microsoft

Google OS… Lives!

Some fairly big news today!

Google has announced that it’s going to compete with Microsoft in the OS wars. Their long-denied Linux-based Google OS is due to be released next year.

Is 2010 the year of the Linux desktop?

TechCrunch has an analysis here and, as usual, quality work from Ars.Technica.

Some interesting tidbits:

Google says the software architecture will basically be the current Chrome browser running inside “a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.” So in other words, it basically is the web as an OS.

You may not remember… but Microsoft actually tried this with Active Desktop and IE4. You don’t need to be told that it failed miserably, but if anybody can make it work I think it’s Google. Also interesting to note that this is the way that Palm has gone with their WebOS based smartphone, the Palm Pre. The proof will be in the pudding.

I think what’s going to make all this possible is the standardisation of HTML5. HTML5 has fairly extensive provisions for offline work in web applications (Web Storage) which Google also has in Gears. They also say that any application developed for the new Chrome OS will work on any standards-compliant browser. Microsoft seriously better pull finger with their HTML5 support or they will run the very real risk of being left behind…

All and all, a great development. Lets see where it goes.

Xbox to be Blu

photo credit: DeclanTM

Around the Internet, we hear that Sony and Microsoft are in talks over an Xbox Blu-ray disc drive. No surprises here, HD-DVD lost and Xbox picking up Blu-ray will force the consoles to battle on the merits of their games.

This all seems still a little up-in-the-air, non-confirmed and liquid but I did hear a little rumor from another source – scribbled on my whiteboard when I got into work! Apparently they’ll be here by Christmas and cost NZD$400 – a whopping $150 more expensive than their HD-DVD drives. Also, they’ll work on your Vista PC over a USB connection, as the HD-DVD drive did.

If true, this levels the playing field between PS3 and Xbox360 a little. Although PS3 will still be the cheapest BD-Live (Profile 2.0) player. Xbox360 Arcade edition + BD player will be ~$750 when the PS3 is around about $650 at the moment. Should be interesting to see if anything comes of this and if my whiteboard was correct, or just making things up.