Jolicloud netbook OS coming in 2009

The founder of Netvibes is working on a new project – an operating system built for cloud computing applications called Jolicloud. There’s not a ton of information about the OS at the moment, but according to TechCrunch, the operating system will be a stripped down flavor of Linux that’s designed for easy access to online applications like Meebo, Google Docs, and Joost, and Skype.

The blurry screenshot that Mike Arrington grabbed shows two things. First, the interface seems to borrow heavily from Ubuntu Netbook Remix, although this doesn’t necessarily mean the OS will be based on Ubuntu (like most other parts of Ubuntu, the program launcher is open source). Second, Michael Arrington still doesn’t know very much about netbooks, despite his claim that he’s a “heavy tester.” If he was, he probably would have recognized the Ubuntu Netbook Remix design instead of saying that it resembles an iPhone interface.

Anyway, the basic concept behind Jolicloud is interesting, but I think it’s kind of based on a common misconception that people have about netbooks: That they’re only good for accessing the web. The truth of the matter is that even the most underpowered netbooks are perfectly capable of running a word processor, spreadsheet, and music or video players. While there are certainly some advantages to using web-based applications like Google Docs, few web apps are as powerful as their equivalent desktop applications (like OpenOffice.org).

While I love the idea of a quick-booting operating system that will let me get on the web right away, what I’d really like is a quick-booting operating system that lets me either get on the web or run native apps right away. If Jolicloud is capable of running standard Linux apps like Openoffice.org, Amarok, and Totem, great. But I think putting “cloud” in the operating system’s name makes it sound like it’s only good for accessing web apps, just like putting “net” in “netbook” has led people to believe that these tiny computers are only useful as dumb terminals.

Posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008, 11:22 am by Brad Linder

zach

hey, I have been looking all around the web for a quick-booting system like this one or gOS Cloud. Have you heard about any other ones that are unavailable to get?
Andy Norris

My guess is that these guys are coming at it from the other direction — if you come from the web app world, you want a system good at running them, and the fact that they can also run desktop apps is secondary.

For web app folks, the fact that Open Office is more powerful than Google Apps is irrelevant, because Google Apps allows realtime collaboration, versioning, etc.

Having said all that, I think web apps are still very much a niche product, with more mindshare in silicon valley than marketshare in middle america. Killer web apps that displace the desktop simply haven't arrived.

Of course, the ironic thing is that Flash web apps are far more likely to strangle a limited-power system than comparable desktop apps, especially if they build an OS based on Linux.
todd

>Small screens, small keyboards and underpowered hardware make for a less than >stellar Netbook user experience. But Netvibes Founder Tariq Krim, who left Netvibes >on a full time basis last May, thinks he can fix that.

We all know the crack Arrington smokes but even this line tops all his other stupid announcements.
Arrington claims that netbooks have small screens and keyboards and are underpowered but that this SOFTWARE will solve that?
Really?
I want to see this Linux distro that will make the screens and keyboards larger and make the chips more powerful.

What this guy has done is strip down Linux to the basics (and that looks like Netbook Remix) and allow it only to run a browser which is nice but if I get rid of the Ubuntu on my Dell 9 and install this OS what does it get me more? A slightly faster browser?
And what do I lose? Everything else I do that isnt web based?
How is NOT being able to edit some audio in Audacity a plus?
I use mainly the netbook for web based reasons but every time I have had to use the other software, I have not found the size/power to be a hindrance.

Arrington is a buffoon who doesnt even bother rereading his articles to see if they contradict themselves. I'd still buy that 200$ vapourware of his for the washroom reading needs though.

This isnt much better:
>if you come from the web app world, you want a system good at running them,

ITS A WEB APP. How fast do you want to make that browser anyone?
Thats the WHOLE point about netbooks, you dont need more power than the puny Atom will provide to run a browser.
Web apps = browser.

And my T21 is about 10 years old running on Puppy Linux and does web apps really well so let me laugh at that 'need a good system' to run them.
Mikez

I am glad I don't read that <deleted> tech blog – -
I might be tempted to stop compiling kernels on my HP mini-note.
Or using it as a handy little CAD system.
Andy Norris

> ITS A WEB APP. How fast do you want to make that browser anyone?

My point was more about interaction design than about how powerful it is. many of the features of a general-purpose system UI become irrelevant if all you want to do is run web apps. A system designed specifically for that purpose might incorporate (just to pick a couple of obvious examples) a launcher interface that launches web apps as easily as local ones, or integrate the tab switcher in the browser with the task switcher in the OS.

BTW, your 10-year-old ThinkPad runs large Flash-based web apps well on Linux? My 1 year old ThinkPad won't do *that* for me.
skreeech

What Andy and Todd said.

Liliputing trumps TechCrunch for quality.

And Mikez, you can't use netbooks that way because they are underpowered or too small or something and not satisfactory to most users.
krait

I want this
krait

I want this

Jolicloud netbook OS coming in 2009

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