Chrome will be different but won’t displace Windows

The following is a reader-written article from David Pinkus, a former high-level Google employee who is now senior vice president of information technology for Universal Technical Institute. 

I think a lightweight, browser-only operating system has been a long-time coming.  It's the actualization of what the network computer dream has been; albeit with the predictable concessions that the network isn't always available, and you need something resident on the machine itself to make it useful. But I was still surprised when I heard NPR lead off its Morning Edition newscast with Google's "Attack on Microsoft." Is it going to displace the Microsoft Windows desktops in most companies?  Is it a harbinger of a new computing model?  Here's what I think we'll see happen in the next 18-24 months:

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Is Google the only one that benefits?Google obviously benefits from having more users do more searches with Google. This is the "long tail" concept.  Even if a particular ad only nets Google a fraction of a penny, with enough of those fractions, those ads create significant income.  But others win, too. For hardware vendors, having a free operating system and browser that require minimal support, and come from a brand with a lot of consumer goodwill,  is a big win.  Consider how a PC OEM will feel if relieved of the support burden and associated costs (both material and to its reputation) simply to help new PC users "get started" with today's operating systems. 

Can Google be counted on to secure its new OS?I think so. First, there's the whole open-source-is-more-secure argument. More eyeballs on your source code theoretically means more people looking for vulnerabilities (and exploits).  Google could have a leg-up overall. The leaner the operating system, the less things exist that could be compromised.Will the Chrome OS alienate Android developers?If Android developers were under the impression that Android would be as available on netbooks as readily as Windows 7, then perhaps, but I think Google's approach here is simpler.  Forget the OS, forget apps, do everything in a browser.  Android is when you need more than what a browser does. (Also see: Chrome OS: Blinding Android?)

Is this different than what other vendors have been doing with various Linux distributions for netbooks or similar devices?Yes, because it boldly attempts to exclude everything except the browser (although clearly it will have to have some internals, such as wireless configuration, date/time configuration, etc., all no doubt rendered through the browser).