10 Question for CHROME ????

This morning the blogosphere is abuzz with the late-breaking news about Google's new Chrome OS, a combination of the Chrome browser and windowing system running on top of a Linux kernel.

But more important than what's being announced is what hasn't been said. People already have a lot of questions about the Chrome OS and the answers may ultimately determine how well it succeeds as a true competitor to both Microsoft and Apple, as is being widely speculated. We'll explore some of those questions in this post.

In typical Google fashion, the Chrome OS announcement is filled with glorious tidbits of information that add up to paint an overall picture of what's ahead. They've told us the OS will run on standard x86 and ARM chips, that they're working OEMs to bring it to several netbooks by next year, that the code will be open-sourced later this year, that it will run any web applications, and that, yeah, it overlaps a little with Android.

However, what we don't know about the Chrome OS could fill a room.

What We Don't Know About Chrome OS

1. What will happen when you go offline?

   If the Chrome OS is all about running web apps in a browser, that begs the question - what will happen when there's no internet connection available? Of course, Google apps like Gmail can run offline using Gears, but Gears isn't everywhere yet. Another likely possibility is that Chrome OS will support the upcoming standard HTML5, which also offers offline capabilities. However, not all web applications will support that either...at least not immediately. That just leaves the "windowing system" running on the Linux kernel. Will it, like any other Linux OS, allow us to install software applications? That seems less likely since Chrome OS is all about the move away from the desktop to the web. The only real solution to the offline conundrum would be to bundle in a cellular data service with the netbook so you have always-on connectivity.

2. No More Desktop Software Apps: But What About Photo Uploads? Creating a PDF? Editing a Video?

   Ultimately, this argument boils down to the "Photoshop" question. Anytime we talk about moving the OS to the cloud, someone inevitably says: "but you can't run Photoshop in the cloud!" That's true, but none of us run Photoshop on our netbooks, either. Still, Chrome OS on a netbook is only step one - desktop and laptop computers are sure to come next. But how will Chrome OS handle the tasks that netbooks can't? Photo software, including Google's own Picasa can't work in a browser alone...at least, not today. It still requires the intermediate step of importing photos from camera to PC then uploading from PC to web. Will this workflow still be possible thanks to Chrome OS's windowing system and Linux kernel? Then there are the more complex tasks that also require an OS: video editing, using Adobe software, using Microsoft Office. Of course, we know Google's response to that last one, but there's still a good-sized userbase out there who prefers Office to Docs - will they be willing to give it up and move to the cloud at last?

3. How Much Will Chrome OS Cost?

   A lot of people are wondering if Chrome OS will be free, an idea likely brought about by the fact that everything that Google offers consumers has also been free. Free webmail, free Google Docs, free tools (IM, Calendar, Photos, etc.), free Chrome browser. But will the OS itself be free? Will it be ad-supported? If it's not free, then how much of a difference in price points will there have to be between a Chrome OS netbook and a Windows 7 netbook for consumers to switch to this new, unknown entity?

4. Will It Run Third-Party Applications?

   If we had to bet, we'd bet yes on this one, but there just aren't enough details on this yet. Although Google is open-sourcing the code for Chrome OS later this year, we don't know if that means they're going to let anyone and everyone build apps for it. Maybe they will go the Apple route and lock down the OS the way Apple locks down the iPhone and allow us to install "approved" Chrome OS apps only. A lockdown ensures that everything will "just work"- a phrasing Google even uses in their blog post about it...and a methodology that has proven very successful for Apple. (It's easy for things to work when you control it with a heavy hand). But locking down an OS seems so very anti-open source and so un-Googlely. Will we end up having to "jailbreak" Chrome OS one day?

5. Can I Use My Old Printer?

   Although less of a concern to those of us on the cutting edge who are always buying the latest gadgets and electronics, the hardware compatibility issue is still an unknown entity. Of course, thanks to its Linux kernel, the OS will include a bunch of drivers...but which ones? Since Google hasn't adopted a version of Linux that's already out there, we don't know how extensive the driver support will be. And, as everyone knows, getting manufacturers to build drivers for your OS, (nevermind getting them to provide you with ones that work properly!) is one of the hardest parts of having a successful OS.

6. Will Chrome OS Run Firefox?

   Ha! As if! It's highly unlikely that Google would want to support competitive browsers on an OS built to run Chrome. But wait...this leads to a grey area when it comes to antitrust issues like those Microsoft currently faces in the EU. Over there, European officials are demanding that Microsoft not bundle IE with Windows, claiming that doing so is anti-competitive. But what about when the browser becomes the OS (in a sense)? Will Google now be forced to support alternatives? They might. Chrome isn't a prerequisite for a web OS: Firefox's latest version also supports HTML5, so it could just as easily run web apps both online and off.

7. Does this mean Google and Apple will No Longer be Friends?

   As noted on VentureBeat, Google and Apple currently share an alliance of sorts. Their boards share two directors, Google chief executive, Eric Schmidt, and former Genentech chief executive, Arthur Levinson. How can this relationship last now that Google is clearly gunning for the OS market? Although people like to pit Google versus Microsoft, it's really Google versus Microsoft and Apple. Apple has a nice, healthy chunk of the consumer OS pie - the very slice that a Google OS is aiming for, especially considering its launch is on a netbook. However, Apple has clearly shown no interest - at least so far - in doing netbooks, preferring to focus their efforts on high-end computers and portable mini computers in the form of iPods and iPhones. But Google is already competing with Apple on the phone front, too, thanks to Android, and on the browser front, thanks to Chrome. Will an OS move be the last straw in the two companies' friendship?

8. Linux on the Netbook Hasn't Sold - Will a Google Brand Sell it Now?

   We originally believed, as many open source advocates did, that the rise of the netbook would lead to uptake in consumer use of the Linux OS. However, that did not turn out to be the case. Instead, Windows XP is the dominant netbook OS and Microsoft's next OS, Windows 7, will launch netbook-ready. What was the problem with Linux on the netbook?According to major netbook manufacturer MSI Wind, the problem was Linux itself - MSI's Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung said this of consumers: "They start playing around with Linux and start realizing that it's not what they are used to. They don't want to spend time to learn it so they bring it back to the store. The return rate is at least four times higher for Linux netbooks than Windows XP netbooks." Will branding a Linux OS "Google" and telling consumers to just load up the browser lead to simplicity, as Google hopes, or just more confusion?

9. Will Chrome OS Turn into an Enterprise Play?

   Although Chrome OS will launch on the netbook, how far does Google plan to take their new technology? To the consumer desktop? To the small business? To the enterprise? Google has already shown how competitive they are when it comes to fighting Microsoft Office, will they do the same in fighting Microsoft's foothold as the business desktop OS of choice? If so, they may have a tougher battle ahead of them than they think. It may be one thing to get the IT guys to ditch Office software for a simplified cloud version, but ditch their OS? Not so much. The Windows desktop OS is designed to work with the rest of the Windows stack, including everything from Exchange Server to SharePoint and many others. In a client-server setting, IT admins create server-based policies that control everything about the corporate OS including browser settings, backup policies, logon restrictions, file access, permissions, updates, and so much more. What can you control when the OS is the web? Not much. And that could be a big problem.

10. Does "open source" mean Google expects the community to maintain the code?

    In the open source world, the development and maintenance of code is crowd-sourced to a community of developers. By open-sourcing the Chrome OS code, is Google saying that they're not steering the OS ship? If so, that would be a very different way to do business than how Microsoft and Apple currently work. And it's somewhat an iffy one. While it's one thing to buy a Linux OS labeled as such, all consumers will see when buying Chrome OS is the big label reading "Google." They will have expectations that the company is running the show, not an amorphous community of open-sourcers. What will happen when something goes wrong? There's no "Apple Genius Bar" to take the computer to and no "Microsoft Support" hotline to call. (Or will there be?) Selling an OS is only step one. Supporting it is just as crucial. What level of responsibility does Google plan for that?

These are our questions about Chrome OS. Can you speculate on the answers? Do you have questions of your own? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft hit GOOGLE ( 10 Question )

Microsoft ask Enterprisers 10 Question :::::

Up till now, Microsoft has been very quiet about the nascent Web Office threat from Google. But today, in response to the news that IT systems consultancyCapGemini has partnered with Google to sell Google Apps Premier Edition (GAPE) to enterprises, Microsoft issued an email listing 10 "top questions that enterprises should ask when considering the switch to GAPE." The questions read more like reasons why enterprises shouldn't choose Google Apps. This list was first published by Mary Jo Foley, who says it was an unsolicited email from a Microsoft "corporate spokesperson".

The 10 reasons make for fascinating reading - and show just how concerned Microsoft really is about not only Google Apps, but Web Office in general. Here is a copy of the email list:

1. Google touts having enterprise level customers but how many ‚ÄúUSERS‚Ä? of their applications truly exist within the enterprise?

‚2. Google has a history of releasing incomplete products, calling them beta software, and issuing updates on a ‚Äúknown only to Google‚Ä? schedule ‚Äì this flies in the face of what enterprises want and need in their technology partners ‚Äì what is Google doing that indicates they are in lock step with customer needs?

‚3. Google touts the low cost of their apps ‚Äìnot only price but the absence of need for hardware, storage or maintenance for Google Apps. BUT if GAPE is indeed a complement to MSFT Office, the costs actually become greater for a company as they now have two IT systems to run and manage and maintain. Doesn‚Äôt this result in increased complexity and increased costs?

‚4. Google‚Äôs primary focus is on ad funded search. Their enterprise focus and now apps exist on the very fringe and in combination with other fringe services only account for 1% of the company‚Äôs revenue. What happens if Google executes poorly? Do they shut down given it will them in a minimal and short term way? Should customers trust that this won‚Äôt happen?

‚5. Google‚Äôs apps only work if an enterprise has no power users, employees are always online, enterprises haven‚Äôt built custom Office apps ‚Äì doesn‚Äôt this equal a very small % of global information workers today? ‚ÄìOn a feature comparison basis, it‚Äôs not surprising that Microsoft has a huge lead.

‚6. Google apps don‚Äôt have essential document creation features like support for headers, footers, tables of content, footnotes, etc. Additionally, while customers can collaborate on basic docs without the above noted features, to collaborate on detailed docs, a company must implement a two part process ‚Äì work together on the basic doc, save it to Word or Excel and then send via email for final edits. Yes they have a $50 price tag, but with the inefficiencies created by just this one cycle, how much do GAPE really cost ‚Äì and can you afford the fidelity loss?

‚7. Enterprise companies have to constantly think about government regulations and standards ‚Äì while Google can store a lot of data for enterprises on Google servers, there is no easy to use, automated way for enterprises to regularly delete data, issue a legal hold for specific docs or bring copies into the corp. What happens if a company needs to respond to government regulations bodies? Google touts 99.9% uptime for their apps but what few people realize that promise is for Gmail only. Equally alarming is the definition Google has for ‚Äúdowntime‚Ä? ‚Äì ten consecutive minutes of downtime. What happens if throughout the day Google is down 7 minutes each hour? What does 7 minutes each hour for a full work day that cost an enterprise?

‚8. In the world of business, it is always on and always connected. As such, having access to technical support 24/7 is essential. If a company deploys Google Apps and there is a technical issue at 8pm PST, Sorry. Google‚Äôs tech support is open M-F 1AM-6PM PST ‚Äì are these the new hours of global business? And if a customer‚Äôs ‚Äúdesignated administrator‚Ä? is not available (a requirement) does business just stop?

9. Google says that enterprise customers use only 10% of the features in today’s productivity applications which implies that EVERYONE needs the SAME 10% of the feature when in fact it is very clear that in each company there are specific roles people play that demands access to specific information – how does Google’s generic strategy address role specific needs?

10. With Google apps in perpetual beta and Google controlling when and if they rollout specific features and functionality, customers have minimal if any control over the timing of product rollouts and features – how do 1) I know how to strategically plan and train and 2) get the features and functionality I have specifically requested? How much money does not knowing cost?

10 invite you to speak with customers, partners and analysts who can validate Office’s business model.

There's no doubt these are compelling reasons why an enterprise should choose Microsoft Office over Google Apps, at this point. But it's noticeable that the list doesn't mention the word "collaboration", which is probably the key benefit of Google Apps compared to MS Office.

Nor does Microsoft adequately rebut that Google Apps will be a complement to Microsoft Office (as CapsGemini and Google claimed yesterday). Microsoft says in point 3 that "the costs actually become greater for a company as they now have two IT systems to run and manage and maintain." But that doesn't address the features that Google Apps offers and how it might complement an enterprise's office software set-up.

What do you make of Microsoft's response? It certainly brings up some valid criticisms of Google Apps and Web Office, but then Google isn't claiming their product is a replacement of MS Office. Their stance is that it's a complement - and so in that respect this list by a Microsoft spokesperson is probably an over-reaction. It looks like someone in Redmond hit the panic button a bit too early.

Google CHROMEOS IS HERE

GOOGLE ANNOUNCES FULL-SCALE OPERATING SYSTEM:

CHROME is here

It's been rumored for years, and here it is: ChromeOS, a new computer operating system from Google, distinct from its cellphone-oriented Android counterpart. From the announcement:

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple -- Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.