Google announced earlier this month that they are working on an operating system for PC’s to compete with Windows. They plan to begin releasing the new OS to netbooks first, then if all goes well, eventually onto full-blown PC’s.
In my mind, this is the best news to come out of the computer industry in years. For decades now Microsoft has “owned” the PC operating system market, driving up the price of every new PC by more or less arm-twisting the computer manufacturers into pre-loading their machines with Windows. Since day one, Windows has always been on the lookout for yet another excuse to crash and/or freeze up your PC, and don’t even get me started on the endless game Redmond has us playing with never-ending security updates and the simply awful ”Windows Genuine Advantage” program. Arghhh!!!
Of course the Microsoft way of doing business is only possible in a market segment where competition is pretty much nil, and Linux notwithstanding, Microsoft has faced no real competition at all in the past. But now, thanks to the geniuses at Google, that’ll probably be changing pretty soon – hopefully as soon as early 2010. Can Google compete with Microsoft in a war of operating systems? Well, they seem to be doing quite well in the other areas in which they are already competing, so my guess is yes. Especially if they make the Chrome OS compatible with most existing Windows software, stable AND free.
Even if Google manages to steal away just 1/3 of Windows’ market share, that should be enough to make the boys from Redmond slow down on the constant addition of new “bells and whistles” while the core OS flounders in mediocrity. And in the end a bit of healthy competition just might force Microsoft to lower the prices of the various Windows versions to a reasonable level. But when it comes right down to it, I’ll be happy just to have an operating system that just plain works the way it ought to.