saleBlack Friday see store specials

Google Chrome OS

Google Chrome OS is a free open source, lightweight operating system designed and optimized for web use, and will mainly be targetted to netbooks. Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 and ARM processors and is planned to be included in a number of OEM netbooks in 2009-2010. It is a separate project from Android, however there are areas where to the two operating systems overlap.

Google Chrome OS
MSRP $0.00
Release date January, 2010
Brand Google
love it
want it
have it
tag it
Pros & Cons16
Reviews9
Details
Buy It
Competitors7
Comments1
twitter

Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
9 reviews
65
negative
mixed
positive
7 positive
2 mixed
0 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
Free
+8agreedisagree

•
Open source
+8agreedisagree

•
Optimized OS for netbooks
+6agreedisagree

•
very fast to boot
+6agreedisagree

•
being worked on by many big companies - Acer, Asus, HP, Adobe, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, etc...
+5agreedisagree

•
designed with security in mind
+3agreedisagree

•
based on Linux kernel - x86, ARM compatible, others?
+2agreedisagree

•
will hopefully bring about ARM-based smartbooks
+2agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)
+7agreedisagree

•
requires specific reference hardware - will be pre-installed on Google approved hardware only
+4agreedisagree

•
not an operating system at all - just a souped up Chrome browser (running on a vanilla Debian-based Linux OS)
+3agreedisagree

•
requires a connection to the internet for use of any application, access to any document
+3agreedisagree

•
Potential issues with internal competition with Android
+2agreedisagree

•
speed of the device relies heavily on the speed of your internet connection - eg/ will run slowly with a shoddy connection
+1agreedisagree

•
requires users to sign into their google accounts for access to the OS
+1agreedisagree

•
all apps are google web apps - welcome to the cloud, where your apps and personal content are entirely owned by Google
0agreedisagree


9 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Submit a link

This report was started July 8, 2009 at 8:39 am by Erik
with the last edit occurring Today, 7:36 PM by shadowtech
This page has been viewed 287 times, with 89 edits by 9 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Competitors

Google Chrome OS is ranked 5th among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Operating Systems »
Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

MSRP  $29.00    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • affordable to upgrade to compared to previous version of OSX
  • Finally a release that tidies up the plumbing rather then just adding features and bloat
  • OpenCL support for general purpose computation using graphics hardware - takes strain off of the CPU for computation more easily performed by the GPU
Cons
  • no longer supported on older PPC-based Apple hardware
  • Making a fresh install over pre-X.5 systems from the 29.00 upgrade violates the ULA.
  • only usable on proprietary Apple hardware
ProSCORE
7 reviews
73
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Google Chrome OS 0% vs. vote Mac OS X Snow Leopard 100%
Mac OS X Leopard

Mac OS X Leopard

MSRP  $129.00    Released  October, 2007
Pros
  • Improved Spotlight UI & performance
  • Screen sharing for controlling other machines remotely
  • Spaces for virtual desktop management
Cons
  • No more Classic support for PowerPC Macs
  • Runs games a little slower
  • More prone to security attacks, which has been proved
ProSCORE
39 reviews
70
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Google Chrome OS 0% vs. vote Mac OS X Leopard 100%
Microsoft Windows 7

Microsoft Windows 7

MSRP  --    Released  October, 2009
Pros
  • Improved memory management takes up less RAM than Vista
  • Revamped taskbar that can combine running programs and hide labels - 3 options how it is done
  • Allows you to turn off fundamental Windows features such as Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer
Cons
  • This is what Vista should have been, and we will get to pay for an 'upgrade'
  • Seriously overpriced
  • Abilioty to virtualise applications in XP environment available only on Professional and Ultimate edition
ProSCORE
47 reviews
80
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Google Chrome OS   vs. vote Microsoft Windows 7  
Microsoft Windows XP

Microsoft Windows XP

MSRP  --    Released  --
Pros
  • Good driver support - lots of drivers even for oblique and legacy hardware
  • backwards compatible; very good gaming platform
  • Stable
Cons
  • Programs aren't isolated from one another, so one can take down the whole OS
  • File system Fragments
  • Poor security out of the box
ProSCORE
34 reviews
55
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Google Chrome OS   vs. vote Microsoft Windows XP  
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

MSRP  --    Released  January, 2001

XP Pro is the the business targeted flavor of XP and contains many features that make working in a corporate environment more convenient and secure. The features are weighted towards expanded networking abilities, user profiles, and operating system maintenance. Two of the biggest additions to Pro over Home are the Remote Desktop functionality that...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Google Chrome OS   vs. vote Microsoft Windows XP Professional  
Microsoft Windows Azure

Microsoft Windows Azure

MSRP  --    Released  --
Pros
  • competing against Amazon leads to better costs for end users
  • allows businesses to focus on their online services and content without worrying about hardware or software
  • easy way to cut overhead costs, and scale without need for much notice
Cons
  • end user cost will not be significantly lower, control will be restricted
  • vapourwear - most exciting features are those most likely to be stripped by the end product
ProSCORE
2 reviews
71
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Google Chrome OS   vs. vote Microsoft Windows Azure  
Moblin

Moblin

MSRP  --    Released  --
ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Google Chrome OS 100% vs. vote Moblin 0%

Suggest a new competitor to add to the list of competing products.
If the product hasn't yet been added to ProductWiki, submitting it here will also start the product report.

Comments

1.  avatar Omar said:

I've tried light-weight 'cloud' computing before with the initial Eee Xandros operating system, and then tried Ubuntu... ultimately went back to XP. It felt like coming home.

I'm not saying that Windows is the be-all and end-all, but between Windows and OSX I don't really see what Chrome OS offers. And I'm saying this as a HUGE fan of the Chrome browser.

1. Speed - do people REALLY care if their computer boots up in 7 seconds versus 30? Considering people have their computer on for hours at a time, utility is marginal. Though in those rare cases where you just want to check something quickly it's useful.

2. Security - with Windows 7, Linux and OSX I don't feel like modern operating systems have much of a security issue. At this point in time the biggest security threats are fishing scams through e-mail, twitter and Facebook. Nothing to do with the OS.

3. Cost - it is free. I think most people don't really consider the cost of an OS as it's "hidden" when they buy a new computer. Which is obviously why Google is going to have computer partners.

As it currently stands, and how I understand the OS making it entirely web/cloud based is too much. Sure most of the time we use our browsers for productivity and such, and I'm a very heavy user of cloud apps. However, when you want to do basic things like watch a movie... you need a local media player. It looks like they have a local photoviewer, but I haven't seen a native video player yet. In general they're going to need to solve the media issue, which may be likely.

I mean Netbooks are about the Internet, productivity, and media. Internet is obviously covered. To cover the other two they're going to need offline versions of Google Docs, and an offline version of a media player.

And then there's things like sharing files etc...

By the end of 2010 which is their scheduled launch date, you're going to be able to get extremely powerful netbooks for under $300 that come with Windows 7 and work absolutely great. If Apple comes out with a low-cost netbook that'll be sweet as well. I just don't know why anyone would limit themselves so fundamentally from an application perspective, just to gain some slight performance (maybe).
Nov 19, 2009 4:18pm
Some HTML is allowed. Your comments remain editable after you post..

Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Yale

avatar
Yesterday, 2:16 PM
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
53
negative
mixed
positive
8 pros
7 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Free
  • Open source
  • Optimized OS for netbooks
  • very fast to boot
  • being worked on by many big companies - Acer, Asus, HP, Adobe, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, etc...
  • designed with security in mind
  • based on Linux kernel - x86, ARM compatible, others?
  • will hopefully bring about ARM-based smartbooks

Cons

  • web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)
  • requires specific reference hardware - will be pre-installed on Google approved hardware only
  • not an operating system at all - just a souped up Chrome browser (running on a vanilla Debian-based Linux OS)
  • requires a connection to the internet for use of any application, access to any document
  • Potential issues with internal competition with Android
  • speed of the device relies heavily on the speed of your internet connection - eg/ will run slowly with a shoddy connection
  • all apps are google web apps - welcome to the cloud, where your apps and personal content are entirely owned by Google

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

dom

avatar
Yesterday, 4:48 PM
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
8 pros
4 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Free
  • Open source
  • Optimized OS for netbooks
  • very fast to boot
  • being worked on by many big companies - Acer, Asus, HP, Adobe, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, etc...
  • designed with security in mind
  • based on Linux kernel - x86, ARM compatible, others?
  • will hopefully bring about ARM-based smartbooks

Cons

  • web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)
  • requires specific reference hardware - will be pre-installed on Google approved hardware only
  • not an operating system at all - just a souped up Chrome browser (running on a vanilla Debian-based Linux OS)
  • requires a connection to the internet for use of any application, access to any document

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Omar

avatar
Yesterday, 2:35 PM
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
50
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
3 cons
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Open source
  • Optimized OS for netbooks
  • very fast to boot

Cons

  • web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)
  • requires specific reference hardware - will be pre-installed on Google approved hardware only
  • requires a connection to the internet for use of any application, access to any document

Comments

"I've tried light-weight 'cloud' computing before with the initial Eee Xandros operating system, and then tried Ubuntu... ultimately went back to XP. It felt like coming home.

I'm not saying that Windows is the be-all and end-all, but between Windows and OSX I don't really see what Chrome OS offers. And I'm saying this as a HUGE fan of the Chrome browser.

1. Speed - do people REALLY care if their computer boots up in 7 seconds versus 30? Considering people have their computer on for hours at a time, utility is marginal. Though in those rare cases where you just want to check something quickly it's useful.

2. Security - with Windows 7, Linux and OSX I don't feel like modern operating systems have much of a security issue. At this point in time the biggest security threats are fishing scams through e-mail, twitter and Facebook. Nothing to do with the OS.

3. Cost - it is free. I think most people don't really consider the cost of an OS as it's "hidden" when they buy a new computer. Which is obviously why Google is going to have computer partners.

As it currently stands, and how I understand the OS making it entirely web/cloud based is too much. Sure most of the time we use our browsers for productivity and such, and I'm a very heavy user of cloud apps. However, when you want to do basic things like watch a movie... you need a local media player. It looks like they have a local photoviewer, but I haven't seen a native video player yet. In general they're going to need to solve the media issue, which may be likely.

I mean Netbooks are about the Internet, productivity, and media. Internet is obviously covered. To cover the other two they're going to need offline versions of Google Docs, and an offline version of a media player.

And then there's things like sharing files etc...

By the end of 2010 which is their scheduled launch date, you're going to be able to get extremely powerful netbooks for under $300 that come with Windows 7 and work absolutely great. If Apple comes out with a low-cost netbook that'll be sweet as well. I just don't know why anyone would limit themselves so fundamentally from an application perspective, just to gain some slight performance (maybe)."
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

shadowtech

avatar
Today, 7:36 PM
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
60
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
4 cons

Pros

  • Free
  • Optimized OS for netbooks
  • very fast to boot
  • being worked on by many big companies - Acer, Asus, HP, Adobe, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, etc...
  • designed with security in mind
  • based on Linux kernel - x86, ARM compatible, others?

Cons

  • web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)
  • not an operating system at all - just a souped up Chrome browser (running on a vanilla Debian-based Linux OS)
  • Potential issues with internal competition with Android
  • requires users to sign into their google accounts for access to the OS

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

fractalhorizon

avatar
October 11, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
83
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
1 con

Pros

  • Free
  • Open source
  • Optimized OS for netbooks
  • very fast to boot
  • being worked on by many big companies - Acer, Asus, HP, Adobe, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, etc...

Cons

  • web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)

Competitors

fractalhorizon prefers Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Mac OS X Leopard over Google Chrome OS
fractalhorizon prefers Google Chrome OS over Moblin
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Erik

avatar
July 9, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
2 cons
want itwant it

Pros

  • Free
  • Open source
  • Optimized OS for netbooks
  • being worked on by many big companies - Acer, Asus, HP, Adobe, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, etc...

Cons

  • web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)
  • Potential issues with internal competition with Android

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Jan

avatar
Today, 11:47 AM
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
75
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
1 con

Pros

  • Free
  • Open source
  • very fast to boot

Cons

  • requires specific reference hardware - will be pre-installed on Google approved hardware only

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Robb Lincoln

avatar
September 20, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
75
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
1 con

Pros

  • Free
  • Open source
  • designed with security in mind

Cons

  • web-based applications and focus on netbooks means it probably won't be a very powerful OS, not comparable or likely to eventually replace others (Windows, OSX, Linux etc...)

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

krystal

avatar
July 9, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • Free
  • Open source

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Twitter

tweet this product!
- join or start the conversation
Search twitter: search

... Loading for latest tweets from search.twitter.com..

tweetie

sponsored by:
Price comparison information by: