Re: [MLUG] Google's Linux distro?

[Michael <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

The real point of a Google OS is to have a Google Computer. With a 
thin-client running Linux they could control all the hardware and 
software involved much like a console which automatically gets rid of 
99% of the problems with using Linux. At the same time they could serve 
every app commonly used to users of these Google computers over the 
network and sell ad space. A lot of people would buy a $100 PC + game 
console + media center from Google if offered all their apps for free. 
Google could make money from advertising with an option for people to 
pay a subscription fee to have an ad free experience. I think Google is 
savvy enough to pull off a full desktop advertising program where other 
companies have failed. They understand that useful and non-annoying ads 
are key.

This return to a great centralization of computing is an obvious thing 
to happen. With a Google computer you'd have access to all your data and 
programs from anywhere with a Net connection and you'd eliminate almost 
all issues of spyware, viruses, keeping backups, etc that are the plague 
of computers today. Keep your data on the server when it's not in 
processing and download apps (and app parts) as needed (fulfilling what 
Java wanted to be). All the computer would be is a terminal, data cache, 
and processing unit for operations that would create a lag if you had to 
keep communicating the data between the client and server.

Google buying the Playstation arm of Sony would make perfect sense. The 
PS3 is being aimed at being a powerful general purpose computer that is 
extra optimized for exactly the operations that would need to be done on 
the client-side and at being very network-centric. Sony is clumsy at 
best at managing it's very successful bastard child, the Playstation, so 
I could see them getting rid of it for the right deal or at least making 
a partnership. The PS3 runs Linux. Microsoft's nightmare.

I wonder if Google is working on their own alternative to Java and .NET. 
It'd make a lot of sense to do so. They're largely a Python shop and 
Python is very good for rapid application development. A few tweaks to 
Python and a decent virtual machine built into the Gecko engine (from 
Firefox which they also influence heavily) and they could be well on 
their way. I suggest combining 'Google' and 'Python' to get 'Goth'. 
That'd sound cool enough to get developers on board. ;)

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