First off, making an operating system is a huge investment. Not just in money but also in time. We’ll use Windows as an example here. The OS has been around for over 10 years and has still undergone numerous improvements. Major releases are around 3-5 years apart. This is coming from an already established code base. Google would have to spend months planning the whole package out before it began writing a line of usable code. Google may be powerful and rich but that doesn’t mean they have all the time in the world to get products out the door.

Another major problem with building an OS: support. Not just hardware but also software. How would Google get companies to write code for its OS. Would Microsoft port Office to it? Heck no. So with no support from a giant like MS, how would Google get other companies to write compatible software? This isn’t taking into account getting companies to write drivers for a new OS. Without any applications, the millions Google would spend developing an OS would all go to waste.

Finally, an OS just isn’t something Google is likely to make. Where does an operating system fit into the rest of Google’s services? It just doesn’t. According to their corporate page, “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” An operating system doesn’t do much to organize the world’s information. Maybe your personal PC but definitely not others. And for organizing your PC’s information, Google already has a successful product: Desktop Search. An OS just isn’t Google.

So what do you think? Am I right? Wrong? Just plain stupid? Feel free to post your comments.