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Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

fakesteve.blogspot.com

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Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#101

Post by nir »

roc wrote: post #96
nir wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. If you don't let the style distract you, Fake Steve is actually the most sensible and sharp tech journalism around. This is the first non-hyperbole analysis of Google's announcement I've seen today. My bet is that Chrome OS will have similar impact to the Chrome browser - encourage everyone to step up their game, but not dominate the market. Google has a lot of money and a lot of bright people, and it acts j…

They put years of frustrating, boring work into Google search, Maps, Mail, Chat, Calendar, Reader, etc. Why should we doubt their ability to stick with a Linux Windowing and Usability project? This 'Google is unfocused. Google doesn't follow through. Google leaves projects to rot' meme is particularly annoying, because there is so little evidence that it happens to anything on a significant scale. Several of their la…

There's also Froogle, Google Notebook, Blog search, Google Video and there's still no way to delete a GAE app... My view is that, unlike what much of the media seems to assume, Google and other huge companies aren't executing some secret Harry Seldon-like plans to conquer the universe - they just do a lot of stuff, sometimes it works and sometimes not. (Eg: Sun paying $1b for MySQL. Conde Nast paying actual money for Reddit's "Crowd wisdom". Bebo acquisition and most everything else AOL does.)

As for their social networking acquisitions vs WAVE, I'm completely ignorant on both (and expect to remain so, along with most of humanity).

But my main point isn't Google, but FSJ's tech coverage. Between Techcrunch & co hysteria and The Register's empty cynicism, I think FSJ's piece remains the best analysis of the Chrome OS announcement yet.

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#102

Post by jcl »

dannyr wrote: post #35

I wasn't sure if this is article should be taken seriously. He pointed out that Google is targeting netbooks. He himself stated 11 million netbooks were sold last year and will be 39 million this year. The netbook category is a growing market that it would probably account to a substantial share in a few years. Another is that "Chrome is shit." He probably has never used Chrome. I used the browser exclusively now unl…

It was written so that the reader can take any given point and either embrace it as brilliant insight or disregard it as satirical Fake Steve humor.

I mean, the end of the piece entirely contradicts the earlier points... If Chrome OS is pointless and ineffectual -- occupying market niches that Apple isn't even interested in -- why should Fake Steve feel so threatened by it?

(BTW, he claims the 39 million netbook figure in the article is for the next four years, not next year, implying that the netbook market is minuscule compared to desktops, laptops, and phones.)

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#103

Post by roc »

nir wrote: post #101
roc wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They put years of frustrating, boring work into Google search, Maps, Mail, Chat, Calendar, Reader, etc. Why should we doubt their ability to stick with a Linux Windowing and Usability project? This 'Google is unfocused. Google doesn't follow through. Google leaves projects to rot' meme is particularly annoying, because there is so little evidence that it happens to anything on a significant scale. Several of their la…

There's also Froogle, Google Notebook, Blog search, Google Video and there's still no way to delete a GAE app... My view is that, unlike what much of the media seems to assume, Google and other huge companies aren't executing some secret Harry Seldon-like plans to conquer the universe - they just do a lot of stuff, sometimes it works and sometimes not. (Eg: Sun paying $1b for MySQL. Conde Nast paying actual money for…

Froogle's been continually updated, even if it's not very good it appears to be as good as comparable products. And blog search is largely integrated now. (One wonders if it's worthwhile to maintain the distinction at all, now that Google's algorithm has a better 'understanding' of blog-style posts and links.)

Google Video and Notebook are good examples of projects that seem to linger and rot, but are in fact just having their energy devoted to their successors. Google Video development is being channeled into Youtube updates and Notebook into WAVE-based document creation.

And the only reason I didn't respond to your comment about FSJ's analysis is I agree with you 100% on that. Lyons' is without a doubt the most insightful and interesting commentary thus far.

I just think the 'Google is unfocused/fickle/etc' meme needs to be approached critically and put out to pasture if it's found wanting. (which i believe it is)

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#104

Post by jussij »

jodrellblank wrote: post #39

Microsoft is shipping Windows 7 without a web browser in the EU, after several years of legal fuss largely because they bundled a browser with their OS. I wonder if Google will consider shipping Chrome OS without a web browser in the EU?

They will only get into trouble if they manage to pick up any sort of significant market share.

If the Google browser is a flop no one will care less.

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#105

Post by netsp »

sjs382 wrote: post #81
netsp wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It still sounds pretty far removed. Release an OS that will drive traffic to your spreadsheet app that will drive traffic to your search engine where you can sell ads. *Gmail still doesn't really makes much money.

Contextual advertising in an email client is VERY valuable. :)

I disagree

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#106

Post by joe_the_user »

omnipresent1 wrote: post #5

some of it actually makes sense. how is google going to make money from this?

Google can get some eyeballs out of the effort by having more Google-apps users so this effort be somewhat self-supporting but more importantly, it serves Google's strategic goals.

Keep in mind that with the web constantly growing and constantly improving, Google doesn't need a new business model - being the entrance to the greatest show on earth will work for a long time now. Google today mostly needs to fend off outside monopolists who would aim to seize the whole thing by taking control of one or another choke-points. And having an OS to challenge MS is important here - even if the OS only takes minority share, keeping MS honest is important. Moreover, if all those other companies don't make monopoly profits, they won't have extra cash to throw at Google.

To get to a Google prompt, a user needs: 1) A PC 2) An operating system 3) A web browser 4) An Internet Connection from an ISP

The OS can potentially control search engine choice. Ditto with the browser and the ISP. Notice that Google has challenged monopolistic behavior in steps 2-4 by now (wireless venture, Chrome, Chrome OS). PC architecture is already mostly open so Google doesn't have to do anything there - but Google does build PCs!

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#107

Post by yread »

bockris wrote: post #53
darwinw wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chrome has become my default browser, second place is Firefox. and i've seen increase in chrome share in my site, up from 3% to 7% for the past 6 months.

Against all odds, Chrome is my primary browser also (Windows for both work and home). I'm addicted to the speed and stable memory footprint and I only use FF for Firebug. I tend to leave my systems up for days at a time and I would always end up having to close Firefox daily to gain back the memory it had swallowed.

I use it just for short bursts of web 2.0 and javascript intensive browsing. It slows down my computer a lot, GoogleUpdate all the time touching some files, chrome itself maintaining its database. I don't like my harddisk led to be blinking constantly.

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#108

Post by DomesticMouse »

The thing that is bothering me about the Fake Steve Jobs piece is that Google aren't creating a new operating system. It's Linux, tuned for the tablet environment. If anyone knows about tuning Linux, it's the Google engineers, they tune Linux for millions of machines.

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#109

Post by reedlaw »

trezor wrote: post #25
enomar wrote: post #11

"Because Chrome is shit. Just utter, utter shit. I mean they've got all these big brains at Google and you'd think they could make a decent fucking browser. Jesus, the freetards at Mozilla can do it. But not Google. Nope. They gave it their big best effort and what did they come up with? Chrome. It's a joke." Seriously? Maybe I'm missing the satire or hyperbole here, but I really don't see it that way. Chrome on Wind…

I'll just assume the whole SF thing applies to you too on that one. Just like most people don't give a shit about what OS they use, most people don't really care about browsers either. I have never had issues with Firefox, I don't care one bit about Javascript speed and honestly Chrome is underfeatured to the point where I think I'm using NCSA Mosaic. I gave it a shot. I was back to Firefox before lunch. I see there…

Chrome is my main browser and I even switched back to Windows from Linux just so I could enjoy the incredible speed increase. Web browsing is one of my primary computer activities, so an OS that boots up quickly and uses the fastest browser would be greatly welcomed.

Re: Fake Steve Jobs on Chrome OS

#110

Post by netsp »

andreyf wrote: post #90
netsp wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It still sounds pretty far removed. Release an OS that will drive traffic to your spreadsheet app that will drive traffic to your search engine where you can sell ads. *Gmail still doesn't really makes much money.

Release an OS that will drive traffic to your [...] search engine where you can sell ads. Not far removed at all. Google makes billions by selling ads. Even if they budget a couple of million $/year for this project (might be less, depending on how you structure the proejct), they'll be making crazy returns if this increases their ad revenue just by 0.001. Not to mention all the FUD it'll cause inside MS :)

Release an OS that will send more people to the internet, where your (profitable) search engine is.
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