

Would You Miss Windows With a Google Operating System? - newacc
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/would-you-miss-windows-with-a-google-operating-system/index.html?ref=technology

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makecheck
"There is a tiny little downside here: no local software. Browsers don’t yet
do everything, and there are two decades of Windows applications that have
been written, performing functions that can’t yet be replicated in a browser."

There are a few problems with that view.

One, the applications that matter to people are changing. For many people,
programs like web browsers and iTunes are now opened frequently, whereas a
decade ago those apps either didn't exist or weren't nearly as relevant. So
who is to say that 2 decades of Windows software adds up to much these days?

Then there's the fact that many desktop apps were not written to coexist, so a
legacy on Windows means something much different than on, say, Unix. Unlike
Unix, where very old programs are still part of the ecosystem of utilities,
Windows apps are just too random and fleeting.

Then there's the fact that desktop programs have grown and grown, and most
users don't seem to adopt even a fraction of the features. What took two
decades to _develop_ will _not_ take two decades to "replace", because only a
fraction of the features will really be required for most people to make the
jump.

And most of those huge apps should have been stopped at version 2.0. After
awhile, big version numbers are meaningless; even for Apple, what on Earth
makes the latest iTunes worthy of a version _8_? They're still over-hyping the
software, but not much is being added, so these old apps are not really as
sophisticated as they appear to be.

~~~
bep
_One, the applications that matter to people are changing. For many people,
programs like web browsers and iTunes are now opened frequently, whereas a
decade ago those apps either didn't exist or weren't nearly as relevant. So
who is to say that 2 decades of Windows software adds up to much these days?_

Ignoring old applications that an enterprise needs to use, the amount of
aplications that Windows has in the last 2 years are very vast, and lots of
people need them.

 _Then there's the fact that desktop programs have grown and grown, and most
users don't seem to adopt even a fraction of the features. What took two
decades to develop will not take two decades to "replace", because only a
fraction of the features will really be required for most people to make the
jump._

Not everyone uses the same 20% of features. Joel Spolsky said it better than
me: <http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000020.html>

Besides, develop the core of the programs doesn't mean they are useful or
polish. Or that people who hates change (like the ones who hate the Office
ribbon) will like to learn to use another program.

 _And most of those huge apps should have been stopped at version 2.0. After
awhile, big version numbers are meaningless; even for Apple, what on Earth
makes the latest iTunes worthy of a version 8? They're still over-hyping the
software, but not much is being added, so these old apps are not really as
sophisticated as they appear to be._

Versions are usually overhyped, after all they need to sell. That doesn't mean
they haven't do anything worthy. The majority of software is very different
between 2 major versions.

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csomar
I think HTML, Flash or silverlight won't be enough to build a highly flexible
system like Desktop applications (whether it's OSX or Windows) So Google needs
to create a new platform to support its next generation Web App. This means we
need another 10 years to get a high performing OS. "Good Software takes 10
years" (<http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000017.html>). so this
means a waste of time and money.

Why do i really need Google OS, Windows or OSX are flexible enough and the
features that will be made available in Google OS, can be cloned in windows or
OSX.

About Speed: If Chrome OS is going to use Remote Web Applications, it's going
to be slow, whatever they makes it light. Network traffic is the thing that
most slows down a computer.

------
tokenadult
"Or is there something special about Windows and its applications for which
you’d be willing to pay an extra $50?"

Years ago, I started using Windoze (rather than DOS) because of a specific
application. I just read the sentence I've quoted above from the submitted
article, and I quickly reviewed which programs I regularly use to get actual
paying work done. I can see a definitely possibility of giving up Windoze
entirely--my son already runs Linux nearly all the time, rather Windows, but
for a few sorry applications that don't have Linux ports--and I would like
that. I've never enjoyed computing on the Windoze environment, but for the
clipboard, which of course will be replicated in Google Chrome.

------
I_got_fifty
Already run linux :)

~~~
dflock
Yeah - I haven't missed it in the last few years, I don't see why I would
start now. I actually used it yesterday to play Tales of Monkey Island
(excellent, btw) and I remembered why I switched; what a huge pain in the ass
everything is.

