|
Speaking at the Proto Conference to a bunch of five hundred start-up founders
and venture capitalists recently, we got into the age-old discussion of
proprietary software versus open source. There are never any right answers to
this but the balance seems to be getting more and more weighted in favor of the
open source community. This is especially because behemoths like Google begin to
eye the software space and make the original dream of Sun and other aspiring
giant killers a reality!
When Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft declared in his keynote address at
the companys Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans that the world does
not need a new operating system, it was time for the user community to think!
The launch of Googles Chrome Operating Systemtouted as the new fast
lightweight OS of the future which will use the web as its platformhas sent a
wave of excitement around the industry. Is it justified?
On the face of it, the Chrome OS is indeed a fascinating concept. A fast and
lightweight design with a minimal user interface that enables a user to get on
to the Internet in a few seconds. The simplicity of the software architecture
makes Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on a Linux kernel.
This enables the web to be the platform for application developers. New
applications can be written using every developers favorite web technologies
and will automatically run on any standards based browser on the Windows Mac and
Linux, thereby, vastly expanding the user base for Chrome developed
applications.
With its eye firmly on the trend towards cloud computing, Google is building
a web of relationships with server companies like Acer and HP. While the Chrome
OS seems primarily designed for netbooks, the undeniable advantages of better
security without the threat of viruses and frequent security updates should make
it the automatic choice of the new generation who spend most of their time on
the web.
However, one should not blow the Google Chrome advantage out of proportion.
Dominance of the fledgling netbook segment does not translate automatically to
supremacy in the PC and server markets, which will need demonstrated ability to
manage diverse hardware. Some researchers have taken the skeptical view that
Google may take years to build the library of device drivers needed to compete
with Microsoft and in the meantime will meet the rather lukewarm response that
Linux faced in the netbooks market. The move towards a new OS rather than
extending the work already done on the Android has also surprised the
discerning.
There will be no shortage of experimenters with the new OS, particularly the
price conscious netbook and notebook buyers for whom a $50-100 price reduction
will be significant. If the best forecasts are proved right and the Chrome OS
catches the imagination of a large number of existing and new users, Google may
soon be facing the same legal battles that Microsoft has had to contend with
over the years. Given the dominance of the Google search engine, there will be
many eyes watching how Google ties the new software to its other products and
every false move could raise antitrust concerns.
Fighting off competition through a massive installed base and the tight
coupling achieved between the OS, office applications, and the Internet browser
is not new to Microsoft as several battered wannabes like Netscape and Lotus
would willingly testify. But the new launch and its potential continues to
excite industry watchers. Microsoft will continue to emphasize that Windows on
the PC rather than a browser centric OS is the right approach, but a comment by
the legendary Bill Gates that the more vague they are, the more interesting it
is may indeed prove prophetic.
Ganesh Natarajan
The author is Vice Chairman & MD of Zensar Technologies. He can be reached at
maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in Page(s) 1
| 
Print
Comment
Email
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Twitter
