Difference between Windows 7 and Google Chrome OS
For a number of years, Windows was the only real operating system of choice for PC users and while a number of claimants to the throne have been introduced to varying effects, none have managed to even make a dent in Windows formidable hold on the industry. With the introduction of Google Chrome OS however, many feel that Windows has finally met its match. Can Google Chrome OS in fact stand up to the current Microsoft flagship Windows 7? Let's see!
Applications
In terms of applications, Windows 7 definitely has the edge over Google Chrome OS, which will have a lot of catching up to online doctors if it is to compete with Microsoft’s own Office suite. While Google has made remarkable strides with its Google Applications, it still can't quite measure up to Office in spite of its innovative platform. Microsoft's reign over the software industry is largely due to the vast popularity of Windows, as well as the predominance of Office. Most businesses and home users still prefer Office by a wide margin and Windows even dominates the server side with its Exchange and SharePoint services, both of which rely heavily on Microsoft’s Outlook, Word and Excel programs.
The Operating System
Google Chrome’s main claim to fame is its ability to actually separate the platform from the operating system, a goal which was earlier undertaken by Sun Microsystems. The thrust of Google’s approach is moving towards establishing "Web Standards" as its platform’s basis, along with promises of "openness" and "interoperability." As for Windows 7, it seems that its main objective now is to recover from the less-than-favorable response to Vista. With the release of Windows 7, Microsoft hopes to emphasize its strengths by providing consumers with applications that they want, while keeping performance and system security in mind.
The Good and The Bad
Aside from the previously mentioned need to develop more applications that can compete with Microsoft's own offerings, the main obstacle that Google Chrome OS will have to surmount is the impression that it won't be a "real" OS as much as it will be a platform for which to optimize the use of Google Apps. In addition, it may well suffer the same fate that Microsoft did with regard to issues with backwards-compatibility. Microsoft’s biggest challenge is of course precisely that it actually has some real competition now in the form of Google Chrome OS. Whether it can manage to retain its hold on the market remains to be seen, but this early on it appears that Google has a long way to go before it can catch up. As it is, Google’s hope lies in developing new applications for its system, and making sure that it is as easy to use as the Chrome browser.
Summary
Google Chrome OS
- Offers some significant challenge to the venerable Windows platform
- Aims to separate the platform for the operating system
- Operates with the goal of establishing "Web standards"
- Faces a significant challenge in developing applications that can measure up to Microsoft’s own offerings
Windows 7
- Is the latest flagship of Microsoft
- Follows the popular Microsoft lineage, along with its popular Office applications
- Is intended to help the company recover from the poor public acceptance of Vista
- Has had issues with backwards compatibility
