[Tor]

Originally Posted by Power46

One immediate flaw I can think of with the Chrome OS: you have to have internet access at all times. That makes it rather unfeasible for netbooks, as they are designed to be portable, and thus do not have internet access a lot of the time

I agree. I think Google may have jumped on this concept a bit too early. I think they visualize an ideal world where everyone has reliable wireless internet connectivity at all times (Wifi+3G is a start) but that is not the case just yet. Google might have had more success if they'd waited a few years to release a cloud OS. Right now, I don't expect it to become hugely popular.

Originally Posted by Power46

Another one is that you rely on Google's servers. What if the server is hit with a DNS Attack? What happens when you are still using your computer after 10, 15 years? Will it still be able to be used in any way shape or form?

True, not just Google servers though, it's a web browser so you can use whatever web services you prefer. But yeah, a DOS attack against your favourite web-based service and you won't be able to access it. Thats true today too, every time GMail has downtime a million users cry out in terror.

Originally Posted by Power46

And finally, one last thought. What happens if and when Chrome OS gets popular? A web-browser-based OS must have many security vulnerabilities, and those that make viruses target the popular OSes. In fact, Windows is technically the OS that is trying hardest to fix security vulnerabilities, as they are the one targeted. In fact, that makes them have the least security vulnerabilities out of all the OSes.

I don't agree with your assessment that Windows is the most secure OS, but that's beside the point. Chrome OS will be very minimal, hardly any features besides the web browser, so how will that make the OS less secure than an OS with a web browser plus lots of other features? To my mind, a smaller codebase means fewer opportunities for bugs to sneak in.

But you're using web apps of course, so your data will only be as secure as the website you're using (and that's the case for web apps today as well).

Originally Posted by Power46

And you can't say they are targeting the new netbooks, as they have stated that they are targeting every netbook in existence.

That's weird, I read that they are only targeting specific hardware built by manufacturers Google has partnered with.

Originally Posted by jmm

A few concerns about Google OS
a) Privacy and Security: Will my data and my computer stay safe? Will the OS provide with enough privacy and security controls? Will Google use my files/data for "anonymous usage analysis"?
b) Will it have enough *real* applications to make it usable (or just Google Toys)? Will I be able to perform my regular tasks on the OS and/or it's applications (like editing a spreadsheet)?
c) Clouds, Winds and Thunderstorms... Where will my data reside (for real)? How safe it will be to store data? What will happen to the OS if you have to unplug yourself from the net (e.g.: on an airplane) or if the net is unavailable?
d) Device support. 'nuff said.

All very legitimate concerns, my two cents;
d) It'll probably only support the basic stuff; mice, keyboards, storage devices.
a and c) You probably already use some web applications already--so just extrapolate from that. It's not like "cloud computing" is a new concept, most people have for example used webmail for years. Back in the olden times everyone used dedicated e-mail clients on their desktops, but these days you hardly see them other than in business environments. For private e-mail, webmail seems to be the norm.
b) As far as I know, there will be *no* real applications... so yeah. You mention spreadsheet, Google will probably want you to use Google Docs for that. Google thinks you can do everything on the web.

tl;dr: Yes, it will only be a web browser. The source code is available, so lots of people outside Google have tested it already. You can probably only use a Chrome OS device for whatever task that can be done in a web browser today. I think devices will ship with built-in WiFi+3G (just my guess) and when that connectivity is not available there's not much to be done.

I can't really see Chrome OS have huge success today, though it might work quite well as a *secondary* operating system on a tablet or netbook. I think it might have greater chances to become popular in the hacker/DIY crowd than among normal users. As we've seen with netbooks, a lot of people expect a computer to be like any other computer, so when they find out that a $100 Chrome OS tablet doesn't have the same capabilities as their $800 desktop computer, there will be complaints.