Will Google Chrome OS Help With Digital Divide?

Published by Babar Bhatti on July 14, 2009 02:00 am under Emerging Markets Telecom, Google, ICT, Information Technology, Social Networks
All this competition between giant software makers is good for consumers, common wisdom says. It will certainly help Google to drive more traffic to its search engine. What is the side impact of this emphasis on web activity? Will users in developing countries be better off? What will the new Google Chrome do to the Open source software? To push usage in Pakistan we need a few basics:

cheaper hardware (subsidized netbooks)
light OS which gets the job done without much overhead and admin costs (should make piracy irrelevant)
software which works both online and offline; does not need broadband all the time
mobile versions available
local networks, local content, local schools
I think if Google Chrome OS does what it promise, then it will see huge uptake. The world is definitely ready to try another OS. Too bad Linux did not make it on its own (poor usability and a big attitude) but hopefully Chrome has learned from that failure. However this will be one tough thing for Google to do and it will have to show real focus - something which has been missing from its other products which remained in beta for eternity.

Google apps has been one of the popular online suite and now there has been news about Office live in 2010. The OS battle will eventually spill over to the whole personal computing. The article below has some background of the battle.

Chrome OS is also trying to redefine the idea of what a computer operating system should be. In a blog post Tuesday night, Google said the operating system would have the ability to boot up and let users get online in just seconds and new security features, addressing sore points for some users of PCs that run Microsoft Windows. Google is also betting customers will gravitate toward online software that requires an Internet connection, as opposed to conventional PC programs that are downloaded and installed.

Chrome OS is initially aimed at inexpensive laptops known as netbooks; it is expected to be available in the second half of next year. But Google also said it expects the software to eventually be used on other computers, too.

Read More at : http://telecompk.net/2009/07/14/google-chrome-os-pakistan/