The arrival of Chrome OS has immediately split opinions. Some are calling it the future of computing, while others see it as an overly radical, ridiculously hyped, stripped down Linux port. As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
For the smartbook space, however, Chrome OS could be exactly what the doctor ordered. It has certainly impressed key smartbook promoter Qualcomm:
“Qualcomm has been working closely with the Google Chrome team to bring this new web-centric platform to commercial release,” admitted Luis Pineda, the company’s senior vice president of market and product management. “As a leading collaborator with Google on solutions like Android, Qualcomm is actively participating in the development of this new OS vision.”
“Qualcomm believes the ‘Chrome OS’ vision aligns well with our vision for smartbooks – which includes all-day battery life, a broad range of connectivity options (3G, GPS, BT, WiFi), a very thin/light form factor, and leading support for mobile web applications, all in larger-screen form factors,” he added.
Pineda is right, it sounds like a match to us too. More practically, the challenge will twofold: 1. How long will it take Google to get Chrome OS into a consumer ready state? 2. How long will it take consumers to swallow the Cloud computing model that Google is promoting?
That said, Chrome OS also has strong backing from ARM and the circa $200 price tag, which is continually attributed to smartbooks, may well cajole users into taking the plunge. For those who do, a potentially brave new world awaits.
Gordon
