Chrome OS: The underlying engine for cloud computing

July 31 News, according to foreign media reports, Microsoft CEO Ballmer (Steve Ballmer) admitted in Thursday, Microsoft's core business of Windows is suffering Google and Apple and other rivals challenges.

In addition to the common issues of piracy, emerging markets and netbooks, Mr. Ballmer admits Windows is facing challenges from rival operating systems. "Our challenges come from many different places," he said. Among them, Ballmer mentions Linux, Apple and Google Android and Chrome OS.

"Although I don't know what Chrome OS is, I'm now putting it on the list of competitors," Ballmer said. "July 8, Google announced the launch of the Chrome OS PC operating system, designed to challenge Microsoft Windows, the system based on the netbook will be listed in the second half of 2010."

Ballmer added: "We will be embattled on all sides, and many products of a large scale are likely to compete with Windows." But Mr. Ballmer also points out that Windows 7 is the most powerful riposte to these competing products.

The dream of Chrome OS to update desktop operating systems may come true for tech fans concerned about Google's rivalry with Microsoft. As early as 2006, it was rumored that Google wanted to release a desktop operating system, but it turned out that the project was for internal use only. Then came out of Android, there are rumors that Google's smartphone operating system will go into traditional PCs, making the market a riot again-but many remain sceptical. Now, the announcement from the Chrome OS is expected to dispel any lingering suspicions.

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.

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.

Nor is it the only Google company chasing the invisible PC market. You might say Nokia's Internet tablet and Apple's ipod touch are the pioneers of such products; Palm's webOS and Google pursue 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.