Cullmann Design Blog

Google Chrome OS for the everday citizen

Google released a developer version of their new operating system this week: Chrome OS. The operating system is a derivative of Linux and is designed as a no-cost alternative to windows and mac OS X. The developer preview is spare and is designed to give developers a chance to create applications and extensions for the new operating system as much as to give the public a preview. When originally announced in July, industry speculation was that this new OS would be a game changer: That Windows should be worried, that Apple should be worried. This speculation was based not on the availability of a new, free operating system (there are several excellent free OSs available, Ubuntu the most popular), but on the Google cache alone.

Based on the initial release, I’m not sure that Chrome OS is the holy grail that was initially anticipated. Although it has many benefits,; no-cost, easy of use, an ecosystem of well designed, free, web-based applications, I don’t see this as a substitute laptop or desktop solution for most users.

I do believe that the Chrome OS will be a competitor for Windows in a fractured market, the “second computer”. Unlike several years ago, there are many people who use a computer for many different things, work, personal organization, communication, socializing, entertainment. This space between ‘working’ and ‘playing’ is well defined and although mobile platforms like the iPhone and Android fill the space very well, not everyone has a phone capable of a good web experience. Enter the Netbook category (and Chrome OS by proxy). The low-cost, low-power computers are ideal for the casual user who wants to update FaceBook, shop online, watch a few youtube clips and exchange e-mails with friends. Google is in a prime position to own the destination and the vehicle to get their.

Google does not have a very good track record for marketing. There have been only a hand full of commercials or ads to promote their applications or services. The few ads have promoted their mobile initiatives. Most recently the Verizon Droid release. If Google is able to partner with hardware manufacturers and enter the retail space, they can easily take a market-share comparable to the Apple’s in the home computer space.

The final piece of the Chrome OS puzzle is how Google is planning to incorporate their advertising based business model into a computer platform. Android is a similar model and they have taken a very conservative, user-experience focused approach with little or no advertising besides what is already in their web-based apps. A full-operating system does present opportunity to capture user data (even if aggregate) to better target and model advertising.

You can read more about Google Chrome on Google’s Blog or a comprehensive third-party perspective at CNET.