Operating system concepts and design principles

¶ … Chrome Operating System

Google is the mastermind behind the Chrome OS and the philosophy which guides it is largely the belief in the fact that there's no need for an inflated client desktop: the idea is that all that is sufficient is just a Linux operating system in conjunction with a Chrome web browser. One of the overwhelming benefits of a Chrome operating system is that it runs easily on older personal computers as well as chromebooks, working smoothly and without a hitch for most purposes. Chrome can run easily on anything, ranging from the cheapest lap tops to even pricier desktops that cost in the thousands. One of the major benefits of Chrome is that it the learning curve is almost non-existent: "If you can use a web browser, you can use a chromebook" (Vaughn-Nichols, 2013). However, if one is to make the choice with the Chrome operating system it would be best to determine what your exact needs are from a personal computer and from an operating system. Chrome is an operating system which is largely ideal for people who enjoy the "software-as-a-service" (Saas) app such as with Google Docs and Gmail, making Chrome OS a more ideal selection (Vaughn-Nichols, 2013). As experts agree, the Chrome system continues to mature, allowing rapid improvement to emerge from an operating system which is largely browser-based. Some of the more beneficial changes are things like Google Play Integration and 100GB of drive storage offered for free (cnet, 2012).

Many users find the paradigm inherent within Google's OS to be very refreshing and necessary. Consider more classical operating systems: these systems suck up a great deal of hard drive space, demanding more work on the part of the user. It means that one has to install all programs one at a time, engage with the OS and security updates as they are needed, and generally deal with the device drivers as well (Chandler, 2014). "Google's Chrome OS aims to overhaul that paradigm. With Chrome, the browser actually is the OS -- in this case, the Chrome OS builds on the Google browser of the same name. In total, the Chrome OS is built on an open-source version of Linux and integrated with the Chrome browser, a simple media player...and that's it" (Chandler, 2014). Essentially, what this critic has touched upon is what the typical user finds so compelling about the Chrome OS: the simplicity involved and the lack of the need to intricate procedures or excess hard drive space.