Infinite Path

Web geeks across the world woke up this morning to the exciting news that Google is developing an OS for personal computers, in a move designed to be a direct challenge to Microsoft’s dominance (particularly since Microsoft aims to release Windows 7 in the next couple of months).

So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, Google claim that Chrome OS, which will almost certainly be free, will be “fast and lightweight”, allowing users to start using the web within seconds. It has been designed to optimise user experience whilst keeping the user safe and protected from viruses at all times. Aesthetically, the user interface has been described as “minimal” and constructed to “stay out of the [user’s] way”.

The big question now is: will it catch on? Since the announcement this morning, numerous blog posts have appeared across the web heralding the beginning of the end for Microsoft. However, the truth is that Google may have to work a lot harder than they think to assert any kind of real dominance over Microsoft in this particular realm.

In fact, a lot may depend upon brand identity and the psychological aspect of the online world. Google undoubtedly possess a strong brand identity but Internet Explorer is still favoured by a large majority of Internet users and this is unlikely to change overnight. Internet users often fall into habits with regards to online activity and making the transition from using a desktop based system to web-based software may be a long and complex one for some individuals.

This said, it’s important to realise the extent to which Google has infiltrated many users’ online behaviour without them even noticing a defined transition. Many of those who grew up familiarising themselves with Hotmail are now proficient with Gmail and, similarly, those of us who grew up searching for sites which would offer maps to take us from point A to point B now spend five seconds using Google Maps before taking a look at Streetview.

One thing which will certainly be interesting is how Microsoft will react to Google’s latest challenge to their dominance. Chrome OS is likely to be available in mid-2010 although this date may yet be pushed back. This leaves the folk over at Microsoft a good few months to consider their reaction to this most troublesome (in their eyes at least) of competitors.