I’ve been listening to all the talk about Google Chrome, the cool little demonstration videos and the EULA back tracking and find it all very interesting.
I have to say I haven’t used Chrome yet but that’s okay because this isn’t a product review.
I’m most interested because everyone is calling Chrome a Browser and I’m not sure it is.
John C Dvorak, has said he thinks this will lead to a Google operating system but I’m not sure this isn’t the operating system itself, loosely anyway.
Maybe I’m linking elements together incorrectly but for me you have to consider 3 elements and the impact they will have on the Technology Industry and beyond.
First, Google Apps, essentially a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Why bother with Microsoft Office if you can have all your applications on the Internet and using Google’s computing power rather than you own.
This is what is being called ‘the cloud’, Apple have their MobileMe platform allowing you to store your files on the Internet so that you can access them from anywhere.
All of these services are trying to achieve the same thing, use the Internet more, use it for storage, processing, synchronisation etc.
Secondly, there is Internet access and generally it is getting quicker and more available away from your office or home; there is WiFi, WiMax, 3G etc
Third there are the devices themselves. Asus Eee PC, the really small PC using a Linux based operating system. With this you don’t get a huge amount of power but it’s very portable and hey if your going to use Google’s Servers for your processing needs why do you want a big laptop when a small one will do.
Also there is the iPhone, which I’m using to write this post, or Google Android or whatever the competition comes up with in the future. These devices are pretty much connected to the Internet or could be 24 7.
So put them all together and what you get is ultra small and ultra mobile devices which are incredibly powerful (they have the power of Google’s servers) and they are constantly connected to the internet for browsing, email, letters and reports, spreadsheets, presentations or data access.
You can choose a pocket sized smart phone or a more traditional laptop style or indeed an ultra mobile, a tablet, or if you prefer a windows PC or a media centre to give you access to your Video on Demand service.
The choice is yours, to suit your needs and your budget.
So why do you want to pay for that ultra fast PC, unless you are gaming, or why do you want the power of Microsoft Windows or Office when it’s all more conveniently on the cloud and you can access it anywhere via the same interface and applications you are used to. You can access you office files without the need to bring them home in your brief case and you can access your home files to see how much you need to pay that bill for.
There are of course some down sides to this scenario but most of these will be fixed over time.
What do you do when you don’t have access to the Internet, I travel most days by London Underground, and until they get WiFi it’s going to be dead time in this scenario.
Also there are security and EULA issues.
Finally there are alternatives, kind of, why not put all your files on a memory stick and if you need applications you can use a U3 memory stick to take your desktop with you from computer to computer.
So is Google chrome a browser or a platform giving you access to the cloud and all of your computing needs through any device running it.
As always, we live in exciting times, which is why I love tech and my job so much.
Posted by Jim Stevenson 
Bletchley Group 