From NYTimes: "In a post on its company blog, Google said the operating system would initially be aimed at netbooks, the compact, low-cost computers that have turned the PC world on its head. It said the open-source software, called Chrome OS, would be available in the second half of next year. Read more for a quick observation on the announcement.
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Member since:2005-09-27
Why can't the business just set up internal web applications for their staff, and keep that data in-house
For the same reason they keep their money in the bank and not in their offices, let someone else take care of your problems is atractive, you only need to know who to trust.
Edited 2009-07-08 14:14 UTC
Member since:2007-09-06
Centralized storage and app hosting makes sense within the business:
- access control over data and applications.
- app management is all in one place for single update roll out company wide.
- the local platform doesn't matter provided it can run a browser.
- processing and heavy resource use is on the server side so workstations can be lower specs.
- a broken workstation means putting a fresh one on the desk and logging back in again while IT fixes or retires the old one.
Lots of things that make sense when kept within the company but.. involve a third party and:
- any network failure between you and google puts you out of work until fixed.
- data integrety can not be verified unless you can somehow visit Google's server farms and the boxes your data is floating through. integrety over the network is even worse.
- you can not control your data and application access
- you are limited to Google's update cycle (may be better or worse than your own so that goes either way)
- legal and contractual obligations may require locally stored data.
- In the US, it's very easy to convince a third party without vested interest to open your data up.
- The EULA clearly states that data stored on Google's servers, belongs to google.. if they hit hard times, they are legally obligated to find profits any way possible including off your data through research or outright retail.
- Currently, network hosted apps do not compare to locally installed apps for performance or functionality.
- There are existing better ways to gain the few advantages to this type of setup without involving a third party.
As for banks, some people do manage there own investments but if the bank looses your money, it's insured and you don't have to get the same dollar bills back. If they loose your data it may be irreplaceable or duplicated to many unauthorized people. Money is an anonymous medium primarily, information is personally identifiable and related to a single individual. If I loose 20$ on the street, no great loss beyond the obvious financial figure. If I loose my social insurance number on the street or a database full of customer data; that's a real problem that may cost magnitudes more than 20$.
Member since:
2005-08-07
Why can't the business just set up internal web applications for their staff, and keep that data in-house... most modern companies already are moving towards web-based interfaces for management and the like, why not every day tasks as well?
I highly doubt Google will be forcing people to store everything on their servers, especially not if they are serious about competting with - and thus one day planning to exceed - Microsoft's market share.
I for one can't wait, finally a Linux based open source OS that isn't trying to copy what everyone else is doing as far as user interaction goes. If you look at some of the things Chrome is already capable of with its O3D and HTML5 stuff, I can certainly see myself switching the day it's made available.