So, is Google launching a PC of its own?
According to the LA Times they are ... From the article: 'Sources say Google has been in negotiations with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., among other retailers, to sell a Google PC. The machine would run an operating system created by Google, not Microsoft's Windows, which is one reason it would be so cheap -- perhaps as little as a couple of hundred dollars.'"
There's a lot of talk about an alternative to Windows. Having been a Linux user on and off and despite having enjoyed it, I have to admit that there is no credible alternative to Windows. If only because its so easy to get things done on a windows machine. And that's not because Windows is a great software. It's because someone who knows how to get it done is not more than a phone call away. Macs are much (MUCH) nicer ... but they remain far more expensive. Though the move to Intel based machines should help bring Mac costs down some (hopefully).
Which brings us back to the Google PC. Here's why I think it might work. Everybody knows Google. Like everybody knows Microsoft. Brand recall is a powerful thing in the world of technology, especially for newbies. Google has establised itself as being extraordinarily easy to use. It's also established itself as being a lot of fun. That is a pretty potent combination. Especially for someone who doesn't know a lot about computers. And if you throw in the price then we are talking slam dunks and home runs galore all rolled into one. But this isn't why I think it's going to be great.
Let's get into a little bit of speculation. This is also known as la-la land in serious journalism.
It's safe to assume that the Google operating system will be based on what they already have up and running for Google's various offerings. Now the really big deal about this OS is data storage thanks to something called the Google File System (GFS). At the heart of every Google search and all the space that Google gives away at Gmail is the GFS. It supports near instant access to huge amounts of data, spread over diverse geographical locations.
A Google PC could very well be an extension -- a private node -- of this giant Google grid ... You would have access to all of Google's existing services. And some new ones. Like the often talked about but never confirmed Office suite. And the browser, though me thinks they're going to go with Mozilla Firefox, or a version of it.
The big deal about this will be that the computer will have none of the software on it. They will all be like Gmail. You will need to be connected to a Google server.
A lot of people have talked about network PCs -- computers that are whole only when connected to a network. But Google is in a position where this could soon be real.
And that's what could make a Google PC truly revolutionary.
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