When Internet use began to reach critical mass in the early 2000s, long before smartphones easily connected us to fast wireless networks, several companies sought to create or improve devices that would allow web browsing without a PC, so-called ” Internet devices.” In the consumer market, the most successful of these was WebTV, which survived as MSN TV until 2013. SonyeVilla and Web Companions from Microsoft. In the commercial market, Oracle’s subsidiary Network Computer, Inc. received the most attention, but its product was slow to move and came to market as PC prices were in free fall.
The Rise and Fall of Cheap and Simple Internet-Connected Devices
In 2008, TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington came up with the idea of creating cheap open source web tablet it became known as the CrunchPad. But a few weeks before the launch, his design partner claimed it as their own, ultimately releasing him as the disappointing JuJu. Meanwhile, a small Boston startup called Litl introduced a more advanced netbook-class device, carefully designed Web book. At $700, it wasn’t a big success. But it set the stage for the first widely successful class of web-based devices: Chromebook. Using Google’s market leading browser (now planned to be sold to the US Department of Justice), Chromebooks were cheap but familiar, well compatible with websites, fast and secure. They quickly became a hit in the education space and found a place in the product lines of major PC companies that had little success in the education space. Android. (In fact, Google itself is one of the few companies to exit the Chromebook market.) Connectivity was considered so important that the first Chromebook, Google’s own Cr48 Intended for developers, it included several gigabytes of free Verizon wireless Internet access if a hotspot was unavailable.
However, over the years Chromium The OS has lost much of its “less is more” differentiation. A big step came in 2019 when Chrome OS began supporting Android apps. Chromebooks can now also run Linux distributions (though mostly for developers). And while its implementation is still far from perfect, Google has improved the tablet’s interface to the point where it’s now best-in-class for both desktop and touch compatibility. Regardless of whether there are rumors that Google is aiming insert Chrome OS into Android That’s right, Chrome OS as a browser-as-operating-system expression is long dead.
Can Microsoft pick up where Google left off?
Interestingly, while Google is pushing Chrome OS away from being cloud-centric, Microsoft has become more aggressive in moving in the opposite direction, at least in the education and enterprise sectors. At the start Surface laptopThe company positioned low-cost third-party Windows laptops, also known as “Cloudbooks,” as an alternative to Chromebooks. In November 2021, the company entered the low-cost laptop space with an exclusive educational product. Surface Laptop SE with a stripped down version Windows 11 it didn’t allow you to download any apps, even from the Microsoft store. That same year, Windows 365 for enterprise was released.
Now Microsoft has unveiled Windows 365 Link, a thin client that can only connect to Windows 365. Microsoft says Link is the first Windows 365 client that it intends to develop both independently and with third parties. The paradox of the consumer market is that while Microsoft and other companies are pushing the boundaries of broadband performance with cloud gaming platforms, consumer-facing cloud PC service has never had much momentum. This is largely due to the fact that most other traditional consumer PC applications, such as word processors, email, and even file managers like OneDrive and Google Drive, are already available there as web apps. Meanwhile, with a debut in 2024 PC CoPilot+ With Qualcomm’s updated platform and their move to x86 processor architecture, on-premise PCs are here to stay in 2025.
What’s next for cloud computing?
However, those early proponents of Internet devices were partially vindicated. While the Chromebook is dead as a purely web-based game, it could soon host an enhanced version of Android, one of two smartphone/tablet operating systems that offer a simpler interface than desktop operating systems. AND AI-imbued with smart glasses are moving toward a world where “computation” involves nothing more than statements or views.