Killer OS: Googled Linux?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

There have been several snippets in TR News recently that suggest Google may be looking at producing its own [Linux-based] operating system? Now imagine a Linux that combines the easy interface that Xandros (my favorite), Linspire or Mandriva produces, with Google's marketing clout... Imagine Google turning the screws with a marketing campaign that had consumers demanding the 'Google' operating system. (Remember 'Intel Inside' - how successful was that?) Far fetched? Wishful thinking? Or closer to the future than we all know? I wonder.

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[expertec]

Now there's an interesting thought! :)

[-pops-]

Hmmmm... VERY interesting.

I remember a few years that it seemed amongst my acquintances, only I knew anything about Google - it was a very obscure but very good search engine. Now, everyone who knows anything about computers knows Google and, most likely, uses it on a daily basis.

Linux suffers from a lack of marketing, which is understandable considering it is efectively free to use. To put a Linux version in the hands of a company with the market and marketing expertise of Google is just the thing it needs to topple Gates from the top of his dung heap.

I wish them every success and would be happy to do trialling for them!! :) :)

[scuzzman]

WOOOHOOOO!

[Scarecrow Man]

Linux suffers from a lack of marketing, which is understandable considering it is efectively free to use. To put a Linux version in the hands of a company with the market and marketing expertise of Google is just the thing it needs to topple Gates from the top of his dung heap.

Linux should not be marketed, but I KNOW Google would do a good job of it.. I imagine there will be a Google File System before we know it.

As for toppling Gates, I disagree. I'd like to see a market share like the following within 5 years:

Linux 25%, Mac 10%, Other (BSD, Sun etc) 5% and Windows 60%

I don't think Windows needs to die, just back off.

[expertec]

I am fairly pro-Google anyway and very pro-Linux, so the idea of Google-Linux is something I like.

If they could do anything like as well with it as they have with other products I'd be very happy.

Oooh... and they've already persuaded -pops- to test it.... must be good then! :D

[-pops-]

I wasn't suggesting Windows should die - just that Gates and MS need that dubya-like smirk wiping from their faces and have some REAL competition for once.

A competitive market is a healthy market, a monopoly (as we effectively have now) is very unhealthy especially for us, the user. I think you've got the market shares laid out about right, Scarecrowman or, at least about what I'd like to see.

Regarding the testing, expertec, I've said before that I've beta tested several Windows versions in the past but I'm not the least bothered by this new Vista system. I put it down to getting old but I think there's more to it than that - it's not interesting any longer. It's "more of the same" with a few (possibly unnecessary) bits stuck on it. In this new thing though, the stuck on bits appear to be things that are restricting our rights to do what we want on our machines with software that WE, the USERS, want to install.

[Scarecrow Man]

I wasn't suggesting Windows should die - just that Gates and MS need that dubya-like smirk wiping from their faces and have some REAL competition for once.

I can agree with that! :P

I am not so much for the idea of Google Linux as I am for a Google Filesystem.

Perhaps a cross-platform system for Windows, Mac and Linux alike? Could be more potential if they did.