Shiny and New

Google has finally made it official, there will be a Google Operating System. Chrome OS is based on the multiplatform Chrome browser and the Android framework that was developed for mobile phones. It will take a while to see how this shakes out but you can be sure that Microsoft will pay the dearest price. Cheap Linux distributions on hugely popular netbooks have already seriously eaten into Microsoft's bottom line even if most people still opt for Windows on these computers. With the weight of the Google brand associated, this could be the death knell for windows in the cheap PC (think sub-$400) market. It's hard to justify a $75-100 OEM Windows license for laptop hardware that MIGHT cost $200 to produce. Not to mention that having application portability between a laptop/netbook and a mobile phone would be a real possibility given the common platform.