Comments on: Three reasons why Google Chrome isn’t a challenge to Microsoft’s OS business

By: Thelonecabbage

Thelonecabbage — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:20:12 +0000

1. It has an API, it's called Gears. Amongst other things, it allows web applications to run disconnected from the web. This alone is a compelling reason to use Chrome. It's JS jit compiler is also optimized for large AJAX applications, the kind that replace office. As a MS developer you may find this strange, but many programmers are attracted to feature-free-standard-platforms.

2. WebKit, the engine Chrome is based on, is famous for many things. Speed, beauty… and portability. Releases are already due for Mac and Linux. Using Linux as a hardware abstraction layer, Chrome could be a general install anywhere OS, for less than 64MB. Optimized to a single embedded platform it could fit in less than 15MB. Why reinvent the wheel? This is already being done with 'instant-on' bios splash OS's. What they lack is an attractive cohesive interface. Chrome is a very good pick for this.

3. MS hasn't had a lock on distribution in years. Currently 2/3 of all laptops sold over $1k USD are Mac. And more than half of all systems sold under $500 USD are Linux. And computers don't mean desktops any more. 70 times as many cell phones are sold every year, as desktops. Game consoles, embedded platforms, smart devices etc.

By: Chrome-Induced Déjà Vu - GigaOM

Chrome-Induced Déjà Vu - GigaOM — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:02:40 +0000

[...] as Alec Saunders points out, while it allows you to run web-based applications, it’s not an operating system that [...]

By: media kingdom

media kingdom — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:22:44 +0000

should be interesting to see if Chrome works more efficiently than FireFox and IE… if it’s faster than Firefox, since isn’t IE, then i’ll use it

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:29:32 +0000

Right, it’s not a *direct* challenge to any OS. But if it drives all browsers to faster, more standards-based performance, it makes, for example, Google Documents look like more a viable alternative to Microsoft Word – especially to tech-savvy, cash-poor young people.

And the less OS-dependent software you need, the less your OS matters. If you can run Ubuntu and use all the same (web-based) applications you normally use, you might think twice about paying for Windows.

By: Google Chrome Review

Google Chrome Review — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:42:28 +0000

Chrome is going to kill Microsoft browser!
10 min download over dial up
Much Much faster read my review
Not crash prone like IE I tried to crash by open tons of tabs did not even hurt it same thing on IE would of locked up my laptop

By: Alec

Alec — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:42:14 +0000

True enough Philipp. The fact that they’ve decided to open source Chrome could be an indicator that they’re thinking that way.

By: Philipp Schumann

Philipp Schumann — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:34:34 +0000

And if — another big if — developers can easily deploy their own embedded web kit Chrome to every platform regardless of the libraries or software already-installed-or-not on the client.

By: Philipp Schumann

Philipp Schumann — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:33:00 +0000

Could also become an alternative (or "threat") to Adobe AIR once it runs on every platform — for those into developing "rich client" / offline apps solely on HTML + SVG + CSS + JavaScript + some embedded database (Gears, Air and iPhone's Safari all support small embedded SQLite DBs) + some backend language. Escpecially if they make the "some backend" part smoother.