Google says PC will start in seven seconds or less

[Natural Elements]

New Google Inc software will start up a computer as fast as a television can be turned on, the search company said on Thursday as it showed off its Chrome operating system designed for PCs that do their work on the Web.

Google gave the first public look at its Chrome OS four months after declaring its intention of developing the PC's main software, a move that pits it directly against Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc.

True to Google's Internet-pedigree, the Chrome OS resembles a Web browser more than it does a traditional computer operating system like Microsoft Windows, matching Google's ambition to drive people to the Web -- where they can see Google ads.

Google said the software will initially be available by the holiday season of 2010 on low-cost netbooks that meet Google's hardware specifications, such as using only memory chips to store data instead of slower hard drives, the current standard.

Netbooks running Chrome OS will only be able to run Web applications and the user's data will automatically be stored on the Web in the so-called cloud of Internet servers, Google executives said at an event at the company's Mountain View, California headquarters on Thursday.

"It's basically a Web browsing machine," said Altimeter Group analyst Charlene Li, referring to the netbooks powered by Chrome OS.

Such a machine is made for a world of near-constant, extremely fast Web connection, without the type of software that made Microsoft famous, since most of the work would be done by big machines on the Web which take directions and send information to relatively uncomplicated devices like a Chrome PC.

Sundar Pichai, vice-president of product management for Google's Chrome OS, said that computers running Chrome OS will be able to start in less than seven seconds.

"From the time you press boot you want it to be like a TV: You turn it on and you should be on the Web using your applications," Pichai said.

MORE WEB USE DRIVES MORE GOOGLE ADS

Google said it is giving away the software for free, similar to its Android smartphone software, with the idea that improving the Web experience will ultimately benefit its Internet search advertising business, which generated roughly $22 billion in revenue in 2008.

http://www.reuters.com/article/techn...5AI4UQ20091120

[NeilAgg]

7 seconds would be much nicer than the minutes I have to wait for my PC to boot and load all the virus and antispyware stuff it does now.

Too bad it will be too limited a machine to do anything more than just browsing the web.

[Hades]

Originally Posted by Natural Elements

True to Google's Internet-pedigree, the Chrome OS resembles a Web browser more than it does a traditional computer operating system like Microsoft Windows, matching Google's ambition to drive people to the Web -- where they can see Google ads.

LOL, is that a feature? sounds like a limitation to me.

Have you seen the demo? 7 seconds to launch a basic kernel and a web browser. That's all the OS has, just a browser to use your computer with web applications. Forget about Directx games, design apps, media apps, standalone office, it boots a browser.

What if your ISP is down or your router broken? It sounds disappointing to spend hundreds of dollars on a machine to use only a browser.

[DH - Tristan Perry]

It'll be interesting to see it in its flesh. It does indeed seem a tad pointless if it's essentially a web browser made into an OS.

[Jay.M]

Well, its a Web OS.

Of course it's in a browser and it's all cloud. Everything you do, you do online and with online (google) apps. I've also read it will only run of an SSD.

If you don't have internet access, it is a pointless OS - but then again, who buys a netbook without access to the internet? der.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Hades

LOL, is that a feature? sounds like a limitation to me.

Have you seen the demo? 7 seconds to launch a basic kernel and a web browser. That's all the OS has, just a browser to use your computer with web applications. Forget about Directx games, design apps, media apps, standalone office, it boots a browser.

What if your ISP is down or your router broken? It sounds disappointing to spend hundreds of dollars on a machine to use only a browser.

For a certain target audience, that can be a huge benefit. As an example, my mother only turns on her computer to go online. She likes to visit a few sites, check her email, chat with friends, and pay her bills. All of the other stuff only serves to confuse her. This type of browser would be perfect for her.

[Cricket]

This may help some understand the Google OS

+ YouTube Video

[Jay.M]

Well considering the power of the average $2-300 netbook, I wouldn't expect too much super-awesome surfability on an Atom or some IntelXXX. I'd highly doubt HD anything would be watchable for low fsb and 1gb of slow ram and no video card. Let alone running multiple appz the way Chrome reserves seperate threads for each tab.

We're talking about a netbook. A tiny screen. A keyboard the size of your mouse pad and no local storage for the work you do.

Its a glorified smartphone but without the phone part.

I suspect it will amount to nothing until the community does their thing with it.

[Jay.M]

Don't believe the Hype.

Or the marketing for that matter. (;

[Jay.M]

+ YouTube Video

And Demo.

BTW the 'cold reboot' netbook looks like an :

Acer Aspire One AOD250-1584 Sapphire Blue Intel Atom N280(1.66GHz) 10.1" WSVGA 1GB Memory 250GB HDD Netbook

But they used a different netbook for the presentation video. So it's impossible to tell what the specs are on that one. Presumably, they used two of the same.

[advisortrevor]

It will be absolutely awesome if they come up with some thing like this in the future...It will make wonders....

[Removed]

[chauhan]

I am waiting for the release of Google Chrome "operating system" because I am wants to try something new apart from windows and Linux.

[an0n]

1. There isn't anything wrong with my current OS. XP 64-bit
2. I don't really turn my PC off.
3. Who cares about boot times? Whoopdie Doo
4. Seven seconds or 60 seconds I care not, because I still have to get my coffee in the morning and that takes 5 minutes.


So a selling point of 'oh, it boots in seven seconds' is just as retarded as the sheep who will follow.

[supportivhost]

I agree with your an0n. Who cares about boot times. My PC is never off.

And I don't know about you guyz but when I do boot my PC I don't sit on it until it boots. I pass by and press button then come back.

[cecille20]

This is good for those who usually use internet for browsing the net. And I guess all people involve in webmaster will not like it. SIMPLY because we need more applications to help our websites. Like those software tools and etc. In short they don't target us as their user.