Question

Disclaimer: I haven't closly monitored the developments of the chrome browser and more recently chrome OS.

Today, I came across some pages that sort of mentioned that chrome OS might be the next big thing. Since I have heard about those next big things since I am in the industry, I don't give it too much thought until it stands the test of time.

I also watched this youtube movie (made by google themselves) about the chrome OS where the narrator says the following (at around 2:27):

But here's the thing: none of this is stored on the computer.

WHAT? None of it? you ask.

Yeah, none of it.

Reeealllly none of it

Yeah. Nothing is stored on your computer

Well, where is it?

It's on: the internet

Perhaps I miss the point here, but how can anyone assume that organisations and people with data more confidential than a youtube video or an entry in twitter want to use such an OS?

Answer 1

Believe it or not: there's still people using their computers for other things than browsing and messaging. Many companies will have some software that doesn't even run on Chrome OS to start with. And those who have confidential data indeed have their own needs too.

Chrome OS is not for all of us.

(By the way: I assume Chrome OS software providers can choose where to store their software and data. So: not all data is necessarily stored on Google's servers, and one can probably create Chrome OS software and store its data on one's own —though publicly accessible— server. But I guess not many will create their own word processing or spreadsheet application just to change the storage of the documents.)

Answer 2

It's not as insecure as you think it is.

Assuming you trust google to 'do no evil', here. Anybody with physical access to your PC now can nick the Hard Drive and get your files off there (Unless they're encrypted - but most people's aren't.) "In the cloud", people need your Google Password to access anything (I'm assuming it's not held on the PC. It'd really better not be) at all, and it's all transferred over HTTPS, and that's still very secure.

The idea of hosting your stuff in the cloud isn't as scary as you think, and the advantages are pretty clear. Can't lose anything from HDD failure, don't have to worry about what a 'folder' is. It's not for us, but it's not that bad.

Answer 3

Although this doesn't apply here, note that it can be perfectly safe to store confidential information on the Internet. All you need is a bit of encryption. Something like TrueCrypt makes it easy for you to mount a virtual encrypted disk. It does not matter if the underlying volume is stored on your own computer or out in the cloud. Nobody can access the contents without knowing the passphrase.

Google has given no indication that they plan to take this approach. In fact, it seems that they do not. Your word processing and spreadsheet tasks will be served by Google Docs, and these files are stored unencrypted.

My point is simply that you could safely store confidential data "in the cloud", not that Google Chrome OS specifically implements the necessary techniques.

Answer 4

Disclaimer: I haven't closly monitored the developments of the chrome browser and more recently chrome OS.

Today, I came across some pages that sort of mentioned that chrome OS might be the next big thing. Since I have heard about those next big things since I am in the industry, I don't give it too much thought until it stands the test of time.

Intelligent approach !

... snip ...

Perhaps I miss the point here, but how can anyone assume that organisations and people with data more confidential than a youtube video or an entry in twitter want to use such an OS?

Personally, I believe they don't t. I don' think even Google assumes they will use it, just like a lot of them doesn't use @gmail, GReader, GDocs ... and other GThingies.

But it does have Google's sign on it, so many people just go heads first, and assume "if it's from Google, it must be good", without thinking if is it the right tool for the job. You can see similar hype examples with Go language (also from Google) these days on StackOverflow.

Don't get me wrong. Google's OS IMO is a nice OS, for people who wish to avoid buying Windows, are not technically oriented and do not wish to mess with Linux, but just want to check their mail, surf the net, and write a document from time to time.

You'd be suprised how many people fit into that category.

If you do wish to keep your data secure, trust not even the ones that "do no evil". Keep them offline. That's the one protection that stood the test of time. (as long as someone doesn't come into your house, steals your computer and beats you up with a 5$ wrench).

p.s. It is interesting to view Google's OS in context of, oh, so many times tried before, idea of NC (network computer).

Answer 5

Chrome OS is not really an OS, more in the nature of a Web application.

You might view it as a generalization of the existing Google Apps, but it's far from being a general-purpose operating system.