Josh wrote:
--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Personally, I have trouble imagining that Google
would want to get
into the Desktop OS business. Ubuntu isn't bad, but
the only way
anyone will profit is if they sell computers in
volume with Linux
pre-installed.
Try telling that to RedHat, or any of the other
linux distro vendors.
As the article states, one possibility is a version
of Ubuntu
tweaked for internal use. That would make more
sense. But they
wouldn't go to all the trouble of re-skinning then.
There has been talk about Google OS for a long time.
It would be extremely profitable for Google. They
could gather more data about users and provide lots of
additional advertising.
This presupposes that people are going to put the new OS on their hard
drives more than they are doing now. How are they going to get people to
do that?
There were also some recent rumors about a GoogleCube
or some kind of consumer electronic device that
eventually would be able to be expanded into a
computer. Other rumors were about Google buying
T-Mobile or another cell phone company to build cell
phones that would be able to automatically connect to
the coming wireless "GoogleNet" with VoIP. Microsoft
is talking about a cell phone that could be attached
to a keyboard and monitor to make a simple computer,
and if that happens then they probably won't be the
only one making them. I think that a lot of new
things are going to happen soon. I don't know what
Google will do with "Goobuntu" and OpenOffice but I
think it's going to be big.
The thing is, Google would have better luck making Windows software that
accessed this new network. People are far more likely to install new
software than install a new OS. As for Goobuntu, if it exists, I suspect
it is for internal use:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060131-6087.html
Ask yourself, what's their market for YALD? Geeks? None of us would
tolerate such an invasion of privacy. N00bs? They try Linux if a Geek
helps them. The efforts of Xandros and Linspire are just a drop in the
bucket. Corporate customers? Those that try Linux typically put it in
servers. A few companies have tried Linux on desktops. Either way, no
company wants the kind of snooping Google is capable of.
--
Hawaiian Astronomical Society: http://www.hawastsoc.org
HAS Deepsky Atlas: http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky
