Google Chrome OS For Mobile Cloud Computing

Chrome OS is certainly not the first “thin client” operating system we will see and it for sure won’t be the last. But because it is being built by Google and will be open source (free to install), the economic implications of this particular cloud oriented, thin client (netbooks & MID’s) OS will be huge.

CPU and hardware manufacturers such as Intel and Acer will be looking at what Chrome OS can do for them and customers in the netbook and highly transportable computing markets. Likely is the hope for continually increasing penetration and sheer growth of unit numbers in that particular space. And users such as myself? Well I am hoping for a fast boot up time from cold, warm or sleep. Also for a bullet-proof, fast and secure browsing and application usage environment. It needs to be secure of course, but I would assume that all of the 3rd party players currently in the Win and Mac OS protection space will have products for Chrome as well.  So what else? We will see tomorrow what Google thinks we all want. The nice thing about an open source software product is that it is for the most part, a great thing for the consumers. Users that get great value for a particular function – i.e. a writer or just anybody needing constant access to their “clouds” of apps, data and comms while on the go -  stand to be the big winners here in the long run. Whatever the benefits of Chrome OS, the value to those who find good use for it will be great. It’s hard to beat the value of something which is free to use.