Finally, Bill's take on Google's OS

John Carl Villanueva
17 July 2009, 7:00 AM


"It just shows the word browser has become a truly meaningless word"


Google's announcement of its latest project, Google Chrome OS, generated echoes all over the Web that intensified after each bounce with all the comments, reactions, replies-to-comments, and so on. Many of those who had something to say did so emphatically. Save of course Microsoft. Their only comment then? "No comment."

Finally, they've decided to speak up some more about Google's highly publicized invasion into their turf. 

In an interview with CNET earlier this week, Bill Gates issued a rather calm response (did anyone expect a different kind?): 



"There's many, many forms of Linux operating systems out there and packaged in different ways and booted in different ways,". Adding that,  "In some ways I am surprised people are acting like there's something new. I mean, you've got Android running on Netbooks. It's got a browser in it." 

Much of the heated discussions around the Web revolved around the way Google aimed to design their OS, i.e., based on their super fast browser of the same name - Chrome. Here's Bill's reaction on it: 

"It just shows the word browser has become a truly meaningless word,". He also added that, "What's a browser? What's not a browser? If you're playing a movie, is that a browser or not a browser? If you're doing annotations, is that a browser? If you're editing text, is that a browser or not a browser? In large part, it's more an abuse of terminology than a real change." 

According to Gates, it was difficult to say something about something that was said with very limited detail. Well, apparently some people can work with extremely limited information. Lengthy posts and comments on the matter are not so hard to find. 

I guess all of you were just waiting to hear what Bill had to say. But for those who are also curious on Steve Ballmer's own take, here it is: 

"We don't need a new operating system," Ballmer said earlier. "What we do need to do is to continue to evolve Windows, Windows Applications, IE (Internet Explorer), the way IE works in totality with Windows and how we build applications like Office...and we need to make sure we can bring our customers and partners with us." 

If you'd like to read more about the entire CNET interview with Gates (it's not all about Google's OS, by the way), click on that link.


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Phred (User):

Ballmer said earlier. "What we do need to do is to continue to evolve Windows, Windows Applications, IE (Internet Explorer), the way IE works in totality with Windows"

ha ha... If only that were true for the European version of windows ;O)

17 July 2009, 7:34 AM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (User):

"What we do need to do is to continue to evolve Windows"

A common catch-cry from dinasoars everywhere.

From major player to museum piece, quit evolving and the path is inevitable. Rehashing the same old user interface every time you need a cash flow injection is not evolving Windows.

17 July 2009, 10:40 AM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

TV Bis (New user):

Quoting Raindog:
Rehashing the same old user interface every time you need a cash flow injection is not evolving

You could say the same for MAC and any other operating system too.
Any software needs to evolve or should we say in more simpler terms - improve.
Open Office? Is that not evolving?
If it wasn't for people always wanting something better I am sure that Microsoft would have kept with XP.
What a silly and childish comment Raindog - and don't bother replying because I will never read it



17 July 2009, 7:53 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (User):

Quoting TV Bis:
You could say the same for MAC and any other operating system too.

At times I do!


Quoting TV Bis:
Any software needs to evolve or should we say in more simpler terms - improve.

No not at all. It is software which only partially or poorly achieves it's given function which need to improve. I have DOS based software systems running 24/7 without flaw. That's not to say DOS is a solution to everything. Heaven forbid running a GUI from it. I know of an NT Workstation still chugging away in your organisation, to change that would cost thousands offering no real gain or improvement.


Quoting TV Bis:
Open Office? Is that not evolving?

It is although at time the evolutions are slow to eventualise.


Quoting TV Bis:
If it wasn't for people always wanting something better I am sure that Microsoft would have kept with XP.

And this is the point where it your turn to realise it's you making the foolish statements. Through all the argument and discussion no one has ever been able to demonstrate much that is actual improvement in Windows latest offerings. Some may blow their lollies over all the eye candy, but where are the real improvements, improvements worth all the effort to migrate or upgrade?
And while we are talking improvement what about all the items that are backward steps.

If a new version of an OS requires more resources to achieve similar tasks to it's predecessor is that an improvement?

If adopting a new version of an OS requires substantial revision of the surrounding architecture is that an improvement?

If an operating system is deliberately incompatible with previous version is that an improvement?

You had better take a look at what improvement actually means next time before you go making stupid and ill conceived accusations.

To blindly accept something just because its your manufacturer of choice's next new thing is silly, to not even realise you are doing it is childish. I'm guilty of neither so I'll thank you to keep your personal attacks to yourself.

17 July 2009, 8:15 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (User):

Quoting TV Bis:
and don't bother replying because I will never read it

Of course you'll read it, you can't help yourself!
Sulk all you like, your narky post edit will go no way towards you refuting anything i have to say. :>




19 July 2009, 4:45 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AndyCee (User):

"We don't need a new operating system,"

I can't believe Steve Balmer would say such a thing.

17 July 2009, 11:17 AM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (User):

Bill and Steve ? What a pity it is that two giants of the PC World behave like a couple of geriatric old fuddy-duddys with their fingers permanently inserted int each of their available body orifices and expect the rest of the world to behave in the same way.
Very shortly I'll be making the move to "Penguin Power" and then I'm shutting the blinds on Windows for good. Hopefully and I'm pretty optimistic about this,Linux will do what I want with my pc and it will stop crashing endlessly and with great laughter. Cheers all :)

17 July 2009, 1:55 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Regular user):

Steve Ballmer was predictablly going to say it was not needed and we should all just send Microsoft more money. He thinks we're all being mean when we don't give him half our pay every week.

17 July 2009, 2:06 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Nato (New user):

Lol, Bill has a great sense of humor heheh. Nothing new (exactly)


17 July 2009, 5:16 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Aubrey (New user):

"If it wasn't for people always wanting something better I am sure that Microsoft would have kept with XP."

What? - and make no money? The MS business model demands we pay for upgrades - whether anything is genuinely upgraded or not. Windows XP is actually MS's biggest headache right now. Cashflows from it are dwindling but they have not been able to get sufficient traction with their newer offerings to actually displace it. Several attempts to bring down the curtain and force people to Vista failed because OEMS couldn't sell the new stuff. Eventually they will have to kill it or they will die.

"It just shows the word browser has become a truly meaningless word,". He also added that, "What's a browser?...."

OMG, I think I may actually agree with this statement! When you use a "web browser" to do most of your email, your word processing, spreadsheets and online chat/forum spamming, etc, it becomes your desktop. But Google has been occupying that particular space for a while now and does it pretty well (IMO). For Mr Gates to be throwing out such a remark given the way MS has resisted that type of concept with its monolithic apps is a bit rich, but interesting to see.

I personally admit to cheering about MS suffering at the hands of European regulators for trying to integrate their browser into the OS. But I wonder if they will now allow Google to go even further? Should be some interesting discussions in Brussels.

"We don't need a new operating system," Ballmer said earlier.....

Huh? Who is this "we" you speak of spaceman?

"Open Office? Is that not evolving? "

One of my major peeves about FOSS is oo.org - it is just a bloated copy of Office 2003 and seems to "evolve" by adopting last years MS Office features. I guess it has a role for those making a transition to open source, but honestly there are better apps in all the classes it seeks to cover.


17 July 2009, 11:33 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (User):

Quoting Aubrey:
Windows XP is actually MS's biggest headache right now. Cashflows from it are dwindling but they have not been able to get sufficient traction with their newer offerings to actually displace it.

It could well be that Microsoft are the victims of their own manipulation. XP is far from their biggest it is actually their saving grace. In reality XP is Microsoft's most demanded OS whether in original form or as COA downgrades.

You cannot put a square peg in a round hole without damage and similarly you can't force a market somewhere they don't want to go without a lot of splinters and fractures.



18 July 2009, 9:06 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

jake (New user):

oh no europe is gonna fet up google for bundeling their browser with there os and dor embeding it into the code of the os. lol

18 July 2009, 11:59 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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