Introducing the Google Chrome OS • Hacker News Board

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#31

Post by netsp » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 5:56 AM UTC

Adrenalist wrote: post #27

_cbsz wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RAD = rapid application development, the business term for "drag-n-drop GUI builders" that we all know and hate. Not having one for the Web is a valid criticism, but if GWT can handle Swing API input then we DO have one.

I'm familiar with RAD, although at least for my employer it's more than just drag-and-drop GUI builders. It sounds to me like jeffspost is over generalizing and suggesting that Google Chrome OS will only succeed if it's embraced by large corporations. The software hasn't even launched and jeffspost has already figured out it's "one missing piece".

And generalising that it will need to replace Windows.

They are launching it as a netbook OS for a reason. Netbooks is a loose term. I'm not exactly sure what the line is, but one definition might be a small laptop that doesn't replace your main computer.

I daresay that whoever buys this will either have another computer or have no need for corporate apps.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#32

Post by Kadin » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 5:57 AM UTC

tc wrote: post #9

mcav wrote: post #2

Key Data Point: > The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.

If their approach to Android is any guide, much of the work will consist of eliminating any GNU or GPL components from the (userspace) runtime environment.

Why would anyone spend time eliminating GPL code in the userland of a system that runs on a GPL kernel and subsystems?

I'm not denying that they're doing it or anything, I just can't imagine why they'd bother.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#33

Post by tc » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:08 AM UTC

Kadin wrote: post #32

tc wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If their approach to Android is any guide, much of the work will consist of eliminating any GNU or GPL components from the (userspace) runtime environment.

Why would anyone spend time eliminating GPL code in the userland of a system that runs on a GPL kernel and subsystems? I'm not denying that they're doing it or anything, I just can't imagine why they'd bother.

Google did for Android so they could standardize around the Apache License for userspace. But who knows, they may not bother here. The netbook market is decidedly different than the mobile phone market, so they probably do not have the same constraints.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#34

Post by shiranaihito » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:08 AM UTC

ptomato wrote: post #13

Oompa wrote: post #3

A browser is one thing. But an OS? I have my doubts.

You're forgetting, though, that it is an OS that (appears) to consist solely of an environment to boot a browser as rapidly as possible. And, really, it consists more of linux kernel modified for rapid boot, probably optimized for low battery usage etc. They are not building an entire OS.

This is what it sounds like.

I'm reminded of the time when Chrome came out and Arrington flipped: "z0mg it's a cloud operating system!1! the future is here!"

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#35

Post by ntoshev » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:10 AM UTC

I can't wait to try an actual version of this in a virtualbox. Betas should be available for geeks way before the netbook manufacturers get to installing it on their devices in 2010.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#36

Post by buugs » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:11 AM UTC

cdibona wrote: post #24

kylec wrote: post #5

Let's hope this also means that a Linux version of Chrome is around the corner.

If you haven't tried out the chromium nightly desktop builds, they're actually quite nice. The team is still nailing down the plugins, but the browser itself is wicked fast and pretty stable (given its alpha nature)

I think stable for a web browser these days requires flash/java support, I don't know if this has been fixed or not in the builds though. Probably less on the java side and more on the flash.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#37

Post by markbao » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:11 AM UTC

cdibona wrote: post #24

kylec wrote: post #5

Let's hope this also means that a Linux version of Chrome is around the corner.

If you haven't tried out the chromium nightly desktop builds, they're actually quite nice. The team is still nailing down the plugins, but the browser itself is wicked fast and pretty stable (given its alpha nature)

If you're a Mac user, you can also download the latest nightly build here:

http://build.chromium.org/buildbot/snapshots/chromium-rel-ma... (scroll all the way down to the latest build directory)

And yes, it is wicked fast. On my system, it doesn't even bounce in the dock before opening. It just opens. Plugins aren't supported yet, but I just open any sites that require Flash in Safari.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#38

Post by markbao » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:12 AM UTC

mcav wrote: post #2

Key Data Point: > The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.

I wonder if people will be able to take this new windowing system and use it for their own purposes. That would be fantastic, if the new windowing system is good.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#39

Post by derefr » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:16 AM UTC

tc wrote: post #33

Kadin wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would anyone spend time eliminating GPL code in the userland of a system that runs on a GPL kernel and subsystems? I'm not denying that they're doing it or anything, I just can't imagine why they'd bother.

Google did for Android so they could standardize around the Apache License for userspace. But who knows, they may not bother here. The netbook market is decidedly different than the mobile phone market, so they probably do not have the same constraints.

No one's developing for userspace—the "application" developers for GCOS will be writing web apps.

Re: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

#40

Post by tc » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:17 AM UTC

cdibona wrote: post #25

tc wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If their approach to Android is any guide, much of the work will consist of eliminating any GNU or GPL components from the (userspace) runtime environment.

This denies that Android runs on top of Linux, which is licensed under the gpl. Or that the Google search appliance runs on a ton of gpl'd code, all mirrored off of code.google.com...

You must be talking about some other comment, because I don't mean to deny any of that. I was merely pointing out that on Google's largest (public) OS project to date (Android), Google evinced a strong desire for a copyleft-free userspace and succeeded in building a non-GNU Linux distro. This is clearly a different project with different goals, so we'll see how it turns out.