The Retreat: How Google Is Changing Chrome OS Into, Well, an OS

The more I read new about Chrome OS, the more I feel like Google will not be able to deliver on the promise of the browser OS. First, Google acts as if doesn’t care about Windows compatibility. Then, it took a step backward by adding extensions to the browser so that people wouldn’t feel like using a depleted browser. Now, it is taking another step backwards by removing the login screen. So I’m wondering here: why would someone need to delay signing in when it is using a browser as an OS? Either because that person wants to use the PC in offline mode or it could be that the person wants to configure system network connections. My problem is that either way, Google is shooting on its own foot because it is saying that it cannot deliver a browser-only OS.

Offline mode

Sometimes, we just can’t have access to the Internet. In these cases, using a Chrome OS PC can only be done if there is an offline mode, which means doing everything we do through the browser but without the Internet. In that case, the browser should have all the features offered by software like word processors or spreadsheets without connecting to the Internet. Therefore, offline mode for Chrome OS is just another way of asking people to switch from Windows to Linux since those offline applications will have to be installed and run on the local processor instead of a remote server. Here, the fact that Chrome OS will need to answer to these needs shows that the market is quite not ready for a browser-only OS an that Google is going to release an OS that is closer to the traditional Windows OS than anything else.

Connectivity issues

Now let’s say we are in an area where security settings must be entered in the system to have access to a new network. In this case, we have to have access to network management software, which means that you first have to login your local system. Once again, there needs to be more than just a browser to Chrome OS as users will have to ‘play’ with devices to be able to access the Internet when they move from one network area to another one. And here goes Google’s argument about ‘lighter’ device control. This is just another issue Google doesn’t seem to be able to go through.

Could Google pull a killer marketing Campaign?

So with this perspective in mind, the only thing that can justify replacing Windows with Chrome OS is going to be a killer marketing campaign. One that would be hypnotizing to the point where people will forget about the fact that they still need Windows not because it’s the best OS but because it’s the one most adopted by the market.