Wednesday, July 15th 2009
Gates Downplays Chrome OS
Google's recent announcement of the Chrome OS, a web-oriented operating system that aims to use practicality and speed as its USPs, created more than just a few waves in the IT world. The firm later added that Chrome was going to be a free software, and has the support of some of the biggest names in the industry. At the receiving end of a potential competitor both in the operating system and cloud computing businesses, undoubtedly is Microsoft.
In an interview with CNet's Ina Fried, Bill Gates took the liberty of commenting on this development and implied that the waves Chrome OS created, are but in a teacup. "There's many, many forms of Linux operating systems out there and packaged in different ways and booted in different ways," Gates said, "In some ways I am surprised people are acting like there's something new. I mean, you've got Android running on Netbooks. It's got a browser in it," he added.
Gates further went on to downplay Chrome OS saying that there's nothing much left to talk about it, since Google kept such a low profile on how it's going to implement the idea. "The more vague they are, the more interesting it is," he said. Google earlier announced that it wants its developer community to focus on web-based applications, rather than Linux-based ones, so the application has the broadest compatible platform base. Perhaps Chrome OS will then serve as the best client platform for these applications.
A similar statement came from Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, during Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, who said that the Windows is the right approach, rather than a browser-centric OS such as Chrome. "We don't need a new operating system," said Ballmer. "What we do need to do is to continue to evolve Windows, Windows Applications, IE (Internet Explorer), the way IE works in totality with Windows and how we build applications like Office...and we need to make sure we can bring our customers and partners with us," he added. Both Ballmer and Gates stressed that having two major client operating systems isn't necessarily a positive thing. Google maintains that its Chrome OS will be consumer-ready by the second half of 2010.
Sources:
1, 2
In an interview with CNet's Ina Fried, Bill Gates took the liberty of commenting on this development and implied that the waves Chrome OS created, are but in a teacup. "There's many, many forms of Linux operating systems out there and packaged in different ways and booted in different ways," Gates said, "In some ways I am surprised people are acting like there's something new. I mean, you've got Android running on Netbooks. It's got a browser in it," he added.
Gates further went on to downplay Chrome OS saying that there's nothing much left to talk about it, since Google kept such a low profile on how it's going to implement the idea. "The more vague they are, the more interesting it is," he said. Google earlier announced that it wants its developer community to focus on web-based applications, rather than Linux-based ones, so the application has the broadest compatible platform base. Perhaps Chrome OS will then serve as the best client platform for these applications.
A similar statement came from Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, during Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, who said that the Windows is the right approach, rather than a browser-centric OS such as Chrome. "We don't need a new operating system," said Ballmer. "What we do need to do is to continue to evolve Windows, Windows Applications, IE (Internet Explorer), the way IE works in totality with Windows and how we build applications like Office...and we need to make sure we can bring our customers and partners with us," he added. Both Ballmer and Gates stressed that having two major client operating systems isn't necessarily a positive thing. Google maintains that its Chrome OS will be consumer-ready by the second half of 2010.
134 Comments on Gates Downplays Chrome OS
And your market share theory is a bad one because the market fluctuates. How much do you want to bet that MS regains that market share at 7's release?
and most people dont download real apps anymore, they download crap that is malware/spyware yes, but real apps......naaa, specly not a netbook.
I see what your saying, but i deal with quite a few morons and have for years, and its gotten to the point where alot/most people are perfectly happy as long as their system "just works" meaning they dont get ms office trial edition (30-90days) they get a full office suit, they dont need to worry about viruses and they can do their normal internet business.
And FYI, I am 100% happy with my windows for my main rig, server 2008 sp2 rocks, BUT most people arent like us, they arent power users.
and WileE your into mac's and you have the ballz to mention downloading random apps and installing them?
The linux apps you find in the wild are rarely that easy. Either you have to check all of the dependencies manually, and compile them, or you check your dependencies, and then hope you got the right pre-compiled binary for your distro.
Xandros for example you just head to their app store(appget program) and find your program, if dependency's are needed, it gets them to, as to apps that arent listed in their appstore, you can use debian packages last i checked and they do let you just install.
I use Xandros as an example because IMHO of the "user friendly" distro's I tested a while back it was still the easiest came with alot of stuff to make moving from windows as seamless as possible including crossover being part of the default install(meaning windows apps can be setup and used with little to no hassle)
there are a ton of other 100% free distros that are not really hard to use.
I agree windows makes it easy to download and install alot of apps, BUT because its so easy alot of people endup installing spyware/addware/junkware and then the system dies a slow horrible death forcing people like us to re-install the damn thing for the damn bloody noobs.
and honestly, if my father and my mother and the office worker here can use vector 6 without me needing to babysit them and tech them anything, then thats a pretty damn good sign that its easy to use and at least to them appears to be just another "windows" version.
www.zdnet.com.au/insight/software/soa/Is-it-Windows-7-or-KDE-4-/0,139023769,339294810,00.htm
watch the video, pretty much prooves avg people dont know what os they are seeing/using and dont really care, if it works, lets them do day to day stuff, and looks pretty, they dont really care if its got a K in the bottem right corner or a windows logo or whatever.
I find it funny when people say vista is hard to use and yet they think kde4 looks far easier to use (rofl) and then the same people think windows7 will be easier to use then vista.......
vista is no harder to use then xp was when it came out, win7 is in effect vista with a more mac-like gui.
each time they upgrade windows over the past few years it requiers "joe sixpack" type users to re-learn how and where to find stuff they use to do all the time, frustrating and annoying the customer, Not good a good business model/plan if you ask me.
people moving from xp or older to vista/7 would have close to the same learning curve as they would moving to say xandros or even vector6(it really is pretty damn easy to use) because of all the little gui changes, hell the display properties threw my mother for a loop on my system(server 2008) because she was use to XP's and she has to change res when her laptops connected to the external monitor :)
As much as people want to wish, linux is not quite there yet. They need a unified installer. Never understood why this hasn't been done yet. :shadedshu
PC-BSD took a nice OS X approach, wheread uBuntu took a really warped version of Windows's program management. Neither work that great still, if you're clueless about what you're doing. Synaptic still has a lot of cryptic files to the newbie.
That, and xOrg need to pull their heads out of their ass. Ati cards are beyond useless when it comes to linux. My x1600 doesn't have any available Ati drivers for 3d. t(*_*t) you too, Ati.
I agree with everything else tho. I've been saying that Linux needs a unified installer for years. They need to make it double-click simple if they really want significant market share.
Oh, well.
Hell ms's own installer has issues!!
want proof try and install the zunesuit on windows vista or 2008 x64, IT WONT WORK!!!! you have to use reg hacks to get the zunesuit on your system, and thats far from friendly to 99.999999999999999999999999% of the market.
If you need help with most linux distro's and getting some app installed, you can just ASK FOR HELP on their forums or irc channels, hell vectors devs will walk ANYBODY thru any problem they have, very nice clam guys :D
EDIT:
make note that at least with linux if an installers bugged or borked you can get it fixed or fix it yourself, on windows if a windows installer or install shield installers borked most times you cant do shit about it.
Don't turn this into an argument of semantics. The fact is, Windows and OS X are overall easier to use the linux, period. No ifs, ands or buts. Until Linux becomes as easy to use, it will never gain a real foothold in the market.
Windows
NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System)
Actual Installer
Advanced Installer
CreateInstall
CreateInstall Light
CreateInstall Free
DeployMaster
DreamShield(free deployment tool for .NET Framework based applications)
Excelsior Installer
Excelsior Delivery
Inno Setup
InstallAware
InstallBuilder
Install Creator (Pro) (formerly Install Maker (Pro))
InstallShield
Installer VISE
Instyler Setup
MSI Package Builder
QSetup
Scriptlogic Desktop Authority MSI Studio
SetupBuilder Developer Edition
SetupBuilder Professional Edition
Setup Factory
Tarma ExpertInstall 3
Tarma Installer 5
Windows Installer(to many versions to list)
Wise Installation Studio 7
Wise Installation Express 7
Wise Package Studio
WiX
wyBuild & wyUpdate written in C#
Mac OS X
Installer for Mac OS X, from Apple Inc.
Iceberg for Mac OS X
Remote Install Mac OS X
VISE X by MindVision Software
so each of them has multi installers, mac having the least(thanks to apple being very strict on what they allow on osx)
windows has a shitload if different installers, and if you hit a bugged installer, good luck tracking down the problem and fixing it or for that matter getting the company behind it to fix it.
At least with linux, If you cant fix it yourself, most times you can ask in IRC or on a forum and have help very quickly to get the problem fixed with a spicific installer.
example from today, i grabbed the latist opera10 installer for windows and linux, couldnt get the linux installer to work, went on irc, and somebody helped me edit the install script file to fix the error(took like 30sec, just had to change one line of text) and bam worked no problem.
yet i have a STACK of windows apps that WONT INSTALL on any windows version but XP without hacking the hell out of them(no i dont mean they wont install on server, they also wont install on 2k or vista because there are bugs/flaws in the installer)
Linux is far from perfect, but its not as bad as it use to be, at least when you run into a wall, you can ask for help and most times, somebody will help you, with windows, good luck getting a proprietary installer issue fixed, even by the people who made the damn thing!!!
Hell MICROSOFT cant even fix the zunesuit's vista x64 installer so it works without hacking the registry(ask DarkNova or anybody else running x64 vista/7 with a zune) and THEY MAKE THE DAMN INSTALLER AND SOFTWARE IN IT!!!!
if it was Linux, you could pop open the install package, find the install script and fix it, but its windows, and its locked down so you cant edit the installer to fix the damn bugs :(
Windows is GREAT when it works(like I said, I LOVE my 2008) but its not flawless, and when stuff like an installer is borked, most times you will be flying blind trying to fix it :/
And as I have said, I agree they need one unified click and install system, BUT not a copy of windows click and install system.
P.S. have any of you ever used the Xandros app manager/store? wish windows installer/manager was as friendly and easy to use!!!
And apple doesn't restrict what's allowed on OS X. The fact is, OS X's default install method doesn't require an installer at all, therefore there is less need for installers in OS X. Most OS X apps are pre-package to be drag and drop, kinda like a portable app.
And if you can't get it to work in Windows, a simple google search, or a forum post here, will most likely get it fixed. And it's usually no more difficault than having to use the command line in Linux. But bugs have nothing to do with the point at all.
Normal people don't use irc, btw.
And you are still just arguing semantics, and completely dancing around the point. Windows and OS X are easier to use, period. Bugs DO NOT COUNT. They are bugs, not flat out incompatibilities or dependency hell. There are so many more Windows apps, of course there will be a lot of bugs.
You can try to make cases of how easy it is to use the Xandros app manager is, but the fact remains it's only good for the things in the app. It doesn't do a damn thing for you if you find something you want that's not in their store.
you/somebody mentioned problem packeges/buggy packeges fact is thats no worse then the installer hell that can be windows.
You dont seem to get it, I have done a shitload of googling and even lately trying bing to find fixes for some installers, some arent compatible with vista, some arent compatible with x64 windows(despite the app in them being x64 compatible)
Windows can be just as bad as Linux for installer issues, the diffrance being that if you need help with a linux installer you WILL GET IT, with windows, you have a good chance of not being able to fix the installer without knowing far more about the os and installer/installer packer then any sain person would want to know(I know it and I dont even want to know it!!!)
OSX is a different beast controlled by apple, and has a limited software library that even makes linux's look large in comparison.
and if OSX borks up, apples responce 9/10 times is to reinstall the os........no workarounds no "heres how to fix it" just tell you to reinstall and that its fast......
oh, and yes, manytimes the easiest way to fix any system is to wipe it and start over, but many people dont want to have to reinstall everything or reset all their settings, its just alot of hassle.
last week a guy from my mothers church named Ed asked me to look at his computer, it got a virus from an infected GIF file, well, I cleaned it off and such, offered to reinstall the system for him to clear up some errors that where being a real bitch to track down(missing files that it trys to load at start up, but cant find whats trying to load them in reg or other config files) he didnt want it reinstalled and was willing to put up with the error messeges because he didnt want to have to deal with getting the system set back up like he likes it.
Hell I can relate, i keep forgetting to make backup images so i can just restore if i start having problems(cant atm, my backup hdd is gone, waiting to get a new larger one)
and one place you must admit linux and mac are better then windows is in the dept of user security, normal users CANT BORK THE SYSTEM UP, where as in windows, even with UAC they can cause the system to not be useable for them(change res outside what the monitor supports for example)
try VL6 on virtual box, play with it a bit, setup opera10(not hard at all) see what i mean about it not being that hard, and far easier then having to track down windows installer buggs(alot of bugs on the install shield forums for example recommend a full system reinstall.....)
linux is far from perfect, but so is windows and so is mac, nothings perfect for everybody or every use, for me windows 2008 rocks, for some it would be very hard to use due to this or that, hell alot of mac users are lost when they see windows, where somebody like me can adapt to damn near anything I run across, even weird ass guis like the 3d cube and sphere gui's some *nix distros have installed, or text based "gui" setups.
the way i see it, adapt or die, because in the computer world things are constantly changing, some for the better, others for the worse.
And Apple does not limit OS X apps. just like MS doesn't limit Windows apps. And Apple's support service has nothing to do with this discussion either.
Again, BUGS ARE NOT THE TOPIC AT HAND. Of course Windows apps will have more bugs. It's simple matter of percentages. Leave the bugs out of the discussion.
Nobody claimed any OS was perfect, but if you insist Linux is as easy as Windows or OS X, you are simply delusional. It being harder to use is exactly why it has not gained a strong market share. It is still significantly behind both Windows and OS X, despite all of it's growth.
and have you used any of the current "easy to use" linux versions m8, they arent any worse for most people then windows is, hell distro's like xandros even let you setup windows apps without any real work!!!!
dependancys are and issue, but you can run into the same shit with windows, havent you ever had an app that needed a file from the visual c++ or visual basic or the java runtime liberys?
I have, and god its freaking annoing, and windows dosnt install them by default, nor do many apps, hell it took me weeks to track down a bug with kalonline a while back for a buddy that was directly linked to the fact he didnt have the visual c 2005 runtimes installed( 2008's dont work,u need 2005 and 2008 as well as the vb runtimes and and and....blah)
the only os that appears to lack dependencies is osx if your words are correct that all osx apps can just be extracted dragged and dropped, BUT alot of noobie users dont even know how to drag and drop.......so they are screwed if they dont want to run everything from the desktop!!!
And despite your complaints against dependencies in Windows, it is a FAR more common issue in Linux. Installing most things in Windows is still easier for the majority of people.
i give up, your right, No noob can be stuck on linux and just happily do their day to day activities, its just to damn hard to use and manage.
and osx and windows are dreams that never have any real problems.