Why Chrome OS Will Succeed – Opinion
Apple’s Mac OS has been in existence since 1984 yet it has barely scrapped 5% of the operating system market share. The Linux OS has also been available since 1991 and yet it has also achieved a tiny 1% market share. Hence we can safely say that in the last 20 years, the biggest contender to Microsoft’s hegemony has barely even scratched the surface.
It is no secret that Google has high hope for Chrome OS. The operating will initially be launched on the netbook platform where Google expects it to flourish. Thereafter, it is widely believed that Google is planning on positioning a more established Chrome OS in the desktop market. The question is then; “how does Google expect to take on Microsoft where others have failed?”
Be First:
First of all, Google is planning on approaching the operating system market from a different angle than the rest. Instead of Chrome OS competing head on with Microsoft as a “native OS”; Google aims to market Chrome OS as a ‘cloud operating system’. This is a platform that Microsoft still hasn’t committed to, when in actual fact, cloud computing is widely expected to be the future of computing. This therefore means that Chrome OS will be getting it’s foot in first and positioning itself to be the market leader in cloud computing before Microsoft or even Apple get a foot in.
This strategy is key and Google Search itself is a great example of how being a ‘first mover’ can really position a company for success. Even when Microsoft and Yahoo poured insurmountable resources into the search engine market..they still failed to dint Google’s dominance. Today Bing can only watch and wait as Google Search dominates the market.
Enterprise Is Key:
The success of any operating system not only depends on the consumer but rather on enterprise. Five years or so ago, most businesses where heavily reliant on Microsoft software packages such as Outlook, Office and Internet explorer. This meant that even when business actually wanted to switch to alternative operating systems, they couldn’t as they were bound in by Microsoft’s productivity tools. Five years on, most companies have switched to Google mail, with the advent of Google Docs, Wave, Earth, the App market Place, Adsense and many other powerful Google services; it seems feasible that when Chrome OS arrives, many companies will find it easier to make that all important switch. Companies are no longer tethered to Microsoft as they were in the past.
Resources, Experience and Expertise:
Google’s infrastructure is also key in all of this. Google has the expertise, the resources and most of all the brand name to pull Chrome OS off. Already Google’s Chrome browser is being used by over 70 million people around the world hence Google already has millions of people who are already familiar with the Chrome interface and are possibly willing to switch to Chrome OS. Google’s experience in Android OS will also take play as such experience will be critical in positioning Chrome OS in it’s early stages. The confidence that has grown around Google due to Android OS is quite frankly incalculable. Why can’t this great reputation propel Chrome OS?
Hype:
As we have seen with products as repugnant as the Apple Ipad; in today’s ‘tech world, it’s all about hype. With the anticipation that Google has created for the last year it is difficult to imagine a ‘quiet’ launch of Chrome OS. Google has already mentioned that it is working with a number of OEM’s hence this means that Chrome OS won’t be debuting on just one product but rather on a whole host of machines. In other words, at least 5 or 6 top electronics companies will be jostling to sell their Chrome OS device, Acer being one of them. This is all a recipe for a product release that is at least 3 to 4 times bigger than that of Apple’s Ipad.
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16 Responses to Why Chrome OS Will Succeed – Opinion
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Man UBuntu has been available only since 2004
Apologies. I meant to say Linux. I've gone ahead and made that change.
cheers
I think that Google will, at some point, create a desktop OS by combining Android and Chrome OS somehow. I think it is a very clever way of google attacking microsoft on it's main field – the desktop – by pretending to be interested in two totaly different areas (mobile for Android and cloud for Chrome) but at the same time developing OS knowledge and a huge customer base and brand awarness (as OS). So if Microsoft feels safe on desktop for now it is just a false security feeling that Google likes to give to them.
Indeed. Google is slowly inching into the Microsoft dominated OS market in much the same way they sneaked into the Phone market by first introducing Android OS; thereafter dropping the bombshell with Nexus One. Something that Apple never saw coming.
You're speculating wildly here. First, you speculate that Google is pretending to be interested in two totally different areas. You can bet that ALL tech companies have seen the connection between today's cell phones and computing. And you're also speculating that Microsoft is being lulled into a false sense of security. If (and I mean no disrespect) you can see a strategy, I think Microsofts corporate bigwigs have seen it from the beginning and are planning accordingly. You're simply not giving either side the credit it deserves in regard to planning and strategy.
google has a good chance to compete with windows
I would not under any circumstances say that "most" companies have switched to Gmail. A good number, but hardly any sort of majority. Most companies don't like their emails being read for ad serving purposes…
Also, having seen how buggy the Chrome browser is, I'd never trust it to run my whole computer…
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I think that Google Chrome OS really has the potential to be a game changer. I currently use windows and have for many years rather liked MS products. Having said that and meant that, if Google can deliver all of the following: free OS, no anti-virus needed, self-healing, no back ups needed (all on the cloud), changing computers is a breeze (just remember password and your old desktop and data comes back), plus other stuff like cloud printing (any computer prints to any printer – in the world). IF all of this can be done, and for free yet, I honestly don't know how anything could stop their (Google's) dominance.
Couldn't agree with your assessment more. It reminds me of a master chess player, all these pieces in play.
I have also liked MS products for years, way back to DOS 3. But in the last few years with Vista and win 7, it's just a burn. Office 2007/2010 as opposed to Office 2003 – who cares? Except you got to buy it in case someone sends you a *.docx file – which was the real reason to make that the new default format, to make everyone upgrade office.
My wife just got a Win 7 computer, the hardware was no longer good enough. Even though things are way better than they used to be, the upgrading was still a real pain in the butt. I'm waiting for the Google Chrome OS thing where the new machine remembers all your settings and looks and feels the same. Upgrading machines will be painless.
I fear that there are so many pieces in play that no management team is up to the task. Having said that, I hope it proves to be the best thing since sliced bread.
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It will be a huge sucess. at some point people get tired of pretending to be techies or calling their brother-in-law every 2 weeks
Thanks a lot for this 'Chris'. Unfortunately I include these "clever" phrases because it's my vocab and that is how I speak; it's not because of hubris.
I will take your recommendations on board and will try to include more citations.