When Google revealed that it was working on an operating system for PCs, called Chrome OS, it stirred up a hut buzz. Even if Google is accustomed to success it is not just anyone it is going up against hen entering the operating system market. Microsoft has been dominant for the last decades and now the founder, Bill Gates, and VP, Steve Ballmer, commented on Google’s latest adventure.
Bill Gates decided to hand over some sour comments regarding Google and its secrecy in an interview with Cnet where he also compares Chrome OS to all other Linux distributions already available.
Well, just to do the second part very succinctly, there’s many, many forms of Linux operating systems out there, and packaged in different ways, and booted in different ways. So I don’t know anything in particular about what Google is doing. But, in some ways I’m surprised people are acting like there’s something new. I mean, you’ve got Android running on Netbooks; it’s got a browser in it. In any case, you should make them be concrete about what they’re doing. It is kind of a typical thing. When Google is doing anything it gets this–the more vague they are, the more interesting it is. – Bill Gates
Both Gates and Steve Ballmer point out that Google now has two operating systems, Android and Chrome OS, targeting almost identical hardware platforms. Something Microsoft tried earlier with Windows NT, which was far from any kind of success.
Ballmer also pointed out that PC users are using their computer for other things than browsing up to 50 percent of the time, which means that there is no need for Microsoft to come up with anything new to compete with Chrome OS.
“What we do need to do is to continue to evolve Windows, Windows Applications, IE (Internet Explorer), the way IE works in totality with Windows, and how we build applications like Office… and we need to make sure we can bring our customers and partners with us.” – Steve Ballmer
