When Google showcased its open source operating system (OS) Chrome last week, not many found it disruptive enough to move the world to a web-centric computing model. Aimed primarily at notebooks, it did not seem a worthy candidate to take on incumbents like Microsoft?s Windows 7 and Apple?s Snow Leopard.
In contrast, the browser-turned-operating system is already beginning to ignite enthusiasm in an OS market stagnant for years now. For starters, it is clearly trying to shift the paradigm to the cloud?an emerging computing model where users can gain access to their applications from anywhere through connected devices. If it works, it could not only change the way we use computers but also disrupt the culture of application development, with an entire industry dedicated to building stand-alone applications.
Personal computing market dynamics would also be different when Chrome finally enters the market next year. It might be a different hardware world, with an appreciable installed base of notebooks, ultrathins and touchscreen PCs. Google is currently working with ?all the top partners? on commercial devices, and has confirmed that the initial focus will be on notebooks with keyboards, although other form factors might come later.
Chrome OS could make the buying equation interesting with its use of solid state disk drives, rather than conventional hard disks. It promises to switch on PCs instantly, just like a TV and other consumer electronics devices. Google claims a boot-up time of a few seconds. Web-based applications take a few more seconds to load. The Web apps will run on application tabs within Chrome OS, which users will access with one click and manage in persistent windows if they so desire.
According to Google, all data in Chrome will automatically be housed in the cloud, or on external server, but will also be cached on the computer?s hardware to boost performance. This means users won?t lose their data if their notebook is stolen or hard disk crashes. ?The Linux-based OS is fully open, run applications only in its browser and stores all data in the cloud,? explained Sundar Pichai, vice president (product management), Google, in a webcast. Speed, simplicity and security were touted as the key components of the design.
Is this enough to shake up the rather staid OS market, dominated by the Windows platform and Mac OS, with its own share of ardent followers? Both Windows and Mac OS got almost simultaneous updates in the last few months. Interestingly, both the systems are getting regular upgrades, but none of them seems to be interested in a complete revamp. Both have worked on ironing out the rough spots and making the systems more user-friendly and lighter.
A lot of effort seems to have gone into the look and feel. That means changes in Snow Leopard?s Finder and Windows 7 Explorer. In fact, one can see striking similarities in their interfaces. Take quick search fields located in the top right side and sidebars to provide access to several locations on your computer, for instance. Both sport smart folders and both permit large icon views. While Windows 7 supports icons in sizes up to 256×256 pixels, Snow Leopard displays icons in sizes up to 512×512 pixels.
Some Snow Leopard apps can use the Dock?s pop-up menus to display application-specific information and to provide easy access to frequently used commands. Windows 7?s retooled taskbar introduces a feature called jump lists. Jump lists not only provide access to common commands but also lets you ?pin? items to a specific list. In Snow Leopard, stacks that provide quick access to folders and files have been refreshed to give unlimited items in a stack by using grid view. Files can also be dragged and dropped into the Dock for quick access. Apple also offers an inline preview to the Finder?s icon view.
Windows 7 gives a peek at the folder?s content and an optional preview pane for Explorer window. Snow Leopard arranges windows in a grid when viewed in Expose. One can also click and hold the Dock icon for any open app to view all open Windows for that app, including the minimised Windows. Windows 7 offers a new window management tool, where one can click the taskbar icon of a window to make it visible as all other windows go transparent. Also, one can turn all windows transparent by clicking on the lower right corner of the taskbar.
To conclude, there seems to be a virtual equilibrium between Windows 7 and Snow Leopard?the new launches promise to make life easier but cause no major upheaval in the market. This is where Chrome comes in and promises to shake up the market. Most reviewers regard the current version as work in progress and expect the final system to come packed with more punch. Even if it doesn?t prove to be a game-changer, it will be a catalyst in stirring the staid operating system market.