GoogleOS: What To Expect

There's no such thing as the GoogleOS in reality - but despite that, it is one of the most talked about Web products. People can't stop discussing it - and even imagining screenshots for it! Seems like everyone expects Google to get into direct competition with Microsoft, by releasing an operating system. However Google refuses such claims and even makes fun of this kind of buzz. Nevertheless we decided to analyze where Google may be heading with their product strategy - and from that determine what are the chances of a GoogleOS.
Possibilities

We see 3 scenarios for a GoogleOS:

* A web based desktop (i.e. operating system)
* A full featured Linux distribution
* A lightweight Linux distro and/or BIOS

We'll try to explain each of these in detail - then in the conclusion, make our prediction. What's more, we think this could be less than 6 months away from happening.
A Web Based Operating System

If you asked "what will a GoogleOS look like?" - most people would answer that it'll be an AJAX-powered copy of the Windows desktop. In other words, a WebOS (aka webtop). To remind you of what a WebOS is, it is basically a virtual desktop on the web and has various built-in applications. Google already has a history of producing web-based products that mimic desktop apps - Gmail was the first desktop client like email reader, and now they have Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Calendar and other desktop-like products. Also note that Google's internal open sourced widget toolset, GWT, allows them to replicate any desktop capability.

On the other hand, a bunch of startups like YouOS , Goowy, DesktopTwo, Xin and open source eyeOS are already tackling this exact problem - and have been for a while now. So if Google engineers are not already working on their own webOS project, they may want to snap up one of these! AJAX powered YouOS, which is a yet another Paul Graham investment, seems like the most obvious choice at this time.

Screenshot from YouOS

Besides the startups we've already mentioned, there may be other surprises that Google looks at for WebOS purposes. Meebo, for instance, has created a very large user base with their web-based meta instant messaging product (it enables you to use multiple IM services on the same webpage). IM is a crucial application, because many people spend a lot of time on the computer IM'ing. So Meebo could use IM as a base - and utilize the empty spaces on their page for new applications.

Meebo OS with fictional Calculator application (taken from YouOS)

30 Boxes also has a webtop offering, but it looks less promising than their calendar. Start pages like NetVibes, PageFlakes and WebWag could also potentially enter the webos business.
A Full Featured Linux Distro

Another possibility for Google is to create their own Linux-based operating system. The free license of Linux allows anyone to create their own version of Linux. Although Linux is the most popular operating system in the server market and it's free, it is still far behind Windows and MacOS in the desktop market. Some believe this may change with the latest enhancements to the Linux user interface.

This scenario is a more traditional model to replace Windows - with a direct competitor, instead of creating a web-based replacement. Indeed this has already been widely speculated - Ubuntu, a semi-free Linux derivative, was rumored to be acquired by Google.

If this scenario happened, Google may open up their operating system as a free download and promote it on their homepage - as they once did with Firefox. They could also make a networked file system the default, instead of the complex UNIX file hierarchy of Linux - which is another reason why Linux struggles in the mainstream desktop market.

A Lightweight Linux Distro or BIOS

A lightweight Linux distro is a possibility. For example an OS that simply booted up the computer, connected to the internet, and then opened Firefox. Then leave the rest to Google's web sites and apps. This is possibly the most logical strategy, because Google could then create a homepage that connects all their services and applications - and people will have the freedom to use other web sites and services as well.

Similar concepts already exist. For instance, Puppy and Damn Small are 2 credit card sized Linux distros. The good thing about these is that you can carry them everywhere you go - putting the credit card sized CD or the USB drive into your pocket and using your own operating system anywhere you go. Why? Because these distributions don't need to be installed and can work directly from the CD or the USB drive.

ByzantineOS, a dead project now, was doing exactly this. Its sole purpose was to boot up and open a Mozilla based window manager - but then you could not get out of your browser window!

A screenshot of ByzantineOS, showing the user stuck inside the browser

However, Google may be considering an even more radical solution and planning to replace BIOS with their own version. BIOS means 'basic input/output system' and it is the built-in software that determines what a computer can do - for example it controls the keyboard and display screen. Google's latest sponsorship of LinuxBIOS may be a step towards researching this. In that case, Google could agree with hardware vendors to pre-install Google's BIOS-based operating system.

Conclusion: GoogleOS will tackle Microsoft's Vista OS head on

We believe that everything will become much clearer in the following 6 months. Microsoft will put pressure on Google with its Vista OS, which will receive relatively high adoption just like any other new Windows release (although probably not as high as historically Microsoft has enjoyed!). As Vista's adoption increases, so will the adoption of its default search engine Live Search. From Microsoft's perspective, this will have a positive effect on all Live and MSN sites. What end users are looking for is ease-of-use and satisfactory experiences - which in a lot of cases starts from the Vista OS.

In that scenario, Google's usage rates may be negatively affected. So we predict at that point, Google will start a more punchy strategy - pushing Firefox and some form of Google OS. Yahoo! has already responded to the Microsoft threat in a friendly fashion, by offering a customized IE7 for its users. But we think Google will be more aggressive and competitive and will push their own OS. The GoogleOS may be a reality within 6 months!

Written by Emre Sokullu and edited by Richard MacManus.
readwriteweb.com

Google's Future? GBrowser, GooglePC, Google NetPC and Google ISP

Recent chatter indicates Google may be preparing to launch its own internet browser. But this might be only the first step in a much more massive Google strategy that could include a GooglePC and Google ISP service.

Concerning the Google Browser, many are giving the title GBrowser to this rumored challenger of Internet Explorer. The evidence that supports Google's GBrowser efforts are as follows:

• Google has recently hired several key programmers from Microsoft who worked on the Windows operating system
• Google hired key programmers from Sun and BEA Systems
• Google hired Ben Goodger, the genius behind the upstart Firefox browser (which Forbes says is "better than Internet Explorer by leaps and bounds)
• Google has even hired Microsoft programmers working on future operating systems Avalon and Longhorn (updates that are already out-of-date thanks to Google Desktop Search)
• Finally, last year Google registered the domain name GBrowser.com

Introducing the GooglePC at Under $300

GBrowser would make it easier for Google to control both data and applications, bypassing Microsoft entirely. In fact, it's conceivable that Google could launch its own PC which wouldn't need any Microsoft software. Here's what the Google PC could look like:

• A low-cost PC running the Linux operating system (saves $100 to $150 versus Microsoft's operating system)
• Features the GBrowser, the much speculated Google Browser
• Email provided by GMail, a current free service offered by Google (no one really needs Outlook)
• Microsoft-compatible applications powered by GBrowser and/or free open source software like GNOME's spreadsheet Gnumeric and word processor Abiword
• DVD support via Intermedia's popular WinDVD program (in fact, just this past week Google and Intermedia announced a partnership; nothing too explicit, but it shows that they are talking and have a relationship)

There are various ways a Google PC could be priced. On the cheap side, a minimal setup for basic tasks could cost at little as $150 to $300, including monitor. Thus, Google is not only a threat to Microsoft, but to Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony and other PC manufacturers as well. Google could subcontract out the actual manufacturing of the GooglePCs.

Finally, one more note, Google already sells enterprise search servers online at their Google Store. And why is the Google Store selling seemingly silly products like the Google Fast Lane Travel Mug, Google Classic Infant Rib Hat and Google Icon Stix and Stonz Magnet Game? A plausible explanation is that they are trying to gain expertise on how to run an online store in order to provide a platform for selling the GooglePC direct to consumers.

Google ISP and The "Free" GooglePC

Just this past Friday, Google inched closer to entering the high speed ISP arena by introducing the Google Web Accelerator. The Google Web Accelerator promises to speed up the high speed internet browsing experience by taking advantage of Google's massive centralized cache of the internet as well as a small portion of a user's hard drive. (We tested it and discovered we could surf the net 15% faster.) Google can use this muscle to forge partnerships with one or more high speed ISPs and could brand the high speed service Google ISP.

So what? Yahoo already has a high speed ISP partnership with SBC, but that relationship is entirely on paper. Any Google ISP relationship would leverage the Google Web Accelerator to speed up the browsing experience.

Are you still saying so what? OK. Well, it's feasible that Google could give away the GooglePC for "free" in exchange for a fixed term premium high speed internet service contract. ISPs may be forced to offer and co-promote a Google ISP service in their regions in a similar way that most cable companies need to carry and pay for ESPN. Furthermore, anytime the Google Web Accelerator is distributed, the Google Toolbar comes along for the ride, increasing Google's reach.

In short, the GooglePC could encapsulate all of the Google features on a PC without needing one cent of Microsoft software. Google ISP and the Google Web Accelerator would further vertically integrate Google into the internet surfing experience.

Bypassing the PC Route via the Google NetPC (The Un-PC PC)

Finally, some say Google could instead offer a NetPC (a cross between a dummy terminal and a bare bones PC where all data would be stored and served centrally at Google). Per this example of a NetPC setup, you can see that a NetPC looks like a regular PC except for there is no bulky "big box" that makes lots of noise and produces a lot of heat. Just plug the "little box" into the internet and you're ready to go. Almost all files would be stored at Google, although a small local hard drive or flash drive would still exist locally for caching reasons.

One big advantage of NetPC's is that you'd never need to install software since Google would provide everything that most people need (email, browsing, word processing, spreadsheets and perhaps a few other things). What about games? If Google launches the Google NetPC, expect game companies like Electronic Arts to build for-fee games directly into the Google NetPC system (housed centrally at Google).

It's worth pointing out that the Google NetPC would be different than any NetPC on the market, since it would have millions of users. As such, Google could expand the size of the NetPC marketplace, ultimately lowering prices to perhaps $50 to $150 (from current levels of $300 to $500), including keyboard, monitor and mouse. Of course, Google could offer the Google NetPC for free in exchange for a fixed term Google ISP contract.

If these prices sound optimistic, observe how Apple's iPod has driven down prices of miniature high-capacity hard drives. Google could do for the PC and NetPC what Apple's iPod did for personal music players.

The Google NetPC also increases the chances of a Google-owned Google ISP. Google could choose to increase the fiber optic "fat pipe" coming out of its Mountain View headquarters. By going this route, Google could buy or build their own ISP, making a Google ISP a reality. Thus, the Google NetPC running GBrowser, the Google Web Accelerator and various other Google tools could exclude the following from the revenue equation: Microsoft, computer manufacturers and various ISPs. Ah, the plot thickens!

International Expansion: Google in China and India

The current combined population of China and India is 2.9 billion, compared to 293 million in the US. Thus, China and India represent 10X the population of the US and both have a rising middle class. Whoever can get their foot "in the door" in these countries has opportunity to earn massive amounts of revenue.

Which is more likely? (1) The rising middle classes in China and India will shell out $500 to $1000 for a PC loaded with unnecessary Microsoft software. Or (2) the rising middle classes in China and India will shell out less than $100 for a NetPC since it does the same things a full-scale PC does.

Google is in a great position to provide a NetPC to both China and India. At the very least, they'd make a great technology partner for whatever company the governments of China and India favor. One last time - this could be accomplished without any Microsoft software. So Google is indeed a huge threat to Bill Gates and Microsoft.

SquirrelNet's Prediction

Look for Google to bring GBrowser to market within 2 years, the GooglePC within 3 years and Google ISP partnerships within 5 years. For further validation of this theory, consider what Fortune Magazine is saying:

The idea that Google will one day marginalize Microsoft's operating system and bypass Windows applications is already starting to become reality. The most paranoid people at Microsoft even think "Google Office" is inevitable. Google is taking over operating system features too, like desktop search.

Onward might Google!

schlerplotti.typepad.com

gOS: The Conceptual Google Operating System

Earlier this week Everex launched the gPC TC2502, which is a sub-$200 PC sold at a major US retailer, but what makes this unique is that it runs the gOS. The gOS (GreenOS) is designed to be a conceptual Google Operating System that is based upon Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon. Though this is not the conventional GNOME desktop environment but an Enlightenment E17 desktop is used that is heavily modified and reflects a green Google theme. The gOS provides easy access to Google services such as YouTube, Google Product Search, Google Calendar, and Google Maps. Also a click away are other web services such as Wikipedia and Facebook. This isn't a pure Internet desktop but Xine, Skype, OpenOffice.org, and other applications are available for this Linux LiveCD. We've been trying the gOS out for a while and it's a rather nice slim desktop Linux distribution that would be perfect for Internet cafes and other public places.

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=902&num=1

A Computer That Works With Google, Not Microsoft

Advocates of Linux, the free open-source operating system, like to say that buying a standard-issue computer involves a Microsoft Tax, because you have no choice but to pay for Windows. New versions of Linux and inexpensive hardware like the new Everex gPC TC2502 make that tax avoidable.

This computer has a 1.5-gigahertz Via processor, 512 megabytes of memory and an 80-gigabyte hard drive. What makes it stand out, however, is GOS, a version of Linux specially made to run Google applications like GMail and Google Documents. It also runs OpenOffice, an open-source office suite that can handle Microsoft Word documents, and some multimedia applications.

The interface features an intuitive desktop interface with a set of icons. Clicking on the Map icon, for example, brings up Google Maps. The ostensible goal is to move much of the processing from the PC to the Internet.

The gPC is available now at Wal-Mart for $200, including a keyboard and mouse. A monitor costs extra, and the Microsoft Tax is missing entirely.

JOHN BIGGS

www.nytimes.com

Google PC At Wal-Mart for $200

Our Crunchgear colleague John Biggs has an item in the NYT today about Wal-Mart’s $200 Google PC that runs a version of Linux called the gOS (which does not stand for the Google Operating System, but rather is a version of Ubuntu). Excerpt:

What makes it stand out, however, is GOS, a version of Linux specially made to run Google applications like GMail and Google Documents. It also runs OpenOffice, an open-source office suite that can handle Microsoft Word documents, and some multimedia applications.

The interface features an intuitive desktop interface with a set of icons. Clicking on the Map icon, for example, brings up Google Maps. The ostensible goal is to move much of the processing from the PC to the Internet.

The Webtop is going to be a classic disruptive technology, starting out cheap and at the margins, but slowly working its way up the food chain. (Update: Duncan reviews the gOS computer).

www.techcrunch.com

Linux PC Hits Shelves At Wal-Mart For $199

The gPC comes preloaded with the gOS operating system -- a Linux variant -- and a 1.5-GHz processor manufactured by Intel clone maker Via Technologies.

By Paul McDougall
InformationWeek
November 1, 2007 03:51 PM

It probably won't run Crysis or other state-of-the-art games, but a Linux-based PC that Wal-Mart began offering this week for $199 should get the job done for e-mail, Web browsing, and other everyday computing tasks.

The Everex TC2502 Green gPC is one of the first Linux-based desktop machines to be offered for sale by a major retailer. As such, it could become a barometer of open source software's potential for success in the consumer market.

The gPC comes preloaded with the gOS operating system -- a Linux variant -- and a 1.5-GHz processor manufactured by Intel (NSDQ: INTC) clone maker Via Technologies. The rest of the specs include an 80-Gbyte hard drive and 512 Mbytes of DDR 2 memory.

There's no monitor included, but buyers get stereo speakers and a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive.

As for software, the gPC comes with the free OpenOffice.org 2.2 productivity suite. The suite, which includes word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications, recently won backing from IBM.

Everex is a Taiwanese-based PC maker that's looking to carve a niche for itself in the computer industry's economy section. A version of Everex's gPC that runs the basic edition ofMicrosoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s Windows Vista is on sale at Wal-Mart for $298.

The retailer is making the gPC available at selected stores and through its Web site.

The price difference between the Linux and Windows version of the computer reflects what some in the tech industry derisively call "the Microsoft tax" -- a Windows licensing fee that PC makers must pay to the Redmond, Wash., software maker for each computer sold.

It's unlikely that Linux-based PCs will displace Windows-powered computers anytime soon. For one thing, there's only a limited number of applications that will run on Linux.

Linux advocates argue, however, that until they become more mainstream, open source systems could fill some important niches -- such as the market for cheap PCs aimed at students in low-income areas.

www.informationweek.com

Can Google and Wal-Mart break the Microsoft desktop monopoly?

Despite the great hype, both here and elsewhere, over Everex’ new “Google PC” this may be less than meets the eye.

Or it could be more.

It may be less because the Everex gPC TC2502 is not much of a computer. It runs a 1.5 MHz processor, with just 512Megabytes of RAM and there’s no monitor. It looks, in fact, like a stranger from the mid-1980s.

A version of the same PC, running Windows Vista, was released in July for $298, also through Wal-Mart, as a back-to-school item. This is the picture we ran with that story. The New York Times ran the same picture with its story today.

But the price point here is just $199, and it does run Open Office, and there’s no reason why, if this does well for Christmas, Everex couldn’t bring out new versions which are more attractive, even laptops.

The GOS (Google Operating System) being shipped is actually just a version of Linux licensed through Google, which includes fast access to things like Google Mail, and Google Documents (although you can also run Open Office for that).

The keys to the story, of course, are the brand names — Google and Wal-Mart. Combine Google’s branding power with Wal-Mart’s distribution and you have a very mighty force indeed.

But what happens when these buyers need tech support, as they will? Will Wal-Mart handle the back-end of these transactions well, or poorly? Is Everex scaled to handle it? Who’s going to connect these things to the Internet, which seems like an essential service for them? What happens when these poor buyers get the bill for that service?

And if it does turn into a Christmas fiasco, will the companies get another shot at the market?

blogs.zdnet.com

TechGear: November is Google month

The month of November kicks off with wide-ranging chatter about new Google products designed to clobber Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, Palm and other industry giants.

First, everyone is talking about the "Google PC" and the "Google Phone." We know almost everything about the Google PC (Note: the name Google PC is mine and is not an official designation) and almost nothing about the Google Phone, which should be unveiled later in the month.

The Google PC is a $200 PC built by Taiwan's Everex called the gPC that has just shown up at Wal-Mart stores. The PC runs not Microsoft Windows or Office, but instead a Linux variant called gOS, which emphasizes Google applications, sites and services. It's also marketed as environmentally friendly.

I expect the OpenSocial initiative. Your eyes may glaze over at the announcement of a set of application programming interfaces -- basically an interface for developers to use for writing software applications -- but the initiative will surely change the world. It means at minimum that instead of going from Friendster to Linked-In to Plaxo to whatever other "social" sites you frequent to check in on friends and make changes to your pages, you'll be able to do so from a single place. Your favorite social network can become all your social networks.

As recently as October, Facebook was the flavor of the month. But OpenSocial leaves that social network as the odd man out and provides an incentive for developers to stop building Facebook applications, which work only on Facebook, and start building OpenSocial applications, which will work on dozens of sites.

For Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, Palm and others, "Google Month" brings unwelcome competition and price pressure.

But for end users, announcements during "Google Month" mean potentially cheaper and easier computing and communication.

www.computerworld.com

The gPC: 'G' for 'Green' or 'Google'?

Everex introduces an energy-efficient gPC that costs less than $200. So does the 'g' stand for green or Google?

by Joel Santo Domingo

		SLIDESHOW (7)
		Slideshow | All Shots

Everex, known for its low-priced laptop PCs sold through big-box stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, introduced a sub-$200 desktop PC with a "Google-centric" theme. While they are stopping short of calling it the "Google PC," many of the usual suspects are in the shortcut bar at the bottom of the screen; FireFox, You Tube, Wikipedia, Meebo, and Open Office are all represented and fully functional.

The 'gOS Initial G' operating system is a theme laying over Ubuntu Linux 7.10 running the Enlightenment (E17) environment. What does this all mean? It means that you are basically running Linux, but with a 'face' that looks familiar to Internet users.

The gPC is also being touted as a "green PC" with a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor that only consumes 2-20W of power. The rest of the system includes 512MB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, and DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive. While this is a somewhat anemic configuration for Windows (particularly Vista), the Linux-based gOS will run.

The gPC will be available in over 600 Wal-Mart stores and at walmart.com starting today.

Look for a review soon on PCMag.com, including testing of the gOS and the gPC's energy efficiency.

pcmag.com

Wal-Mart Sells $199 Linux Computer

NEW YORK (AP) — Linux, the free operating system that's a perpetual underdog in the desktop market, is showing up in computers in Wal-Mart stores this week for the first time.

About 600 Wal-Mart stores will carry the $199 Linux-powered "Green gPC" made by Everex of Taiwan, Wal-Mart said. It was available online on Wednesday.

A comparable Everex PC that comes with Windows Vista Home Basic and more memory costs $99 more, or $298, partly because the manufacturer has to pay Microsoft Corp. for a software license. Both computers come with keyboard, mouse, and speakers, but no monitor.

Linux is maintained and developed by individuals and companies around the world volunteering on an "open source" basis, meaning that everyone has access to the software's blueprints.

Linux is in widespread use in server computers, particularly servers that host Web sites. But it hasn't yet made a dent in the desktop market. Surveys usually put its share of that market around 1 percent, far behind Windows and Apple Inc.'s OS X.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien said it is stocking the gPC in about one in eight stores to test the demand for an open-source product.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. sold Linux computers online — but not in stores — starting in 2002 at prices as low as $199. Computers from several manufacturers were available for several years but they didn't find much of a market, and they're gone now.

The variant of Linux on the gPC is called gOS and is derived from the popular Ubuntu variant. It's heavily oriented toward Google's Web sites and online applications, like YouTube, Gmail and the company's word processing program, all of which can be used only when the computer is connected to a broadband line.

Google's push into desktop applications is relatively new, and gOS, the Los Angeles-based startup behind the software, sees it as crucial in overcoming consumers' reluctance to leave the familiar Windows environment.

"We feel the timing is right for open source because of that," said gOS founder David Liu. The company has fewer than 10 people on staff but gets help from volunteers in the Linux community.

Whether value-minded shoppers who would be enticed by a $199 PC will also be interested in making the jump to Linux remains to be seen. The operating system isn't known for ease of use and mainly attracts the tech-savvy, though Liu said his aim was to make the gPC something his mother could use.

The gPC has a low-end processor from VIA Technologies, plus 512 megabytes of internal memory, an 80-gigabyte hard drive and a combination DVD drive and CD burner.

Everex says the processor is very energy efficient, meriting the "Green" part of the name.

ap.google.com

Wal-Mart to carry $199 computer

Scattered among the $500 to $1,000 desktop computers available at Walmart.com, one machine stands out. It doesn't have a unique design, but its price tag looks like a typo: $199.

Prices for consumer electronics goods, ranging from HDTVs to mobile phones, drop consistently, but few products have more potential to impact a person's ability to learn or find work than a computer.

The cheap computers -- sold beginning this week at 20 Illinois Wal-Mart locations -- are offered at a time when charitable efforts such as the "One laptop per child" program intended to provide portable computers for $100 to children in developing countries, have struggled to achieve results. That laptop will now cost $200, but the program has yet to deliver a product.

The computer for sale at Wal-Mart, on the other hand, can immediately put an affordable machine into the hands of anyone from students in low-income households to senior citizens on strict budgets, thus addressing the critical social issue of a so-called "digital divide" in the U.S. between those with access to computers and the Internet and those without.

"What this will do is make it affordable to have a computer, or even multiple computers, at home," said Mohsin Dada, assistant superintendent for business at the Schaumburg township community school district.

The computers do not include a monitor, but those can be bought for less than $100, and the price could encourage more families to buy computers, said Sharnell Jackson, the chief e-learning officer for the Chicago Public School system.

"This is a good thing for digital equity and digital excellence," she said. This effort will provide an "alternative for families. We need options."

According to a 2006 Chicago Public Schools survey, 72 percent of students said they use a computer at home. The remaining students have access !! to a computer at school, a library or at a friend's house.

The cheap price reflects Wal-Mart's buying power as the world's largest retailer and an aggressive gambit by a Taiwanese company that has carved out a niche at the low end of the computer market.

To get to $199, the company, First International Computer, had to forgo software made by Microsoft Corp. or Apple Inc. and try the little used open-source computer platform.

"There are $60 to $90 savings on every single computer sold just by getting away from the Microsoft products," said Paul Kim, Everex's director of marketing.

Open source software programs are developed using code that is available to anyone, typically free of charge. The most notable open-source platform is called Linux, and it has become widely used on corporate server computers.

But consumers, other than hobbyists, who use Linux and open-source software are rare.

Whether people are comfortable with open-source software, or even aware it exists, these computers ship with an array of familiar software: a Web browser, word processing, programs for presentations and spreadsheets, e-mail, instant messaging, and media-playing software for music and movies.

Even an iPod will work, said David Liu, the founder of gOS, the California start-up that built the open-source operating system the PC runs on.

The gOS operating system -- the "g" does not stand for Google -- has six Google applications loaded directly onto the PC. The "g" doesn't stand for anything, Liu said.

Those programs include Google's e-mail product, Gmail, as well a spreadsheet application, a calendar, maps, news and a direct link to videos on YouTube.

The so-called "gPC" will be sold online at Walmart.com and in about 600 Wal-Mart stores nationwide. The PCs have started arriving in some stores, said a spokeswoman for the Arkansas-based retailer.

"That's about one-eighth of our stores," she said. "It's a test of market demand for open source software. It's very limited."

At the Wal-Mart store in Princeton, Ill., one of the 20 in the state selling the $199 computer, an assistant store manager said the product should sell well, even if it lacks an operating system people are familiar with.

"For that price, our customers will want one," she said.

Al Gillen, an analyst who covers operating system issues for technology analyst IDC in Framingham, Mass., said the low-priced computers "could be disruptive" for the computing industry but more importantly it has the potential to expand the market.

"When you look at the people who take photos with their cell phones, it did not diminish camera sales," he said. "The photo quality is not good [with phones] but it enabled the adoption of a technology that was never addressed before. So the opportunity here is to serve a market that has never been served before."

Kim, from Everex, would not clearly define the target market for this computer. "It could attract both older people and kids," he said, adding that the affordability factor is a clear lure for low-income consumers.

Software programs are shown as icons on a bar that sits on the bottom of the computer screen, much like how the "dock" looks like on Apple's OS X operating system. Hence, users click on an icon, such as the one for Firefox that allows for Web browsing, and the application opens.

For it's part, Google supports the open source movement and encourages developers and consumers to experiment with its offerings.

"Our goal is to connect people with the information they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible," said a Google spokeswoman. "We're also excited to see that companies like Everex are making information more accessible to more people by building affordable, open-source PCs."

Yet despite the $199 price point, Gillen is skeptical that Wal-Mart will help spread the open-source software movement.

"The problem we've seen with Linux adoption as a consumer operating system is that it has not been big at all," he said. "It's not even a measurable market share at this point."

Plus, Wal-Mart has sold an open-source computer. In 2002, it tried to sell a $199 PC that used the Lindows operating system. But the PCs were poorly reviewed and there were compatible issues working with peripheral devices, ranging from printers to digital cameras. Gillen said those hurdles will need to be overcome with this effort.

"Are there adoption blockers here," he asked. "If there is any kind of updating or installation required, it could be a challenge. Will you be able to install driver software for an old HP laserjet printer? Or will you have to buy a particular printer to work with this device?"

To ease some worries, the "gPC" has a 1-year warranty and a 24-hour help line.

"We want people to accept this as a mainstream product," Liu said. "The operating system will continue to grow. There will be upgrades."

Dada, the Schaumburg educator, said a "$199 computer can level the playing field for a lot of people. We should make every effort that there is no digital divide."

ebenderoff@tribune.com

chicagotribune.com

Almost the Google PC: Everex gPC available at Wal-Mart

The $198 Google-approved Web 2.0 gPC.

(Credit: Everex)

On Thursday, WalMart begins selling the Everex Green gPC TC2502, a $198, low-power, Linux-based PC designed primarily for running Web 2.0 applications.

When users first fire up their gPC, they'll get a Mac-like desktop with a series of program icons "docked" across the bottom. The icons are bookmarks to popular and useful Web 2.0 services from Google and other vendors. There are icons for Google Docs, Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube, for example, as well as Meebo, Facebook, and Wikipedia. Sprinkled into the lineup are some non-Web-based apps, like Skype and Gimp, but the novice user won't know, initially, which are local applications and which are Web services.

Isn't that as it should be? An app is an app, so why should users know or care if it's running on their local PC or in the cloud?

The gPC icon dock

(Credit: CNET)

Unfortunately, using the gPC's Web apps isn't as transparent as we'd like, although that's not Everex's fault. Web apps still run in a browser (and the gPC won't ship with Adobe AIR or another runtime platform that runs online apps in their own windows), so each time a user clicks on one of the icons that's pointing to a URL, it will fire up Firefox or a new tab in it. Also, Web apps require their own online logins (though if you're logged into Google, you have to worry about that only once per session). And, of course, there's the question of where one's data is stored. The gPC has a hard disk, but users of the Web apps won't be putting files on it. (It also has OpenOffice installed on it, but users will have to dig to find the suite.)

My criticisms are aimed mostly at Web apps in general, and this is nonetheless a great product. It costs less than $200 and you don't have to buy one for a child you've never met to get it (not that that's a bad thing, but it would drive up your cost). It will do what most of us need, thanks to all the Web 2.0 sites and services that are available now and that don't require the equivalent of a Cray supercomputer to run acceptably fast. The gPC, which Everex is selling with Google's blessing, gives us a look at what a Web PC should be: A much cheaper but almost-as-capable alternative to a regular PC or Mac. This is the closest thing I've seen to a Web appliance that might actually sell.

The gPC runs a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor and ships with 512MB of RAM and a 80GB hard drive. The operating system is gOS, from a new company of the same name. It's a version of Ubuntu 7.10 with the Enlightenment window manager. The $198 price tag does not include a monitor. But it does include 24/7 800-number tech support.

The gPC will be available at Walmart.com and at these Wal-Mart retail stores.

See also these interesting Linux-powered products from Everex competitor Asus: The P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP motherboard with embedded Firefox, and the Eee PC 4G, and low-cost Linux laptop

The gPC runs all the Web apps you'll need as well as several useful Linux-based desktop apps.

(Credit: CNET)
news.com

Everex delivers $198 Google-friendly PC

Everex has teamed up with open source players to create a $198 PC (sans display). The Everex Green gPC TC2502 runs a Linux OS and is loaded with (or has links to) free applications, including Gmail, Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Calendar, Google Product Search, Google Blogger, Google YouTube, Google Maps, Google News, Meebo (instant messaging), GIMP (image editing), Firefox, Xing Movie Player, RhythmBox (iTunes substitute), Faqly (tech support), Facebook, Skype and OpenOffice.org 2.2. The gPC will be available in Wal-Mart stores and at walmart.com this month.

“Sub-$200 is magical price point for impulse buyer, and we can deliver 65 to 95 percent savings with open source software,” said Paul Kim, Everex director of marketing. Everex will have about 20,000 gPCs in the pipeline this quarter, he added.

Somehow the $198 gPC become the $199 gPC

The target market is people looking for a cheap, easy to use desktop platform. “Initially we thought of first time users,” Kim said. “We did some studies and found a lot of the older generation were interested.” Everex wil provide free telephone support for gPC customers.

With the name gPC and all the Google software, you could think that this is a Google PC. Everex is careful to state that applications from Google are an integral part of our product, however, gOS is an entity entirely independent from Google. Everex did get approval from Google to use the icons and trademarks on its gPC.

Besides green, the “g” stands for the gOS, the Ubuntu 7.1 Linux desktop developed by an open source startup of the same name. “The gOS is an alternative operating system that makes it apparent that Google is your entire computing experience,” said gOS founder David Liu. “When you make Linux look pretty and put ton of Google apps on it, you pacify it for consumer. You could say gOS is Google inspired but not official stamped.” gOS uses the Enlightenment window manager and has taken cues from Apple in designing the interface.

According the Kim, the gPC costs about $170 to make, giving Wal-Mart and Everex some margin. A comparable Vista machine could cost a few hundred dollars more. However, the gPC isn’t going to deliver a great multimedia experience. It comes with a low power 1.5 GHz Via C7-D processor and chipsets, 512 MB of SDRAM, an 80 GB disk and a DVD/CD-RW drive. Connectivity to the Internet is via Ethernet–no built-in wireless option.

It appears that Google will be working with a host of hardware partners to bundle its software on systems as a way to spread the Google gospel.

Everex is working on an ultra-mobile gPC and other configurations the Google-oriented, Apple-flavored systems, Kim said. The company also plans to introduce a Spanish language version of the gPC.

gPC’s software is free, but the company is exploring advertising and other ways to monetize its open source desktop, Liu said. Free open source software wants to be free, but developers need to eat…

zdnet.com

Everex $200 Linux gPC Hits Wal-Mart, Bowls Rednecks Over

Can the masses be wooed by Linux? Second-tier PC maker Everex teamed up with a startup called gOS to build the gPC TC2502, a $199 VIA-powered Ubuntu 7.10 Linux system with an Enlightenment E17 interface. Although they assure us that the "g" doesn't stand for Google, the PC's productivity will be almost solely derived from Google apps accessed through Firefox: Mail, Calendar, News, Maps and Documents & Spreadsheets. It will also come with OpenOffice.org 2.2 and some other freeware Linux faves. But again, the question is, will the Wal-Mart crowd bite the bait?

It turns out, 5% of people buying a PC at Wal-Mart are buying one for the first time, yes, in 2007. That means that for them, there's no brand allegiance, there's no OS that they are already comfortable with, there's nothing but functionality ("Does it have the e-mail and the pretty ladies on the World Wide Internet?") and price ("I'm not gonna pay no $300 for no damn computer!"). This meets both, and looks enough like some kind of Macindows hybrid for the more computer savvy relatives to help out the new buyer. There are some omissions in the early stages: Picasa didn't quite work right, so it's not there yet. (GIMP is there, but not a lot of people like GIMP.) There's Skype, but I don't think it can do video yet. There are apps for working with iPods, but I am worried that people who want to use an iPod will be frustrated with the lack of iTunes.

The funniest thing is that Everex deliberately built a large box, even though there's not much under the hood. This is a pure psychological play to woo the pickup truck set, who believe a Chevy S10 is a sure sign of sexual inadequacy. The system will pack a 1.5GHz low-wattage VIA C7-D processor (pitched as a "green" machine). It will have 512MB of RAM and an 80GB HDD. It won't even have a DVD burner, though they are now practically free. And as for the monitor you've come to expect in a bundle, it's gonna cost you extra. (Speakers, mouse and keyboard are included.)

All in all, though, I like to see things get shaken up. This is apparently replacing a Windows model at that price point or slightly higher, and the approach is different, and probably smarter, than the teeny tiny subscription-based Zonbu (of which Everex is also a manufacturing partner).

The whole FOSS (free open-source software) movement really should be aimed at newbies and non-power users. After all, the generalist can do all that they can dream up on any machine out there, whereas the specialists are the ones who are truly locked to one OS or another. And they don't buy their PCs at Wal-Mart. [Wal-Mart]

gizmodo.com

$200 Ubuntu Linux PC Now Available at Wal-Mart

Everex's TC2502 gPC is the first mass-market $200 desktop computer, featuring a custom distribution of Ubuntu Linux and headed for selected Wal-Mart stores.

"It's $200, with no gimmicks or subsidies," Everex spokesman David Liu said.

The gPC aims to joins a popular gang of low-end economy computers leading into the holiday season, such as Asus' $300 EeePC Laptop and VIA's $600 Nanobook. Unlike these machines, however, Everex's latest model is a full-size desktop, and $100 cheaper than even the slightest models from Dell or HP.

Touted as a "green" machine, it has a 1.5 Ghz VIA C7 CPU embedded in a Mini-ITX motherboard, 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. Normally, this would simply mark it as unacceptably low-end for use with modern software. By using the fast Enlightenment desktop manager (instead of heavier-duty alternatives like Gnome or KDE), the makers say it's more responsive than Vista is, even on more powerful computers.

"It's almost like a Google PC," Liu says, pointing to the desktop's rack of pre-configured links to all of Google's online applications. It is, he says, the mass-market Linux PC we've all been waiting for. "That's our dream. ... we go the final step to make it work out the box, to go the whole nine yards."

The gPC also has a DVD burner and, for those not drinking the web-app cool-aid, OpenOffice and lots more local software. There's free phone support and a regularly updated app called "Faqly" that contains the latest tech support info for folks stuck offline.

If users want to install Windows on it, they can, though Everex cautions that Vista will not run well without a RAM upgrade. Recent games will not run well, if at all, on the gPC: the requirements of even humble titles like World of Warcraft exceed the system specifications.

Even at the low end, however, image is everything. The gPC is built using tiny components, but put inside a full-size case because research indicates that Wal-Mart shoppers are so unsophisticated they equate physical size with capability.

The machine is, technically, little different from sexier, geekier basic models like the Zonbu, only pitched to a different crowd. It does, however, offer a complete, upgradeable system for the lowest possible price, making the gPC a great candidate for home file/media servers and other "experiments." Everex says it wants advanced users to "play with it" and make suggestions for further development.

If nothing else, you get a ready-to-roll Mini-ITX system ready to be hacked into a CarPC or any of these weird and wonderful SFF designs.

The team working on the gPC has about 10 members, including volunteers from the open-source community. With the limited release, Everex expectes to sell "under 10,000 units" at first — a limitation perhaps related to the need to provide good tech support for less savvy users unfamiliar with Linux's conventions.

Everex TC2502 Green gPC w/ Via C7-D Processor [Wal-Mart]

Everex's Product Gallery [Everex]

wired.com

$200 "gPC" Launches Today at Wal-mart

PC maker Everex rolls out a budget desktop PC today that costs $200 and combines the Ubuntu Linux kernel with Google applications and open source software.

The Everex gPC, goes on sale tomorrow at Wal-mart and is being touted by the company as a close collaboration between the PC maker, the open source community and Google that is intended to "bring Linux to the masses."

The machine uses a 1.5GHz Via C7-D processor, Via UniChrome Pro IGP graphics core, and comes equipped with 512MB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, and has built-in Ethernet.

But the real secret sauce is a software suite that begins with what the company calls its "gOS," which turns out to be a customized Ubuntu Linux kernel. The software bundle includes open source desktop applications highlighted by OpenOffice, GIMP photo software, the Xing DVD and video player, and Rhythmbox music management software.

Additionally, the PC's user interface includes icons pointing to popular Google applications such as Documents and Spreadsheets, Calendar, News, and Maps. Also pre-installed is the Firefox web browser, Meebo IM, and Skype.

Obviously, experienced PC users can create shortcut icons to the web applications, including Google's, that are pre-installed on the machine, and many download sites offer free open source software that is equal to, and in some cases, better than what is on the gPC.

But the company believes that combination of solid desktop software, Web 2.0 applications and the low cost of the machine will be very appealing to its target market.

pcworld.com

Everex PC Goes Linux, Low-Cost

PC maker Everex has announced a low-cost Linux PC for the masses that it hopes will succeed where others have failed. The $198 price tag might help.

The Everex gPC will hit Wal-Mart shelves tomorrow and is designed to attract new PC users. Running on Ubuntu Linux 7.1, the gPC is a mini-tower system that comes with a Via C7-D low-power x86 clone running at 1.5Ghz but drawing only two watts of power. Under full load, the PC requires only 20 watts of power, a tenth of what most PCs use. The machine also comes with 512MB of memory, an 80GB hard drive and a CD-RW recorder.

"If you look at it by Vista standards, it seems bottom of the barrel," said Paul Kim, director of marketing for Everex. "But running in the Linux environment -- it's pretty powerful."

gPC

The gPC's user interface called Enlightenment, which replaces the more comprehensive Compiz Fusion UI -- a standard in Ubuntu Linux. Enlightenment's developer, gOS, is behind the gPC's OS, also called gOS.

The gOS has a distinctly Mac OS-like look to it, which isn't too surprising as gOS founder David Liu is a Mac fan, but there were some things he didn't like about it. "On the developer side it's closed, and on the end-user side it's not affordable. So we wanted something inspired by Mac OS in look and feel and ease of use but centered around the Google apps family," he told InternetNews.com.

The gPC comes loaded with Google's suite of applications, such as Gmail, Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Calendar, Google Product Search, Google Blogger, YouTube, Google Maps, and Google News. Other free apps include Meebo for instant messaging, GIMP for image editing, Firefox, Xing Movie Player, RhythmBox, an iTunes substitute, Facebook, Skype and OpenOffice.org 2.2.

"In the Linux community, your standard distribution may or may not have all the apps you need, and most Linux people are savvy enough to go online and get what they need. We recognize most users are not savvy enough to get all that stuff and install it," said Liu.

There have been previous attempts at low-cost Linux PCs for the masses, such as Linspire, but they failed to make a sizable dent in the market (although Linspire was hamstrung by a protracted legal fight with Microsoft that had nothing to do with the product).

Liu thinks gPC can succeed by making the system easy for beginner or inexperienced PC users.

"Our target is first-time users and someone who wanted a simple experience," he said. Everex tried to anticipate as much consumer need as possible in loading all of the free software on the computer. "There is some value to integration. We want the out-of-box experience to be as seamless as possible.

Kim added that while the Google name and logo are used, this is not a Google-endorsed product. While it's full of Google apps, the goal of both companies was to create an out-of-the-box Web 2.0 experience, he said.

Whether the gPC will have luck in Wal-Mart when other efforts have failed remains to be seen. IDC analyst Richard Shim isn't so sure about the U.S. market but said overseas presents a better opportunity. "In this market there are already established players and they are likely to move into that space as the market becomes more commoditized," he told InternetNews.com.

For instance, Dell, a much bigger player than Everex, is also in Wal-Mart with a $359 computer that has sold well. Shim said Everex is better off looking in other markets than competing against Dell.

"If you go somewhere with lower penetration rates, there's more opportunity, both from lower expectations from the customers and from a lower market penetration standpoint."

internetnews.com

Almost the Google PC: Everex gPC available at Wal-Mart

On Thursday, WalMart begins selling the Everex Green gPC TC2502, a $198, low-power, Linux-based PC designed primarily for running Web 2.0 applications.

When users first fire up their gPC, they'll get a Mac-like desktop with a series of program icons "docked" across the bottom. The icons are bookmarks to popular and useful Web 2.0 services from Google and other vendors. There are icons for Google Docs, Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube, for example, as well as Meebo, Facebook, and Wikipedia. Sprinkled into the lineup are some non-Web-based apps, like Skype and Gimp, but the novice user won't know, initially, which are local applications and which are Web services.

Isn't that as it should be? An app is an app, so why should users know or care if it's running on their local PC or in the cloud?

The gPC icon dock

(Credit: CNET)

Unfortunately, using the gPC's Web apps isn't as transparent as we'd like, although that's not Everex's fault. Web apps still run in a browser (and the gPC won't ship with Adobe AIR or another runtime platform that runs online apps in their own windows), so each time a user clicks on one of the icons that's pointing to a URL, it will fire up Firefox or a new tab in it. Also, Web apps require their own online logins (though if you're logged into Google, you have to worry about that only once per session). And, of course, there's the question of where one's data is stored. The gPC has a hard disk, but users of the Web apps won't be putting files on it. (It also has OpenOffice installed on it, but users will have to dig to find the suite.)

My criticisms are aimed mostly at Web apps in general, and this is nonetheless a great product. It costs less than $200 and you don't have to buy one for a child you've never met to get it (not that that's a bad thing, but it would drive up your cost). It will do what most of us need, thanks to all the Web 2.0 sites and services that are available now and that don't require the equivalent of a Cray supercomputer to run acceptably fast. The gPC, which Everex is selling with Google's blessing, gives us a look at what a Web PC should be: A much cheaper but almost-as-capable alternative to a regular PC or Mac. This is the closest thing I've seen to a Web appliance that might actually sell.

The gPC runs a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor and ships with 512MB of RAM and a 80GB hard drive. The operating system is gOS, from a new company of the same name. It's a version of Ubuntu 7.10 with the Enlightenment window manager. The $198 price tag does not include a monitor. But it does include 24/7 800-number tech support.

The gPC will be available at Walmart.com and at these Wal-Mart retail stores.

See also these interesting Linux-powered products from Everex competitor Asus: The P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP motherboard with embedded Firefox, and the Eee PC 4G, and low-cost Linux laptop

The gPC runs all the Web apps you'll need as well as several useful Linux-based desktop apps.

(Credit: CNET)