5 ms·

Google is building Chrome OS straight into Windows 8

34 points by rbcoffee 13y ago

nivla 13y ago
Interesting. Great for people completely submerged into Google's ecosystem but still clinging onto the Windows OS. For others especially who uses one or few of Google's products, this sucks. When I got my Surface Pro tablet, I just wanted to install Chrome Desktop, but nope, it automatically installs into the metro apps and goes ahead and sets itself as the default browser. The worst part is that it sucked compared to the IE metro. On desktop it doesn't get better, with the lack of support for High-DPI scaling, the touch events are about an inch away resulting in false clicks all the time. I hope they don't ruin the Chrome browser with techniques used to promote Google+. I don't want to see a tomorrow where you download Google Chrome and it comes pre-installed with Google Drive, Google Docs, Google+ etc. Shoving things down people throat isn't going to end well.
- magicalist 13y ago
  As mentioned in the article, a browser has to be the default browser to be able to be a metro app due to the restrictions Microsoft puts on them. I haven't updated to Windows 8 yet, but at least according to the help article[1], the Chrome installer asks if you want it to be your default browser. That might be something they added more recently, though. HighDPI is coming[2] [1] https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346?hl=en&ref_topic=14660 https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346?hl=en&ref_top... [2] https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=160457 https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=160457
  - nivla 13y ago
    >a browser has to be the default browser to be able to be a metro app due to the restrictions Microsoft puts on them. Ahh I think I got into this whole limbo by trying to set Chrome as my default browser in Desktop and IE as the default in metro. >HighDPI is coming Glad to hear that.
- gibwell 13y ago
  I routinely now encounter non-tech literate friends who are experiencing trouble doing things like printing, or working with attachments, that they understood how to do using their native OS, and don't understand why things are different. It always turns out to be that they are using Chrome.
spongle 13y ago
I really don't get this. It doesn't make sense at all. Its like going into McDonalds and finding a Burger King stall inside it. This is going to be an experience as smooth as a 1974 land rover with no tyres on it.
- cryptoz 13y ago
  When the user discovers that after a while owning a Windows computer and rarely going outside of Chrome, their next computer may not be Microsoft at all. It might be a Chromebook.
  - spongle 13y ago
    Like they know what the hell is going on? Most people don't know the difference between Windows and Word. This is just going to confuse them further which is not a great way to win market share.
darklajid 13y ago
I don't get it. I noticed in a recent thread about Firefox that people like Chrome far more than I can understand. I still have an open tab with the recent 'Setting up a Chromebook Development Laptop' article - that really sounds interesting. But why would any single person in this world run chromeos on a machine that runs Windows 8? The very same machine already either runs Windows (if that's your eco system) or is powerful enough to run Linux. Why would you _ever_ run Chrome OS here? Put differently: What's the whole point of Chrome OS, unless bundled with cheap/slow hardware, as a kind of Damn Small Linux, the Web 2.0 version?
- nightski 13y ago
  An environment, which many already have installed, sync'd across devices with bookmarks, history, applications, and full integration into Google's services all within the same application. Even though I would probably not use it, I could see it being a simple solution for a lot of people. Just open chrome and that is all you need. It is a little hilarious actually since it is exactly what Microsoft was trying to achieve with Metro (or whatever they call it nowadays).
- jonlarson 13y ago
  Because these days, most users spend 95% of their time in the browser. And most of the time spent outside could still be spent inside (using Word, playing games, etc). ChromeOS is not just something designed for cheap hardware, it's a new user paradigm that recognizes the current and future trends of the way people use computers.
- chestnut-tree 13y ago
  "What's the whole point of Chrome OS...?" I don't get ChromeOS either. I find it completely unappealing. I'm guessing that Google realised that many computer users (perhaps the majority) spend most of their time in the web browser. Yet, to run a browser you need a complete desktop operating system. Perhaps Google considered this overkill and thought a browser-based operating system would make sense. Plus, as an internet company, they could integrate all their online apps and services into one seamless experience and gain even more users. To me, the whole experience of using a browser-based OS like Chrome feels like a giant step backward, especially since you have to be signed in to a Google account to do anything. Want to set up your printer in Chrome OS? Yes, sign in first. Seriously, does that actually appeal to anyone? Plus, for your locally connected printer, you have to go through Google's cloud print service (and route all your print jobs through them). As for their apps, they are too clunky and basic for many tasks (in my opinion). Take their word processor. You cannot even span a table cell (hardly an advanced function). Worperfect 5.0 could do this over 20 years ago. This is not progress.

34 points by rbcoffee 13y ago

nivla 13y ago

Interesting. Great for people completely submerged into Google's ecosystem but still clinging onto the Windows OS. For others especially who uses one or few of Google's products, this sucks. When I got my Surface Pro tablet, I just wanted to install Chrome Desktop, but nope, it automatically installs into the metro apps and goes ahead and sets itself as the default browser. The worst part is that it sucked compared to the IE metro. On desktop it doesn't get better, with the lack of support for High-DPI scaling, the touch events are about an inch away resulting in false clicks all the time. I hope they don't ruin the Chrome browser with techniques used to promote Google+. I don't want to see a tomorrow where you download Google Chrome and it comes pre-installed with Google Drive, Google Docs, Google+ etc. Shoving things down people throat isn't going to end well.

magicalist 13y ago
As mentioned in the article, a browser has to be the default browser to be able to be a metro app due to the restrictions Microsoft puts on them. I haven't updated to Windows 8 yet, but at least according to the help article[1], the Chrome installer asks if you want it to be your default browser. That might be something they added more recently, though. HighDPI is coming[2] [1] https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346?hl=en&ref_topic=14660 https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346?hl=en&ref_top... [2] https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=160457 https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=160457
- nivla 13y ago
  >a browser has to be the default browser to be able to be a metro app due to the restrictions Microsoft puts on them. Ahh I think I got into this whole limbo by trying to set Chrome as my default browser in Desktop and IE as the default in metro. >HighDPI is coming Glad to hear that.
gibwell 13y ago
I routinely now encounter non-tech literate friends who are experiencing trouble doing things like printing, or working with attachments, that they understood how to do using their native OS, and don't understand why things are different. It always turns out to be that they are using Chrome.

spongle 13y ago

I really don't get this. It doesn't make sense at all. Its like going into McDonalds and finding a Burger King stall inside it. This is going to be an experience as smooth as a 1974 land rover with no tyres on it.

cryptoz 13y ago
When the user discovers that after a while owning a Windows computer and rarely going outside of Chrome, their next computer may not be Microsoft at all. It might be a Chromebook.
- spongle 13y ago
  Like they know what the hell is going on? Most people don't know the difference between Windows and Word. This is just going to confuse them further which is not a great way to win market share.

darklajid 13y ago

I don't get it. I noticed in a recent thread about Firefox that people like Chrome far more than I can understand. I still have an open tab with the recent 'Setting up a Chromebook Development Laptop' article - that really sounds interesting. But why would any single person in this world run chromeos on a machine that runs Windows 8? The very same machine already either runs Windows (if that's your eco system) or is powerful enough to run Linux. Why would you _ever_ run Chrome OS here? Put differently: What's the whole point of Chrome OS, unless bundled with cheap/slow hardware, as a kind of Damn Small Linux, the Web 2.0 version?

nightski 13y ago
An environment, which many already have installed, sync'd across devices with bookmarks, history, applications, and full integration into Google's services all within the same application. Even though I would probably not use it, I could see it being a simple solution for a lot of people. Just open chrome and that is all you need. It is a little hilarious actually since it is exactly what Microsoft was trying to achieve with Metro (or whatever they call it nowadays).
jonlarson 13y ago
Because these days, most users spend 95% of their time in the browser. And most of the time spent outside could still be spent inside (using Word, playing games, etc). ChromeOS is not just something designed for cheap hardware, it's a new user paradigm that recognizes the current and future trends of the way people use computers.
chestnut-tree 13y ago
"What's the whole point of Chrome OS...?" I don't get ChromeOS either. I find it completely unappealing. I'm guessing that Google realised that many computer users (perhaps the majority) spend most of their time in the web browser. Yet, to run a browser you need a complete desktop operating system. Perhaps Google considered this overkill and thought a browser-based operating system would make sense. Plus, as an internet company, they could integrate all their online apps and services into one seamless experience and gain even more users. To me, the whole experience of using a browser-based OS like Chrome feels like a giant step backward, especially since you have to be signed in to a Google account to do anything. Want to set up your printer in Chrome OS? Yes, sign in first. Seriously, does that actually appeal to anyone? Plus, for your locally connected printer, you have to go through Google's cloud print service (and route all your print jobs through them). As for their apps, they are too clunky and basic for many tasks (in my opinion). Take their word processor. You cannot even span a table cell (hardly an advanced function). Worperfect 5.0 could do this over 20 years ago. This is not progress.