ChromeOS to run Windows apps

[TopWargamer]

http://theverge.com/2014/2/13/5407650/google-windows-apps-chrome-os-vmware

Google’s intentions with its Chromebooks have always been clear: disrupt Microsoft’s Windows monopoly. The approach of low-cost devices and a modern cloud-powered OS has left Microsoft a little nervous, but Google is now launching the next stage of its continued attack: the enterprise. In a deal announced quietly this week, Google is partnering with VMWare to bring traditional Windows apps to its Chromebooks. The apps will appear in Chrome OS "similarly to how they run today" according to Google, and VMWare’s cloud-based infrastructure will help companies run their essential apps on servers and stream them to Chrome OS and other devices. The announcement comes just days after Google announced a Chrome-powered teleconferencing system for the enterprise.

This is only going to make Chromebooks more main stream now, and I think I'm okay with that. Before if you wanted to run any decent amount of applications on a Chromebook, you would have to install a Linux distro, but now you can just keep ChromeOS on there and run all of your favorite Windows apps right there on your Chromebooks.

Ya...this is definitely a huge lunge into the side of Microsoft. Looks like instead of everybody buying a cheap Windows machine, they'll be buying cheap Chromebooks and running their Windows apps on there.

[qwertywarrior]

chromeOS is still a thing lol .....

[Nineshadow]

Bb cheap windows laptops.

[NameOfNoInterest]

-waves goodbye to windows-

[chillxnate]

Another reason to pick up and play with an Asus Chromebox

[rentaspoon]

ChromeOS = Linux

ChromeOS running Windows programs = friendly Wine on Linux?

[Lyons]

Dude... stop posting mobile sites.

[ForsakenLive]

ChromeOS running Windows programs = friendly Wine on Linux?

No, they are run by a server virtually. 

[rentaspoon]

No, they are run by a server virtually.

Oh ok.

Well I call that cheating;)

[flibberdipper]

Well, now I can actually use my school Chromebook with Firefox...

[GoodBytes]

Please fix your link @TopWargamer. People don't uses their smartphones here. Thanks.

Beside that, this is stupid. It it uses cloud to run Windows to run Windows apps.

This means that if you don't have the internet, or not a reliable one (like at school, where not every location and time it's perfectly fast), then you can't use it. Worst you may even lose your work. As you run everything from cloud, you can't decide which program, you want to use. Let's say I want to use Photosop, can I? Will Adobe block you at some point? What if I want to use let's say MySQL WorkBench, which is free, will Google have it?

I am sorry Google, but if you want to do it, you must do it properly, and that is locally. But ARM processors aren't powerful enough to handle the emulation process, especially the ones in the ChromeBooks.

Oh and how about security? What if Google servers or my connection to Google servers is compromised? Here goes my password and data.

PLUS it will be costly.. who's going to pay Windows license? the software license they put in their server?

You are better off with a remote desktop software to a PC, your PC at home. At least it will be your PC, so that you drive your apps.

Beside aren't what some people do with their iPads, Android tablet and phones, if they want to I mean? So why is this any different. It sure is presented differently, but at the end of the day it's the same thing.. well more limited, and potentially paying.

[Misanthrope]

Well between SeamOS becoming a thing at one point and google and vmware investing on solutions that might be more practical for average users than a full-featured virtual machine it's certainly looking up for Linux.

[Misanthrope]

fix your link @TopWargamer. No one uses their smartphones here.

Beside that, this is stupid. It it uses cloud to run Windows to run Windows apps.

This means that if you don't have the internet, or not a reliable one (like at school, where not every location and time it's perfectly fast), then you can't use it. Worst you may even lose your work. As you run everything from cloud, you can't decide which program, you want to use. Let's say I want to use Photosop, can I? Will Adobe block you at some point? What if I want to use let's say MySQL WorkBench, which is free, will Google have it?

I am sorry Google, but if you want to do it, you must do it properly, and that is locally. But ARM processors aren't powerful enough to handle the emulation process, especially the ones in the ChromeBooks.

 

The point of chromebooks is that they're cheap and save on things like processing power and storage to use cloud services. Yes, for us PC enthusiast this seems ridiculous, but for business types looking for the absolute cheapest way to provide their workers with basic office tools and custom built applications, this is not so much "the future" but already the present since it's already being deployed by lots and lots of people.

Here's another hint: Microsoft picked a new CEO that was formerly in charge of their cloud services and will likely focus the entire companies effort on them.

[GoodBytes]

The point of chromebooks is that they're cheap and save on things like processing power and storage to use cloud services. Yes, for us PC enthusiast this seems ridiculous, but for business types looking for the absolute cheapest way to provide their workers with basic office tools and custom built applications, this is not so much "the future" but already the present since it's already being deployed by lots and lots of people.

Businesses by 1500-2000$ Business class machine, pack with 5 year warranty and accidental damage protection (hence the higher price for the specs that you get, oh and a lot more solid than consumer laptops). Companies are WILLING with open arms, to spend over 3000$ per system , for Visual Studio. Businesses aren't on a budget when it comes reliable secure solutions to get it's business be productive. They don't buy 200$ systems. If you are on the go, then you'll use a laptop that will work anywhere. Subway, airplane, parking lot... not within your office. That is just silly, which you'll have no choice of, as ChromeOS doesn't support any VPN features, let alone custom ones from businesses.

Here's another hint: Microsoft picked a new CEO that was formerly in charge of their cloud services and will likely focus the entire companies effort on them.

That is your assumption

[Misanthrope]

Not all businesses. They do over-spend on hardware but like you said is usually because of the software packages and licenses, not so much the hardware itself. I seriously think you don't realize how popular cloud-based delivery platforms are becoming. Instead of hiring a full blown IT staff to deploy, maintain and develop your computer infrastructure you can just literally call Microsoft, CA, etc. and tell em "I want to be able to do a,b,c,d" and they'll just tell you "Ok it will be this much per month" and be done with it.

That saves A LOT of money since I can tell you that the computational power is not the only thing being outsourced: all the IT staff that deploys and maintains everything and give you support will be working out of India, out of the Philippines, out of here in Mexico (As in I have friends who literally work for a CA outsourcing outlet).

[GoodBytes]

That is cloud computer for running experiments, and simulation. NOT actual work (programming the entire thing). That stays locally using company data server, which beside backups, and possibly extending storage space every now and then, it not particularly costly. You don't need a super powerful multi-Xeon CPU, and arrays of GPUs to share data within the company computers.

Cloud base PC, is what we had back in the old old old days, where you paid a certain amount per month/year for access at a certain period of time, to a computer or computers. Some businesses where subscribing for all day plans. That business model died the next day with PC's. And that was before this whole internet thing that we have today, where chances to get hacked, were minimal, for the simple fact that if you had a computer, you were one of the few select institutions that could afford one, or government, or large corporations.

[Misanthrope]

That is cloud computer for running experiments, and simulation. NOT actual work (programming the entire thing). That stays locally using company data server, which beside backups, and possibly extending storage space every now and then, it not particularly costly. You don't need a super powerful multi-Xeon CPU, and arrays of GPUs to share data within the company computers.

Cloud base PC, is what we had back in the old old old days, where you paid a certain amount per month/year for access at a certain period of time, to a computer or computers. Some businesses where subscribing for all day plans. That business model died the next day with PC's. And that was before this whole internet thing that we have today, where chances to get hacked, were minimal, for the simple fact that if you had a computer, you were one of the few select institutions that could afford one, or government, or large corporations.

 

That's akin to saying "Planes won't catch up, people won't risk dying on plane crashes, we'll continue to travel by cars trains and boats only because it's more secure" Seriously renting out a server you connect over a VPN is more cost effective than buying your own server, installing it, having your own IT employee constantly checking on it, etc. Even if it is potentially insecure, the fact that you have less employees and less upfront investment means a lot.

But alas if you seriously think comparing these services to an era were the best computer servers were less powerful than my current wrist watch there's no winning vs that so carry on.

[Warcony]

That's akin to saying "Planes won't catch up, people won't risk dying on plane crashes, we'll continue to travel by cars trains and boats only because it's more secure" Seriously renting out a server you connect over a VPN is more cost effective than buying your own server, installing it, having your own IT employee constantly checking on it, etc. Even if it is potentially insecure, the fact that you have less employees and less upfront investment means a lot.

But alas if you seriously think comparing these services to an era were the best computer servers were less powerful than my current wrist watch there's no winning vs that so carry on.

 

It is not at all like that.  Most companies, even small ones benefit greatly from having their own servers with in-house IT because there is infinitely more control and ability to have a set up that meets their needs.  Also the whole point of most enterprise servers is to increase reliability, security and productivity NOT to have the maximum computing power.  And considering most companies are service based, reliability and security are paramount.

[Warcony]

Oh and how about security? What if Google servers or my connection to Google servers is compromised? Here goes my password and data.

PLUS it will be costly.. who's going to pay Windows license? the software license they put in their server?

You are better off with a remote desktop software to a PC, your PC at home. At least it will be your PC, so that you drive your apps.

Beside aren't what some people do with their iPads, Android tablet and phones, if they want to I mean? So why is this any different. It sure is presented differently, but at the end of the day it's the same thing.. well more limited, and potentially paying.

 

 

I've heard figures being tossed around for this service being over $1k a year and  that is (probably) not even considering license costs.  And at the end of it, you still need Windows soooooooo yea, just buy devices that have windows instead?  No need for another service. Chromebooks have their place, just not in this environment.

[Misanthrope]

It is not at all like that.  Most companies, even small ones benefit greatly from having their own servers with in-house IT because there is infinitely more control and ability to have a set up that meets their needs.  Also the whole point of most enterprise servers is to increase reliability, security and productivity NOT to have the maximum computing power.  And considering most companies are service based, reliability and security are paramount.

 

That's certainly what IT professionals want to sell, because well their jobs sorta depend on it. But the risk vs cost analysis is in favor of cloud computing even with potential security threats. More over, this margins will increase exponentially as network infrastructure is improved and deployed.

[rentaspoon]

Please fix your link @TopWargamer. People don't uses their smartphones here. Thanks.

Currently sitting on my bed using my smartphone as I dont use a laptop/pc for browsing forums.

[mgsstar]

This is a pretty good thing to make ChromeOS more attractive but I would have wished that it wasn't cloud based.

[jb8911]

Businesses by 1500-2000$ Business class machine, pack with 5 year warranty and accidental damage protection (hence the higher price for the specs that you get, oh and a lot more solid than consumer laptops). Companies are WILLING with open arms, to spend over 3000$ per system , for Visual Studio. Businesses aren't on a budget when it comes reliable secure solutions to get it's business be productive. They don't buy 200$ systems. If you are on the go, then you'll use a laptop that will work anywhere. Subway, airplane, parking lot... not within your office. That is just silly, which you'll have no choice of, as ChromeOS doesn't support any VPN features, let alone custom ones from businesses.

 

I know this thread is old, but I had to chime in on this comment. As the CIO of a company that just ranked in the top 200 of the INC 5000, I believe I have a better understanding of just what businesses are looking to pay than you do, and you're wrong. Also, we purchased four Chromebooks about three months ago. From a value perspective, it doesn't get much better than a Chromebook, especially for an organization that is already reliant upon Google Apps. They fill a particular need, they do it very well, and at a fantastic cost. 

 

Also, my users can VPN into our network at any time on a Chromebook. Web-based VPN connections for existed for quite a while. 

[ionbasa]

So cloud based VM running Windows apps. That VM is probably running on VMware ESXi or similar. As much as people would like to think that the cloud is not the way to go, we keep getting closer and closer to the 'device-to-cloud' entanglement. The only thing I can parallel this to at the moment is Nvidia Grid, where games (an app) run on cloud computing hardware.

 

GG Google, you are one step ahead of the game. I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future on a decent network, people will be soon streaming games to their Chromebooks.

[bcredeur97]

this reminds me... i really need to make a server and learn how to use all of vmware's stuff besides just VMware player lol