Chrome OS = Linux Distribution – Kernel
At this moment Chrome OS is still a mystery, but we can imagine its future a bit and help Google to figure out what Chrome OS shouldn’t be.
What Chrome OS shouldn’t be:
- Another universal operating system of PC. We already have Windows, MAC, Fedora (Ubuntu, OpenSUSE…) and OpenSolaris. If Chrome OS only wants to use Linux kernel and do what XWindow and shell can do, it will fail because it depends on Chrome, which is a web browser, too much. Any of the above OSes can provides flexible interface and abundant applications, which Chrome OS doesn’t have.
- Another mobile phone OS. Every mobile phone vender has its own favorite OS. We already have Maemo, Symbian, Android, RIM, etc. and Chrome OS even can’t support dialing.
- Another netbook or smartbook OS. Ooh NO. People buy netbook not only for Internet accessing. Most of them hope netbook can do something else without Internet connection.
To be consistent with Google’s strategy: do things that matter to a large number of people at scale. Chrome OS most likely to be a webook or an adbook OS. Of course, your editor coined the name of webook and adbook.
As your editor imagine webook is a mobile device that is
- A client or terminal of Cloud Computing Service.
- Light enough to handhold.
- Has Multi Network access interfaces. (Wi-Fi, LAN, etc)
- Price lowers than netbook. (Actually netbook can be eliminated by webook and notebook)
- Powerful graphic computing ability to replay the video form net.
- Plenty software support for Internet.
- High security.
We can use webook like that:
- Hold it when we take train, use it to check email, twitter and youtube when boring.
- Connect it to a monitor; use it as a pc, except we want to do development, or play hardware depended games.
- Put it on the car and as a GPS device.
And hope one day PSP can be OEMed by Chrome OS too.
—————–Below is Chinese Version—————–
—————–原创之中文版分隔线—————–
虽然目前Chrome OS对于我们还是一个谜，但是我们还是可以展开丰富的想象力来看看未来Chrome OS到底可以做些什么，也同时帮助Google考虑一下至少不能把Chrome OS做成什么。
Chrome OS不能成为:
- 另一个泛用性个人电脑操作系统。因为我们已经有了Windows, MAC, Fedora (Ubuntu, OpenSUSE…) 和OpenSolaris这些PC操作系统典范。如果Chrome OS只是想在Linux内核之上做XWindow和shell的工作的话，它肯定会失败，因为Chrome OS太多依赖Chrome这个浏览器，这会是此操作系统的先天局限性。以上的任何一款操作系统都能提供比Chrome OS更灵活的使用接口以及丰富的软件
- 另一个手机操作系统。每个手机制造商都有其面向的操作系统。目前Maemo, Symbian, Android, RIM等系统都表现非常出色。而Chrome OS甚至不支持电话功能。
- 另一个面向netbook 或 smartbook 的OS。千万不要。人们购买netbook不仅仅是为了访问互联网。很多人需要使用netbook来做很多其他和网络无关的事情。
为了顺应Google自己的战略: 只作能够影响很多人的事情。 Chrome OS更有可能会成为一个webook或adbook的操作系统。当然webook和adbook是笔者杜撰的名字。
笔者假想的webook是具有如下功能的移动设备：
作为访问云计算服务的一个客户端或终端。
- 轻便，利于携带。
- 具备多种网络接口。 (Wi-Fi, LAN等)
- 比上网本的价格更低。(实际上如果webook能够成长起来的话，必将和笔记本一起把上网本这个过渡产品取代)
- 足够的图像处理能力以满足网络视频的播放。
- 丰富的网络相关软件的支持。
- 高安全性。
那么我们可以像这样使用webook:
- 乘坐交通工具时用来收邮件，上twitter以及看youtube。
- 如果不是用来开发或玩要求比较高的游戏的话，把它连接到一个显示器，作为一台个人电脑使用。
- 作为一个车载GPS设备。
最后希望PSP有朝一日也能搭载Chrome OS。
Yes. Chrome OS’s future is not so clear. Google’s strategy officer maybe has some imagine.