i ran a complete graduate class using Google Docs and tools with only 1 little hitch with 1 student. not a bit of paper, nor a bit of Microsoft. and the argument about the apps only being so useful if the internet is down is pretty frivolous as the off-line version of Google Docs does everything the online version does except for sharing (which is similar to emailing a Word document -- it won't work if the internet is down either).

and power users of Excel make up less than 1% of the market of people who buy MS Office. here is a list of the functions you can do with the Google Spreadsheet app: http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=82712 do you notice something you use in Excel that isn't on that list i just linked? most people wouldn't.

There's this book in my shelf waiting to be read (have been waiting there too long, really) by Jef Raskin called 'The Humane Interface' and well, according to Raskin, OS itself is/should/becomes irrelevant as long as it is usable and harnesses the power of the microprocessor...or something like that I couldn't find the exact quote just now so I tried to put it as eloquently as Raskin does.

The point is that the next big thing may not be an MS or Apple OS at all, but something out of the woods. Google and their experience and knowledge of the web coupled with their (still) lean and agile organisation may be a winner here for the next decade or three. Or the biggest loser, for that matter, if they fail to grasp what the user really needs.

Also, Linux has been bubbling under for a decade or so already, but has never hit prime-time, now if there was somebody not-so-geeky in the Linux community who would really realize the need for some eye candy together with the ease of use they might be onto something.

Microsoft may take a plunge in the consumer market -- it should, the OSes and their stability are always dragging behind a bit, but the average consumer is happy with the price/quality/performance ratio -- that is, if Chrome really delivers and gets app support, because most of the time cheap crap gets overrun by free crap. On the business market though, I don't think the Redmond giant is going anywhere south for a long time because they are so well entrenched there thanks to Office, and companies can and like to pay constantly to keep their system running and backwards compatible. And MSOffice is the norm in the business world, sad but true.

MS Exchange is not by far the best mobile solution, but the keyword is "free". Kinda. For instance our uni's IT department loves MS, so even the staff and student webmail solution was changed to MS Exchange Outlook Web Access BS crapola. Besides, based on what I know and have read/heard about MS tehcnological and network prowess, I can't blame many (geeky?) network administrators favoring them.

OK, so MS has a slight comprehension problem regarding anything with 'use' or 'user' or 'usability' in it, but it doesn't matter that much. I can't believe I am saying this, but it just happens to be so, Redmond wouldn't be the giant it is otherwise. And men are monkeys, most don't care, they just call that nephew or grandson or whoever who is good with computers when there's a problem. And most of the adult people are so used to using Windows they may be more than uncomfortable to switch over to something totally new anytime soon.

Anyhow, it will be interesting to see what happens. Personally, I don't think Chrome will take off anytime soon, but predicting these things is about an accurate science as reading from the tealeaves.

Sad, but true!

C'mon....His company competes directly with Apple in the smart phone, and now in the computer OS market?
IMHO, Schmidt's going to have to give up his seat on the Apple board.

Here's a couple of good links on it. Not everything can be run over the web.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10282442-2.html

http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20090710135246791

Yup....That's a major obstacle to 'cloud computing'. The app still 'rests' on your local/home workstation.

What, never heard of Mark Shuttleworth?

Ubuntu with Compiz cube has better eye candy than either Windows or OS X. Installation is a literal breeze.

Yet.

The only downside to the web is speed, or lack thereof. But that will fall eventually. Everyone needs fast access though. Even in the good old US of A there are people who can only connect at slower than 56K speeds (ignoring outrageous satellite costs that is)

Well, now it's official. Google's OS will put the smackdown on MS.

Steve Ballmer laughs off Google's Chrome OS threat

I heard yesterday that only 10% of all internet users are on dial-up now.