Google's decision to create a new Internet-centric OS for netbooks shows the limitations of the Android mobile OS for netbooks and raises questions about its future on those devices, developers and analysts said.
Much of the discussion around Google's new PC operating system has focused on a looming battle with Windows, but the biggest losers could be other Linux OSes that have been enjoying some moderate success on netbooks, industry analysts said.
Google is already working with several companies to develop devices around the new Chrome OS, including Hewlett-Packard and Acer, the company said in a blog post late Wednesday.
Google's Chrome OS won't be an immediate threat to Windows, but it may force Microsoft to reinvent its operating system more quickly into a product that takes full advantage of the Web and can move more nimbly across devices and form factors, analysts said.
Google's entry into the operating system market poses a long-term threat to Microsoft, analysts who cover the maker of Windows said today.
As soon as Google Inc. announced it was working on the new Chrome operating system, questions arose over how the new OS will differ from the Android mobile OS, and whether it might spell the end of Android.
As Google Inc. acknowledges that its engineers are working on an operating system for netbooks and PCs, analysts say it's the company in the best position to take on Microsoft Corp. and its vaunted Windows software.
Apple should be nervous about Google's move into the operating system market, some analysts said today. Others, however, argued that Apple executives won't lose a second of sleep.
The coming Google Chrome Web-centric operating system could be a big boon for telecom vendors and wireless operators looking for another way to drive demand.
Google, while announcing its new Chrome operating system late Tuesday, said users would no longer have to worry about viruses, malware and security updates, but security experts disagreed on whether Google can deliver on those promises.
Google's announcement Tuesday that it is developing an open-source operating system raised questions among privacy advocates about the amount of personal data Google will be able to collect.