEO Eric Schmidt who serves on Apple's board and purloins all sorts of information as a normal part of a director's job and uses it to aid Google in entering the hardware biz via Android and now Chrome.
If Google was honest, Schmidt would have resigned from the Apple board clear back in 2007 at the latest.
Relying on a 3rd party to give you "Free" services is a bargain with a devil.
swframe
1 Comment
- 895 Days Ago
- 12/10/2010
1) Google is not prefect. They've made mistakes but you should understand that their business model is based on user trust. They don't really have the choice to be evil. Currently, 99% of their revenue comes from users who visit their sites because they trust the information. I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't be worried; be as worried as you feel is necessary. I'm just trying to get you to see that a 20+ billion company based on securing user's trust isn't likely to sell you out.
2) Eric recused himself when Apple's board discussed anything that competed with Google. It is fairly standard practice. Neither apple nor google would be so stupid to let such exchanges of information happen. It is hard to imagine that companies as wealthy as those 2 would not do the most logical and obvious thing to protect themselves.
3) Android is based a company (called Danger? They made the sidekick.) Google brought long before the iPhone was a rumor much less a product. Android has clearly benefited from the iphone however. Steve proved to the telecoms that their lock on the cell phone hardware was holding back the industry. I don't think google could have pulled that off.
Android has clearly copied many of iphone innovations but these weren't due to Eric's role on the apple board. Android borrows from the iphone like the mac borrowed from the xerox UI; and so on.
The other statements in your post are odd but I'm too lazy to address them.
ed-jones
1 Comment
- 895 Days Ago
- 12/10/2010
computers were supposed to be liberating for the disabled but over the past 30 years, disability access has declined further and further. The chrome OS is at the nadir of accessibility. accessibility is more than a few tricks like text-to-speech and speech recognition. It's also customized code designed to fit the specific needs of your disability and workflow.
Google has a long history of excluding disabled users from their cloud tools. it is time for Google and more generally the IT industry to either own up to the problem and fix it or pay for warehousing all disabled people where they won't need to be online.
GaryB
119 Comments
- 894 Days Ago
- 12/11/2010
That scene after the red pill in the matrix suddenly comes to mind ...
Text completion, speech rec, gesture recognition with prime sense/kinect sensor ... all these things could make a great interface. But, by your words, you seem to imply that the damn able bodied Google/Apple/MS ought to pay more attention and fix ...
I'd suggest that some of the more enterprising disabled learn to program, even if slowly, and make company that addresses that market that they not only know but have lots of motivation to improve. I suspect many forms of assisted communication such as word completion, but done really intuitively/efficiently might just take over the whole market, but it is not enough of a pain point for the able bodied to think about.
trrll
2 Comments
- 895 Days Ago
- 12/10/2010
Sounds a bit like a first generation iPhone. But I guess it worked for Apple. How much it improves security depends upon how good the sandboxing is. Google presumably will need to be able to patch the protected operating system to fix bugs and make other updates, so they can't simply brick up the wall. And unlike Apple, Google will be allowing Flash to run, which adds additional risks.
jeanph01
1 Comment
- 895 Days Ago
- 12/10/2010
Google should to more on trust
Man the comments here are smart. I'm more accustomed to slashdot !
After reading that article I understood why Google believed in the chrome os + computer. Like with everything else they do, they have a game changer.
But Google have a long way to go to gain my trust back from the Buzz fiasco.
theradicalmoderate
48 Comments
- 894 Days Ago
- 12/11/2010
The Real Message Behind ChromeOS
I'm pretty sure that the Chrome Web Store allows the installation of plugins. There is no practical difference between a plugin and any other OS-based application. Once you've got a plugin in the system, its ability to intrude into the browser security model is much greater than that afforded to markup and javascript.
The marketing message is getting refined day-by-day as this filters out (cf. the three or four other articles TR has done over the last couple of weeks for subtle changes in message), but I read the ultimate implication of ChromeOS completely differently from the hype: Google has finally understood that the use of pure markup and javascript is just too slow, and the only hope of providing a competitive user experience lies in the ability to cleanly install and maintain platform-native code.
ForrestSergeante
1 Comment
- 893 Days Ago
- 12/12/2010
It would be interesting to know the details of what kind of hardware resides in the evil Google's little black monopolistic laptop, so that if one comes my way (for free when I find it in a dustbin) I can install Linux on it rather than having to deal with the proprietary (crappy) Chrome OS.
lwtechreview1
2 Comments
- 890 Days Ago
- 12/15/2010
A machine used to access the web faster than other clunky OS laden dinosaurs... (aka the debilitating virus called windows with endless patches that makes any device have a slow and high maintenance user experience)
Sounds like they're trying to play catch-up to Apple, but making many of the classic MSFT mistakes along the way.
The camera and real keyboard will be useful to some, but until they have instant web access on a convenient form factor and multi touch screen to give users an improved interaction experience than the laptop offers I believe the iPad will be rapidly building market share and laughing its way to the bank.
(Yes I'm aware of Android and see that this is aimed at a business user audience vs mobile)
Time will tell and I welcome some competition to Apple so hope to see this go somewhere innovative.
-LW
...Just watched the video and recommend that. I see potential for this Google device as a faster user experience for content creator activities, while continuing to hold my opinion that devices like iPad will be preferred for content consumption.
8ify
1 Comment
- 888 Days Ago
- 12/17/2010
While I love that Google is using Linux as it's base - the versions I have played with (yes they are still in alpha) are far from "the next great thing". I like the idea, but it still needs some work.
That being said, I'm really excited for the App Market place, as it opens another avenue for developers to make their own revenue.
flared0ne
395 Comments
- 886 Days Ago
- 12/19/2010
I know "policy" says you don't do links to specific people, but...
I'm looking for a recommendation: any MIT professor with a leaning toward wrangling "state of the art" re search engine technology. There are already-granted grant monies as well as foreign diplomatic connections involved.
disposableflare@gmail.com works as a contact link.
This is a little scatter-shot, I realize -- I'm looking at it as an experiment in social-networking-through-serendipity, and pursuing several other paths simultaneously...
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Viv
62 Comments
Markets
An unbreakable computer that the user can't screw up and or lose their data? well if that's true then they have the Grannie and Grandpa market sown up tight with out even trying! imagine you can buy them a present and not have to look after it fix it update it de-malware it and so on.
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mkogrady
425 Comments
Thin Client - cloud services
The concept is good, but is this simply a new spin on a thin client and the consumer will pay up the wazoo for the cloud apps and storage of personal (or business) data?
Does the unit have a USB port or hard drive so you can store your own data?
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Erica Naone
70 Comments
Re: Thin Client - cloud services
the Cr-48 has a USB port, but only very limited local storage.
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