Do you think Google would make Chrome OS offline too in future?

[icett]

As everyone knows Google is going to make the Chrome OS in competition to Windows. But they say it would be web centric meaning that it would work online. Not offline like people do many things like installing games, softwares etc. and use them offline on their desktop. I think that Google would initially offer an online operating system to the people and thereafter the force of competition would force them to offer an operating system which also work offline and for it there would be many softwares, games etc. made by different companies. This could also be a boon to other Linux distros. What do you think? Am I right?:)

[fela]

I think personally that Chrome OS will become a huge flop. We'll see though.

[pwnst*r]

As everyone knows Google is going to make the Chrome OS in competition to Windows. But they say it would be web centric meaning that it would work online. Not offline like people do many things like installing games, softwares etc. and use them offline on their desktop. I think that Google would initially offer an online operating system to the people and thereafter the force of competition would force them to offer an operating system which also work offline and for it there would be many softwares, games etc. made by different companies. This could also be a boon to other Linux distros. What do you think? Am I right?:)

i guess i'm still half asleep. i can understand if you're mobile and you don't have a connection, but if you're at home, who the heck gets on a desktop that's would be offline?

[nowin4me]

The reason people think Google Chrome OS is going to be an online OS is because Google Chrome is there web browser!

I think they are going to include something called Google Gears witch will let them use there PC off-line. If anything Google would want you to be online all the time so I don't think they will make it to off-line friendly.

[madjr]

if you can't do anything offline people will start tinkering on Android again

either way you will see a lot of google OSs all around

[spoons]

Not to suound rude to anyone but I can't believe we're coming to the point of saying "allowing you to use your PC offline". It's your PC, you can use it how you want. I thought that was the point of a computer anyway: It will do what you tell it to.

*removes self from soapbox*

[ajgreeny]

Not to suound rude to anyone but I can't believe we're coming to the point of saying "allowing you to use your PC offline". It's your PC, you can use it how you want. I thought that was the point of a computer anyway: It will do what you tell it to.

*removes self from soapbox*
+1
I completely agree! Who would want an OS that was totally useless if not online? There must be a mass of reasons for users to be off-line, but still want to use their computer.

Personally, I also feel much more secure with all my own files on my own machine, backed up to another drive in case of disk failure etc etc, and I don't want to have to entrust my files and everything else to a remote server, such as Google. Perhaps I'm just a bit paranoid.

[Paqman]

But they say it would be web centric meaning that it would work online. Not offline like people do many things like installing games, softwares etc. and use them offline on their desktop.

All the Google apps will work offline, due to Gears. Granted, not all Google apps currently use Gears, but presumably this is a gap they'll work towards filling.

Besides, they may go for a hardware solution through whatever OEMs they partner with. Personally i'm surprised that 3G chips in netbooks isn't standard kit already, although Nokia's pending netbook has one. Google could use their partnerships through the Open Handset Alliance to get 3G into their Chrome netbooks presumably.

[GenePayne]

Hopefully more apps than just the google apps (due to google gears) would be usable offline. I would be very surprised if this wasn't the case.

[t0p]

Google makes its living from the internet. And everything it's said about ChromeOS has emphasized its being an online operating system. In the blog post 'Introducing the Google Chrome OS' (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html) they say stuff like:


the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web

and:


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:


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

So no, I can't see them devoting too much time or resources to an offline mode.


i guess i'm still half asleep. i can understand if you're mobile and you don't have a connection, but if you're at home, who the heck gets on a desktop that's would be offline?

Maybe you're right, if you're talking about a world where ChromeOS is the only operating system. But in the real world there are plenty of tasks that do not inherently need to be online. Word processing, graphic manipulation, game playing... and that's just off the top of my head.


Not to suound rude to anyone but I can't believe we're coming to the point of saying "allowing you to use your PC offline". It's your PC, you can use it how you want. I thought that was the point of a computer anyway: It will do what you tell it to.

*removes self from soapbox*

Of course you can use your PC how you like. But if Google design their OS so it needs to be online to function, then guess what: you won't be able to use the OS offline. Just like you can't use your Sudoko game as a video player. No one says you're not allowed to do it. You just can't.

Sheesh!

(No sheeshing!)

[Paqman]

Hopefully more apps than just the google apps (due to google gears) would be usable offline. I would be very surprised if this wasn't the case.

There are some non-Google sites that use Gears (eg: Remember the Milk) but from what Google have said so far about Chrome OS it may not be possible to install conventional desktop apps. Google themselves have said:

For application developers, the web is the platform
Which certainly sounds a bit like the browser is the whole show.

[ade234uk]

I hope it takes another chunk out of Microsoft big fat pie. This is the only way Ubuntu and other Distros are going to get more notice and support.

What is encouraging is the way a lot of these websites have gone from using Silverlight to other formats everyone can use.

The only one big site I know that has not is SKY. I don't think they will either because they probably get a nice deal from Microsoft for all their desktops.

Could someone tell me the reason why sites are dumping Silverlight?

[Pogeymanz]

Google would be making a huge mistake if they made it so you couldn't do anything offline. Sometimes people lose their connections, whether it's the ISP screwing up or a router dying. If people couldn't use their computers offline, Google would be screwed. I'm hoping that Chrome OS will be able to run some local version of Google-Docs or whatever when the internet connection is down.

EDIT:
Other than that, I think that Chrome will be a success. Google has not made a crappy product yet and they know that they are going up against a monster, so they will make it good. I have a feeling that Chrome might actually put Ubuntu out of business as the newbie-to-linux-distro.

[MasterNetra]

Sense Google Chrome OS will be Open Source, I suspect will we at least at some point see a version of it that better supports offline or perhaps later on they will see a lot of people still want a offline mode and provide a version with better offline support. I mean after all this ChromeOS is ment for Netbooks not regular labtops or desktops.

[RabbitWho]

Well it's aimed at netbooks. What can you do offline with a netbook anyway? nothing!
Yet nebooks use the same OS as full computers. This is probably what they're talking about, redesigning the OS to be web-orientated and web efficient. I'm sure this doesn't mean the netbook "doesn't work" offline, the os just isn't bloated with the potential to do things you can't do anyway because you only have a netbook.

[Paqman]

I'm hoping that Chrome OS will be able to run some local version of Google-Docs or whatever when the internet connection is down.


I'd put money on it. Gears will let you do that with Google Docs right now.

Seriously folks, if you're not using it already, look up Gears (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gears_%28software%29). It's great.

[MasterNetra]

Well it's aimed at netbooks. What can you do offline with a netbook anyway? nothing!
Yet nebooks use the same OS as full computers. This is probably what they're talking about, redesigning the OS to be web-orientated and web efficient. I'm sure this doesn't mean the netbook "doesn't work" offline, the os just isn't bloated with the potential to do things you can't do anyway because you only have a netbook.

+1
Yea. I'm sure Google will probably do a spin off of GC-OS for Laptop and Desktops with a far better offline support. And by spin off I mean probably a Android+GC-OS Hybrid of some sort.

[FuturePilot]

As everyone knows Google is going to make the Chrome OS in competition to Windows. But they say it would be web centric meaning that it would work online. Not offline like people do many things like installing games, softwares etc. and use them offline on their desktop. I think that Google would initially offer an online operating system to the people and thereafter the force of competition would force them to offer an operating system which also work offline and for it there would be many softwares, games etc. made by different companies. This could also be a boon to other Linux distros. What do you think? Am I right?:)

Ahhhh, the wonderful disadvantages of the cloud. :)

[t0p]

Well it's aimed at netbooks. What can you do offline with a netbook anyway? nothing!
Yet nebooks use the same OS as full computers. This is probably what they're talking about, redesigning the OS to be web-orientated and web efficient. I'm sure this doesn't mean the netbook "doesn't work" offline, the os just isn't bloated with the potential to do things you can't do anyway because you only have a netbook.

Do you own a netbook? I suspect not, because you are certainly ignorant of what they can do. FYI: a netbook is a real computer. I use mine when I'm out and about to browse websites and read email, sure, but also to watch videos, listen to music, type urgent reports... hell, anything. And when I'm at home, if the girlfriend or my brother is using the desktop machine, I hook up my spare monitor and a keyboard and mouse to my EeePC and use that instead. There are some forum members who use their netbooks as their main computers.

Anyway, although Google say that ChromeOS "will initially be targeted at netbooks", they go on to say (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html) it is "designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems."

[lukeiamyourfather]

As far as I can tell Chrome OS is targeted at netbooks. A striped down Linux based system with only a browser. Maybe I'm missing something? Cheers!

[t0p]

As far as I can tell Chrome OS is targeted at netbooks. A striped down Linux based system with only a browser. Maybe I'm missing something?

Yes you are missing something. Read the post directly above yours.

[lukeiamyourfather]

Yes you are missing something. Read the post directly above yours.

I should've quoted the original post because that's who I was replying to. Never the less its still the Linux kernel and the Chrome browser. Nothing to write home about if you ask me. Cheers!

[Firestem4]

Not to suound rude to anyone but I can't believe we're coming to the point of saying "allowing you to use your PC offline". It's your PC, you can use it how you want. I thought that was the point of a computer anyway: It will do what you tell it to.

*removes self from soapbox*

I completely agree +1

[HappinessNow]

As everyone knows Google is going to make the Chrome OS in competition to Windows. But they say it would be web centric meaning that it would work online. Not offline like people do many things like installing games, softwares etc. and use them offline on their desktop. I think that Google would initially offer an online operating system to the people and thereafter the force of competition would force them to offer an operating system which also work offline and for it there would be many softwares, games etc. made by different companies. This could also be a boon to other Linux distros. What do you think? Am I right?:)

Of course Google Chrome OS will be available offline and online, they are poised to overcome their two major competitors Microsoft and Apple they will do everything in their power to whack them off at the knees!

I will be in line to use GCOS when it does come out.

[Paqman]

Yes you are missing something. Read the post directly above yours.

There's no word either way on that. They've said they're thinking of desktops, but they've also said their target user is someone using their machine mostly to interact with the web.

So it could very well be the browser-is-the-shell concept. We'll have to wait and see.

[Mr. Picklesworth]

I think Chrome OS should be made out of stainless steel, instead.


(In other words, I wish people would stop with all this bloody baseless speculating! It is almost as bad as the Apple tablet rumours).

[ChrT]

Ugh, another "cloudy" thread.

Myself, I'm paranoid to the point that I use GPG and host my own email out of my basement for anything that really matters. And the overwhelming majority of "web apps" are poor attempts to copy the functionality of normal applications, but do it by making you use a browser and while connected.

I don't know about you, but I don't really see the netbook as a device that's "always online". Some of the ones with 3g modems built-in may be, but even that's a stretch given the exorbitant rates ISPs charge for those kind of connections. And it's not like the only thing a 1.6GHz processor and 1GB ram machine (which covers about 90% netbooks) can do is display a browser.

[hanzomon4]

You don't have to use a browser.. I never go to the gmail, gcal or twitter sites

[HappinessNow]

Ugh, another "cloudy" thread.


I think the mistake here is to think that Google Chrome OS will "Only" be cloud based, Google is much more intelligent then that. They will create a system to capture the masses. It is just makes good business sense for them to do the right thing that brings them the greatest amount of profit.

Trite but true even now.

[wildman4god]

Html 5 has the ability to allow web apps to store data offline in the browsers cashe so you can use it off line in some instances, it will only work for basic web apps that download the whole webapp into the browser, a cloud based video editor, for example, has it's backend on the server while only the UI loads into the browser. Also google is anticipating the future where we will have compleate nation wide wireless broadband coverage inside of 5 years. By the end of next year all the major US cities and even some smaller ones should have complete 4G coverage. and if I understand 4G correctly it will be ISP based and not cellular based, which means you can get 4G coverage bundled with your home internet connection and have as many devices as you want on it. I think comcast is already doing this. But I think Google Chrome OS will do well among consumers for a netbook/smartbook os (not a desktop os) because:

1. It's made by Google and judging from how popular google android is becoming then chrome os should also become popular with consumers who just want to access desktop-class internet on the go.

2. Google is not challenging MS, they know full well it will still be at least 10 yrs before web apps become robust enough for professional to leave traditional desktops. they are releasing Chrome os for the same reason they release chrome browser, not to compete but to get the others in the game to start to rethink how computing should be done. Look at what happened when they release Chrome browser, all the other browser vendors immediately stepped up their game, Firefox is getting faster, got a new java script engine (which is necessary for future of web apps) and they are reconsidering the browser design, other vendors are doing the same thing, and this is what Google wants. Not necessarily to have people use their browser or os but to prepare the world for the future which is cloud computing.

3. Google is making Chrome OS to be an os for a secondary, not primary, computing device. Google never said they were taking on Microsoft, everyone else made that assumption, and personally I think Chrome OS will be the perfect OS for smartbooks and netbooks, as their name implies they are portable computers that are intended to get online and surf the web, not run local apps. which is what Chrome OS does. and it will do it well if it's browser is any indication.

[Mateo]

Google is an online company, it's not going to put a focus on offline, ever. This is 2009, after all. Offline users are a smaller and smaller minority every day.