Thursday, November 1st, 2007, 11:02 am
Google PC – OK, Not It’s Not a Rumour Anymore (Corrected)
Filed under:
I wrote about Google PC about 2 years ago. It was speculative, but based on rumours. As you may have heard by now, Google began selling a software stack based on Linux (Enlightenment and Ubuntu, if I recall correctly).
Several thoughts come to mind. I’m not sure how I feel about this, but let’s think about this for a moment.
Google has recently introduced both gPhone and gPC. These are essentially like Google stacks. Can you see where it’s going? Google is becoming a software developer that integrates things with Web services. It’s contracting OEMs to use its stack, just like Microsoft, which does this with Windows and other applications that it bundles or sells separately.
The reason for concern here is the pushing aside of smaller businesses in the process. Along with Wal-mart, Verizon and HTC, Google will make an alliance of giants. The small players will struggle to compete.
On the very positive side, now we know that unsubstantiated patent FUD will have another willing member fighting it along with Oracle, IBM, Red Hat (not Novell). Google joined OIN a few months ago and it now sells Linux stacks for phones and PCs. Well done, Google. Just keep humble and “do not evil.”
Well, at least it runs Linux…
Correction (03/11/2007): gPC has nothing to do with Google (apart from the toolbar), do it’s not truly a Google PC.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:36 am
I thought they would do the right thing, but it seems like they might be turning into another Microsoft. It’s a shame that there can never be a free market in the industry, just a couple of giants stepping all over the little people.