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On Tuesday, the skies opened up, the sun shone bright, and a heavenly voice proclaimed that the days of the evil empire were at hand because a saviour had arrived. That was how most media outlets reported the announcement that Google was developing a computer operating system based on its Chrome web browser. Most of the stories I read stated that this meant Google was now striking at Microsoft’s core business.

If you believe that, well, it’s time to wake up and smell the, uh, wishful thinking. Let’s look at the facts.

Google is putting out a Chrome-based OS next year targeted at netbooks, not - as some outlets have reported - for low-end laptops. Let’s not confuse the two.

Laptops are full-function computers that can handle business applications, multimedia (playing and editing), games and anything the net can throw at it. Depending on what hardware you want included, the price can easily run into thousands of dirhams.

Netbooks are very small mobile computers optimised to let you surf the web, check email, do a little writing, and that’s about it, but specialised does not mean low-end. Netbooks are generally less expensive than laptops, but top-of-the-line netbooks come at a price.

This is the market that Google wants to tap, and one that Microsoft has only filled because there was a vacuum, since Linux-based netbooks proved unpopular. If Google were to enter the market today, the only OS it would be competing with is Windows XP. You can’t get a netbook with Windows Vista, although a netbook version of Windows 7 is forthcoming.

Google could do very well in the area because a device designed to get you online loaded with their software would be very attractive, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Everyone is willing to accept that anything Google puts out will be wonderful (and they certainly have a track record of successful products) but they are promising something that are causing sceptics to raise some eyebrows, such as the promise of a virus-free environment. That’s something no one has achieved yet, although as a niche OS Google isn’t likely to attract that much attention from the cybercrimal world.

But a niche is all we’re looking at now. Google has said the OS is being developed for larger systems, but is has not announced any intention to enter the OS market for desktops, laptops, enterprise work stations, or servers. Those are Microsoft’s key business areas, not the small, albeit growing, market that is netbooks.

The most interesting aspect of this launch is how people want to believe that Google will develop an OS and compete with Microsoft at every level. People are desperate for an alternative. While Windows 7, due out later this year, looks promising, many users still have a bitter aftertaste from Vista. Linux wasn’t what anyone except the most hardened geek was looking for, and while Apple had great success with the iPhone, in terms of computers it’s still seen by many as the smart-alec, know-it-all co-worker who won’t go away.

Google, on the other hand, is well known and generally trusted. With their “do not evil” manta, they could make a great popular saviour… if - not when - they finally decide to go that way.

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