The first web based OS!

It has been on the back of everyone’s minds for a long time now. Early this year we say the Google OS, a version of Linux tailored around Google’s array of products (GMail, Docs, YouTube etc). There was a fair bit of hype around but then it died away. I personally believe it is down to the fact that it is still a desktop operating system that just launched Google’s apps into small browser windows. That is where gOS Cloud comes in.

The first thing to remember is that this is not an official Google product, though I think they would be happy to use it and continue their domination of Earth!

The operating system can run along side Windows. When it boots up it goes straight into a Google Chrome style browser, nothing else, just a browser. Along the bottom is a Mac style dock with all the standard Google apps and tools. Isn’t this what we were all dreaming? All the data is stored in the cloud so you could have a pretty basic PC with a fairly low spec and have no problems with hard disk space etc. Infact have a look at the required PC spec. It only needs 32MB, yes I really mean megabytes!

The gOS main features are as follows (from the gOS Cloud website):

• Web browser
  Standard web browser for full compatibility with web pages, Flash, and more. On top of that it has access to all the hardware including sound cards and graphics.
• Icon dock
  The icon dock with all your favorite apps sits inside the web browser, not outside. It launches web or rich client applications in new application tabs
• Application Tabs
  Open multiple web pages, web applications, and even rich client applications, such as Skype, using Application Tabs and Cloud’s own application framework. Point and click or press ALT+TAB to switch between tabs. Very similar the way modern web browsers work.
  
• Switch to Windows
  Cloud can be installed with Windows or another operating system, such as Linux. Users may first power on to Cloud for Internet use, and then switch into Windows for full desktop use. With a single click or hotkey, the user can switch to Windows. I cannot tell if a logout/restart is required.

Check out this video of it in use:

What do you think about the concept? I think it is a great idea and a big step in the right direction. I do accept that I need a real local OS but the option of a web based OS when out and about is a great idea. Also the fact that the system requirements are so low it could be put onto a lot more devices than a local installed OS.

Source: ReadWriteWeb

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