Tag Archives: Ubuntu
Video: Could Chrome OS Plus Ubuntu be the Dual Boot Solution?
Posted on 09. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 
2 Comments
Just came across this video showing Chrome OS and then a quick boot to Ubuntu. This makes me wonder whether using Chrome OS and Ubuntu as a dual boot solution would help to ease those fears about going completely into a cloud environment:
One thing noticeable is that there was no login at the boot as if this build was somehow packaged without it. For more information, head on over to http://www.chromium.jp as it looks like a build made from this version will be available from there.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/13/10
Posted on 13. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
The Chromium Blog has a sneak peak at how their Native Client software development kit will allow for development of Chrome applications.
ARMDevices speculates that the Native Client SDK will allow complex web applications to run on ARM processors.
ReadWriteWeb has an article out that is about Mozilla’s plug-in checker, which now works with all browsers.
It’s clear that Google Apps plans to offer more than just the document and spreadsheet package common with productivity suites.
Those behind the Linux-based Ubuntu OS are contemplating switching from Firefox as the default browser over to Chromium.
Video: OS Boot Speed Test
Posted on 19. Mar, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Here is a cool video that pits a few operating systems against each other to see which one boots the fastest. The four OSs shown are (from top left clockwise) Ubuntu 9.10, Windows 7, Chrome OS Flow and Ubuntu 9.04.
Flow took about thirty seconds to load, while Ubuntu 9.10 came in second at around forty-eight seconds. Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.04 took well over a minute.
It’s not surprising that Chrome OS Flow is the fastest, but according to the initial announcement from the Chromium team back in November 2009, Chrome OS was supposed to be able to boot in “a few seconds”. Does this mean we have a long way to go? It’s possible, but then again Google is going to require manufacturers to have certain hardware specifications for Chrome OS machines, so don’t be surprised if they are serious when they say this.
Google Business OS? Sounds Profitable
Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
It was reported late last week in a blurb that Google security Engineer Will Drewry had some pretty good dirt to dish about Chrome OS and its plan for the business market with a business machine due in 2011. Up until this time, there wasn’t much being said regarding Google’s plans for enterprise other than the fact that Docs is available and there are companies actively integrating it into offices around the world. But at the World Mobile Congress last week CEO Eric Schmidt was asked during his presentation what the future revenue growth areas for the company were going to be.
Without hesitation, he said the enterprise market.
For the time being, Google is only making a slow amount of headway in providing software solutions for businesses. But the early adopters that have made the switch from Microsoft’s Office over to Google Apps are seeing benefits. Google has been amenable to companies about making changes to the software, often times even on the fly. And at $50 per user, even a larger organization like Genentech has decided to make the switch. Even the popular Linux operating system, Ubuntu, comes with Google Apps as standard instead of OpenOffice.
But Google for the enterprise market is still an early adoption technology. It has the potential to take off but expect to see companies that like to take risks to get involved first. Also, small and mid-size companies would be able to see a switch have a more immediate impact over conglomerates.
Integration companies that consult with businesses on technology such as Google Apps find that a Chrome OS for business would prove to be a solid IT decisions. Jim McNelis, CEO of Dito LLC, which provides Google business solutions and migrations from Microsoft and Lotus products was upbeat when asked about an operating system that is specific for corporate use.
“I think it’s great. Chrome OS will increase the adoption of Google Apps across the board by providing a robust platform built for Google’s web applications”, said McNelis. He also expects an offline solution for situations where network connectivity is absent. “Presumably, there will be native Google Apps and complete offline sync, not to mention other tight integrations yet unseen.”
Native Google Apps? I’m getting the sense that much like Microsoft’s mutli-tiered operating system solutions (Windows Starter, Professional, etc) Google will have different flavors of Chrome OS that all could possibly have different hardware specifications. The reason I think this is that a netbook for surfing a web that is ever more interactive has different technical requirements than a tablet or a managed thin client strictly for business use.
Regardless of strategy, Google knows that captivating the corporate market is going to prove profitable. Many business users simply do not have a need for Windows, and administrators pretty much always have to lock down features on the system in order to keep the computing environment from becoming compromised.
Instead of fitting a square peg in a round hole Chrome OS can step in, be compliant with security policies and ready to deploy, most likely at a competitive price when comparing other enterprise options.
And just like the popular app markets for mobile phones, the most profitable applications will be developed for the business user. Why? Because in business, if an app is useful there is a profit incentive to pay good money for it. If it help peoples be more productive or effective on the job there are big bucks that will be paid out by companies.
You can take a look at Techrepublic’s top 10 business apps for the mobile market right here to get an idea what types are popular and how much they go for.
Marvell Confirms Armada 510 Compatibility for Chrome OS
Posted on 18. Jan, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
I thought you might enjoy some video for Monday morning. Marvell Technology Group is confirming that their Armada 510 ARM chip will be compatible with Chrome OS. The chip is built specifically for smartbooks, is capable of running Ubuntu and can support high-def 1080p video. A clip has been released showing a prototype model with Chrome OS running on it, however the machine doesn’t appear to be running a version that I’ve seen before. This looks more like the Chrome browser, since the battery and wireless settings do not appear in the upper right hand corner:
Nevertheless, the type of hardware that Marvell’s technology can run is impressive, and an example was recently shown as CES. This device is running the Armada 510 at 1.2 GHz, is slimmer than a MacBook Air, and has the smallest battery I think I’ve ever seen:
Asus Mulling Options
Posted on 17. Jan, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Asus doesn’t know what to do. The company, which actually has its roots derived from Acer, has about 30% of the nascent netbook market. And although they showed off a sleek designed Eee PC that was loaded with an ARM processor at Taiwan’s Computex back in June, they showed off relatively nothing at the recent CES show.
That’s probably because although they are testing both Android and Chrome OS in their labs, they haven’t yet decided which one they want to back. It’s possible that Google has made hardware demands to Asus that they company simple does not want to fulfill – creating an Android phone such as the long-rumored Eee phone would be an easier task than being under the scrutiny of being the netbook version of the Nexus One.
Unfortunately, Android just doesn’t appear to have the meat to be able to be a network operating system like Chrome OS does. And with competition coming from Intel’s Moblin as well as Ubuntu, using an operating system that was designed for smartphone use on a netbook just doesn’t seem realistic right now. Rumor is that Android and Chrome OS will at some point merge, but it appears to me that the two platforms are getting further apart in technology.
If the Google netbook is going to have an ARM processor, it is very realistic that HTC could be a dark horse candidate to be the manufacturer. They are taking their lumps a bit with the Nexus One, but that experience along with the fact that they would be entering a new and profitable netbook/smartbook market would be enticing for them to compromise with Google. Besides, before HTC came out with the first Android phone, the G1, who had ever even heard of them before?
Acer Will Have First Chrome OS Machine in 2010
Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
It’s been reported all over the net that Acer chief JT Wang is claiming his company will be the first manufacturer to release a full fledged netbook that is running Chrome OS. This is not surprising seeing as how Acer has already released the Aspire One AO250 (left) as a dual-boot machine with Windows XP and Android. I don’t know what the Android experience would be like, but a dual boot netbook with XP and Chrome OS would be an awesome combination.
I can’t wait to have a machine that runs Chrome so I can use it on a daily basis, but my concern (one of a few, actually) is that with Chrome I won’t be able to open and manipulate files on my machine. At least that’s been the theory so far based on Google’s documentation – I’m conceptualizing, I know. But If I had a dual boot machine with XP or Ubuntu along with Chrome OS, now that would be cool.
Now, I’ve always been a Dell fan for my laptops, but lately I have become somewhat captivated by Acer’s lineup. Years ago, I equated Acer with crappy quality but they have really taken a lot of market share from Dell and other PC makers in the past few years. I think that it is smart for Acer to captivate early adopters for Chromium – the appeal for Chrome is going to be BIG. Many people don’t want to fuss with computers anymore and they want it to just work and I really feel that Google is on to something good.
We’ll keep you posted on the latest.
