Will Chrome glitter in India?

Exactly ten days ago, Google gave a sneak preview of the latest software from its stable — the Chrome operating system. True, it will still take a year before the Chrome OS appears on netbooks (with memory chips, not hard disk drives according to Google).

But the unveiling of the web-based OS’ features on November 20, four months after Google first announced its plan to launch such an application, was enough to convince most that Microsoft’s monopoly in the OS segment was over. Still others took the Google announcement with a pinch of salt.

We give you a complete rundown of Google’s new OS.

What is Google Chrome OS?
Google Chrome OS is an open-source operating system, based on the cloud-computing format, which will not eat into your PC’s hardware resources. Basically, this means, unlike other OS (Microsoft’s Windows, for instance), it will not be physically installed on the computer’s hard disk. Instead, it will need an internet connection every time you wish to log on to Chrome OS.

How is it different from Microsoft’s Windows?
As mentioned, this is a web-based OS. So nothing gets stored on the hard disk. In case of a Windows OS, you need a hard disk to install the software.

Google claims the Chrome OS will run on even old PCs and it is working with multiple original equipment manufacturers to bring into the market a number of netbooks next year, which will specifically be built to support the Chrome OS.

Acer, Adobe, Asus, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Toshiba are helping Google launch the Chrome OS on the netbook platform.

Does this mean that Microsoft Windows is in a big trouble?
Considering that Chrome OS is still in the Beta (testing) stage, Microsoft does not have anything to worry about. Google has said it will target the netbook market initially.

That can be a worrying aspect, as netbooks have been the fastest-growing segment. Analysts and international blogs have said the Chrome OS could actually work along with a Windows OS. One way a user can do this is to use the dual-boot system, where he can choose the OS through a menu at the computer’s start-up stage itself.

Trouble is, the Chrome OS will not be available if you are not connected to the internet. Most users are still not comfortable with working on spreadsheets and documents off the internet.

Moreover, Google has said that the OS will only support solid-state drives, or flash drives, rather than hard disks, which, in turn, allows faster boot times.

Get this: According to Google, Chrome OS can boot within 7 seconds, faster than Microsoft’s latest operating system, the Windows 7, which boots in under 40 seconds.

What do Google lovers think of this?
Vishal Gondal, CEO of Indiagames, feels this development is about cloud-based software getting powerful. He prefers Google Docs for spreadsheets. He opines that the Google Chrome OS goes a step forward in creating an ecosystem that will allow a user to be always connected.

Should Indian users get excited?
Honestly, no. That’s because the web-based Chrome OS will be of limited use in India, where the internet user base is at 50 million only, dominated by the enterprise sector.

Analysts suggest Google might initially be aggressive in developed markets, where internet speeds are good.

Only time, and the spread of IT infrastructure, will tell the script of the Chrome OS’ success in India.