Tech Blog

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Ah Google's part of take over our computing world is proceeding nicely. Mac users should have a (real) beta of Chrome next month-Chrome for Mac due in December?-and now we hear tell that we could see the first betas of the Linux-powered Google Chrome OS next week-Chrome OS to come within a week? | 9 to 5 Mac-Google Chrome OS To Launch Within A Week? Have the holiday goodies come early to geeks?

Maybe so, so beyond Chrome (the browser) for Mac (I've been running the dev preview for a while and it's very stable and the nightly builds of Chromium which is even more stable), getting Chrome OS could be something that will be...? Great? Game changing? Yet another OS choice?

I'm on the fence here about Chrome OS. Oh of course I'll try it, but I wonder who will choose to use it. Yes, I believe that netbook makers are eyeing it for a go to OS, but who else?

Here's my gut feeling on this: Current netbook owners might benefit from it because it might give them an option beyond their default XP install or  (like me) using a "netbook friendly" version of Ubuntu that mostly, sorta kinda works with all your hardware (no guarantee that Chrome OS will fair any better of course). New netbooks with it will probably find it good, assuming Chrome OS is bundled with enough on board storage and caching for offline use.

Everyone else? Not going to be a big deal. Windows will still rule the roost and Macs will still run OS X. Sure Chrome OS will influence what new features are coming, and maybe inspire some new add-ons, but the world hasn't been overturned by Ubuntu yet (also free and also very easy to use).

Or maybe I'm just cranky this morning.