Google Chrome OS and the Evolution of Applications
With Google’s announcement of the Chrome OS a few weeks ago, it is easy to speculate about its impact on the web, the PC market, and applications in general. While time will tell if the OS can live up to expectations and truly rival Microsoft for desktop dominance (it has to rule the netbook market first before it can even begin to compete on a broader scale), the introduction of this web-based OS raises an interesting question related to applications: what impact will this have, if any, on the evolution of applications?
At W3i, since we are application enthusiasts, this is a fun question to ponder. My belief is that, while this OS will solidify the already prominent market mainstay of connecting desktop applications to the web, it will not outright eliminate the desktop application universe and can only do more to force singular user identity on the net, thus creating new application experiences.
I don’t believe desktop applications are history. First and foremost, the jury is still out on whether Google can topple Microsoft, king of the desktop. Microsoft will certainly not stand still. As well, one of the most important reasons why apps won’t disappear is accessibility. Desktop applications allow user access without a required internet connection. While many apps now connect to the web to function, many apps such as office suite applications, image manipulation apps, music apps and even email apps provide functionality without an internet connection. Can you imagine not being able to use your computer because you’re aboard a plane and unable to access an internet connection? A non-web-based experience is here to stay.
I do think, however, that Chrome OS will enhance application user experience. By Google making the Chrome OS web-based only, they help set a clear user experience standard — instant access to the web, light-weight design, and purportedly, no viruses. Microsoft will probably follow suit in making Windows leaner and blurring the lines between desktop and web, but not eliminating the non-web desktop outright (due to accessibility). This blurring of these lines can only perpetuate the need for a more refined connection of a user’s identity and the user-related information stored on the web and accessed on the desktop. By creating a platform that is web-based, users’ identity can be related to a single log-in, via the OS. Conceivably, the social network and social information islands that exist today will be harmonized – applications will be born related to a particular function or niche rather than an application that is specific to the island where the information exists. The possibilities are endless!
Overall, I’m convinced the Google Chrome OS will evolve and enhance the application universe by causing a shift in the desktop experience. What do you think will happen?
Eric Montag, Product Manager, W3i Holdings, LLC
Eric is a Pragmatic Marketing Certified Product Manager and uses his experience in internet marketing to lead the charge in product research, planning, and execution from both a consumer and business standpoint.
Find Out More on How W3i Can Grow Your Consumer App Business
RSS Feed
