Yesterday Google announced they were creating a new lightweight open source operating system for PCs and netbooks. It won’t be the same as Android, although parts may overlap with Android. Is this a good idea? Absolutely, it’s a great idea. As I wrote in a blog last year existing OSs have accumulated twenty years of architectural detritus, it’s impossible to make them secure or usable and it’s time to start again.
My big worry here is that Google won’t be radical enough. For example I don’t think any new OS will be secure or maintainable if it uses the current Windows or Linux driver model. But fixing that problem gets you into difficult territory because it needs a new peripheral hardware architecture – e.g. one where peripherals have built-in web servers to set options. And that means changes not just to software but the whole market for peripherals and add-ons.
We only get one chance every decade or two to fix basic operating system architectures. I hope the folks at Google will be courageous enough to do something really radical.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Jim // Jul 8, 2009 at 8:25 am
There’s the problem with compatibility with software and hardware. That was Vista’s only problem. Drivers not recognized etc. So it has to be mirror of another OS.
2 Travis // Jul 8, 2009 at 8:38 am
I know what you mean Jim, but think of it this way; when a new cellphone based OS comes out (like Android or WebOS) you don’t download and install it on your old cellphone, you go out and buy a new phone with it already on it. So for Google to radically change the design of the OS, they would have to market it being only compatible with new supported hardware, and if their initial target is netbooks, then price will be right for everyone to get hooked on the OS.
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