In the news: Google outlaws Windows internally

This story came out earlier this week, and I didn't get around to posting it. Google is switching away from the Windows OS on all internal workstations. This isn't that big of shock because their 500,000+ server operations are already running GNU/Linux; the Android platform is based on a Linux kernel; and Google is poised to release the Chrome OS, a new GNU/Linux based OS. The Chrome OS will be optimized to access cloud-based resources and hopes to make the choice of the OS running locally irrelevant. In any case, the Google decision is good news because it shows that GNU/Linux is ready for prime time on the desktop. That may help reduce the Windows hegemony/monopoly. The reason for Google's descision to switch, according to unnamed internal sources, is the Chinese hack of high-level executives computers earlier this year. That attack, as I understand it, targeted specific individuals, and only succeeded due to use of IE6. Here is Slashdot's headline.

Here are some other very good summaries:

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Jason Perlow