Chrome OS: A new operating system for cloud computing

The Google-Microsoft rivalry that tech fans are focused on is a new opportunity, and with the advent of the Chrome OS, the dream of upgrading the desktop OS is about to come true. As early as 2006, it was rumored that Google was about to launch a new desktop operating system, and in the end the project was only used internally. Then there was Android, and again rumors that Google might have ported the smartphone operating system to a traditional personal computer again caused a stir in the market-and, of course, many were skeptical. But today's release of Chrome OS is expected to dispel any lingering suspicions.

But not everyone is treating the search giant's latest move as a great thing. My colleague, Randall Kennedy, predicted that the Chrome OS wants to compete with Windows or Mac OS X, and that "the chances of success are small." He personally believes that Google wants to have a complete set of device drivers and applications like the existing platforms, which takes a lot of effort. Randall that this scenario is almost impossible to appear on the Chrome OS.

But Chrome OS is not meant to be a rival to Windows. Although it is based on the Linux kernel, it is a completely new operating system. When we look back ten years from now, Google's Chrome OS debut may mark the moment that cloud computing has finally become a reality.

Chrome OS: For cloud computing

Particularly convincing is that the Chrome OS supports both Intel and ARM processors. The company's representative said Chrome OS would initially face netbooks, while low-power arm chips are expected to play an increasingly important role in the market.

But what is more noteworthy is the fact that the core of the Chrome OS user experience is Google's Chrome browser and, according to the search giant's press release, the launch of Chrome OS devices is expected to "get into the internet in just a few seconds". In fact, browsers may be the only traditional apps running on Chrome OS. Quoting the press release, "The Internet is the platform needed for application developers." ”

This sounds very much like the "Stealth PC" (Invisible pc) device. In this new computing model, PCs are almost gone, leaving only windows that go to the Internet, rather than running on a monolithic operating system like traditional desktop models. Desktop applications will be replaced by internet-based services, while computing and storage work is handled in cloud computing.

This naturally makes people suspicious, but don't underestimate the extent to which Internet apps have replaced desktop software. Many business users have been reluctant to adopt internet-based alternatives (for good reason), but individual users have shifted, and email is the same concept as the internet-based services of Gmail, MSN and Yahoo Mail. As Internet technology matures, more categories of apps are expected to take this route.

It's not just Google, the company that is chasing the invisible PC market. Nokia's Internet tablet and Apple's ipod touch are the pioneers of such products, you might say, with Palm's webOS and Google pursuing the same philosophy: advocating internet-based application software development. But Chrome OS promises to offer a number of advantages for lightweight netbooks and other mobile devices.
Chrome Bottom Engine

First, chrome can be said to be the most technologically advanced browser in the world. Its multiple process design (each session is independent of each other) is closer to the traditional operating system than any other current browser, and its security model is unmatched. In addition, Chrome includes support for Google gears, so that if Internet access is good or bad, it has an advantage.

As I mentioned earlier, the Chrome OS runs on the Linux kernel, but the Linux kernel is almost irrelevant to the application developers. Apps will be based on the internet, but because when you're designing a Chrome browser for desktop computers, developers are not limited by the thin features of most smart phones and other devices. Google is one of the main supporters of the upcoming HTML 5 specification, and part of the specification has been implemented in the current generation of browsers, including Chrome.

But with Chrome OS based on the open source Linux kernel and Google's plan to open the source code for more advanced code later this year, the open source community will be free to help patch up software bugs and plug security vulnerabilities.

Terminate desktop operating system?

The characteristics are more than that. Google says it has developed a "new window manager" between the Linux kernel and the Chrome interface to handle the rendering of the graphical user interface (GUI). There is little detail at the moment, but it sounds as though Google has decided to discard the GNOME and K desktop Environments (KDE) and may even discard the prestigious X Window Manager itself. If so, Chrome OS is definitely not just another desktop Linux distribution. In fact, it doesn't even call it a desktop operating system.

How did this happen? Imagine how bloated the mainstream desktop system has become over time. Whether you choose Linux, Mac OS x, or Windows, desktop operating systems are increasingly full of menus, configuration panels, and apps (from simple Internet client programs to full-featured multimedia packages). Google's perspective is different. Google's press release explains: "Google Chrome OS is developed for those who spend most of their time on the Internet." "If so, an old-fashioned desktop system is far too much to overdo," he said.

If your application is based on the Internet, you do not need software installation tools. Similarly, if all your data is stored in the cloud, the need for a full-featured file manager will be greatly diminished, and certainly not the flashy desktop search engine that's going to be on the road. You also do not need a desktop manager, Disk Defragmenter, virus scanning software, or file compression programs. In fact, you probably don't need a desktop system at all. What you really need is a simple, fast, responsive, simple user interface--just like the interface you expect your consumer electronics to have. If Google's idea is the same as the writer's, it is expected that Chrome OS will do exactly that.

Of course, unless Google reveals more details later this year, we don't know what Chrome OS looks like. But if Chrome OS is really what the author thinks, it will bring a long-awaited shift to the PC market. We call this transformation evolution.