Comments on: How Chrome OS Will Help Ubuntu

By: Jef Spaleta

Jef Spaleta — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:30:24 +0000

Dan:

Apple has proven that you don’t have to win over the masses to build a profitable software/hardware ecosystem. It’s okay to be niche…as long as you cultivate a customer-base that is willing to pay a premium for advantages your niche platform brings compared to what Microsoft is offering. Apple is sitting at something like 10% of computer sales..and that’s perfectly okay…because its a profitable venture. Apple doesn’t have to be the dominate vendor.. they have a loyal following willing to pay cash for products and services that sustains the software and hardware development Apple does. More importantly that loyal customer based influences other people to _buy_ Apple’s products and services…something Canonical doesn’t have in its Ubuntu userbase.

Google revenue strategy is pretty obvious to figure out. Control a segment of the mobile operating system market and drive more people to their already profitable advertising dollar supported services like search. Google’s search revenue is their strength…and their operating system developments reinforce that strength as well as building outward from it into potentially new revenue areas. Google has a well understood profitable core business.

Canonical’s revenue strategy is far less clear as Canonical doesn’t have an existing revenue stream that can be called a strength. For Canonical…5 years into their business plan… everything they are doing still seems like an experiment.. there is no core business. Nothing has solidified as a revenue stream strong enough for them to build outward from. That’s a problem.

By: Dan Ballance

Dan Ballance — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:39:13 +0000

I think there are a growing number of pro-Google eco-system inhabitants that will enjoy Chrome OS. It will give them easy and fine-tuned access to their Google services, perhaps in combination with their Android phone.

Whilst I agree that Chrome OS is unlikely to win over the Windows masses just yet, I suspect it will consolidate their hardcore users, giving them a netbook and a smart phone with which to consume Google services.

By: LAS

LAS — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:47:00 +0000

I think the top three will be Chrome, Moblin and Ubuntu. Good things happening for Chrome will only benefit Linux in general. The Linux kernel is already awesome in hardware support and advancements will come at an even faster rate with the spotlight finally on Linux netbooks. Windows is still going to dominate for a long time but the consumer will start to understand that there is choice in the marketplace. Chrome and others will be hard to beat for security, performance and Internet style computing.
*This consumer buys nothing anymore “made for Windows”. MSI Wind “Suse Enterprise Desktop” running Ubuntu Jaunty.

By: penguin386

penguin386 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:38:04 +0000

I think Chrome OS will help Ubuntu. XP users will be forced to switch to something else as soon as Microsoft releases Windows 7 service pack 1. That is supposedly the End of Lifecycle for Windows XP. Vista wasn’t exactly an XP killer, but Microsoft wants to try to kill XP again with Windows 7. Alternatives like Chrome OS, Ubuntu, ANY Linux or even a Mac will be good choices if Windows 7 is a fiasco like Vista. The day that XP dies could be the day that Microsoft dies. Hasta la Vista, Baby!

By: julian

julian — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:27:11 +0000

If I understand the announcement of Chrome OS well it will will be a linux kernel with the Chrome webbrowser on it. And it will only be able to run webapps. That seams to me something very different than a linux distribution.

By: Geekyboy

Geekyboy — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:42:43 +0000

Well said. I agree.

By: Daeng Bo

Daeng Bo — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:09:42 +0000

Agreed that Linux lost the netbook war has been obvious for a while ( from March — http://blog.ibeentoubuntu.com/2009/03/linux-lost-netbook-war.html ).

Chrome, however, may offer a better integration of services than the awful stuff Linpus and Xandros did, getting over the consumer’s distrust of change. Purchasers of Chrome netbooks will also likely already be big users of Google services, meaning that the applications they want WILL be available … through the Chrome browser.

I suspect that Chrome OS will raise the Linux tide and all Linux boats will rise because of that.

By: LUP 01: Introduction to Linux and Ubuntu | Linux User Podcast

LUP 01: Introduction to Linux and Ubuntu | Linux User Podcast — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:45:11 +0000

[...] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/10/intel_google_chrome_os/ http://www.workswithu.com/2009/07/10/how-chrome-os-will-help-ubuntu/ [...]

By: Unbiased Product Reviews

Unbiased Product Reviews — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:10:09 +0000

But if people use Chrome and it works the way they need it as marketed, there will be no need to check out Ubuntu. And the average consumer won’t.

By: Chris B. – idéias e pensamentos » Google Chrome OS – o que você fará?

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:52:31 +0000

[...] fortalecer o conceito de que Linux não é só para os geeks e, com isso, abrir novas portas (veja esse post a [...]