The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Google is working on a web-based operating system! Ahh! The news spread like wildfire, landing on the home page of CNN, no less (hey, Michael Jackson could only be on there so long). Some tech blogs pointed out the forthcoming OS will run on x86 hardware, be it Windows or Mac (it is it's own OS, after all) but the early installations will be on netbooks.

Frankly, this could prove to be a blessing for Apple. Don't forget, not only does Apple not compete within this sector, they don't make the OS available for other hardware suppliers. Who does? Microsoft, of course. If Chrome is successful, Microsoft will have to cloud-ify Windows more and more to stay dominant in that space. The further Chrome leads Microsoft into the cloud, the more pronounced the differences will be between OS X and future Windows products. After all, it's the tight integration of apps like iMovie, iTunes, etc, (as well as stability) that sets OS X apart. No cloud app in the near future will allow for the video editing power of iMovie, or meet the needs of professional photographers like Photoshop. 

So for now, we say bring on the Chrome OS, and Microsoft, have fun chasing your own tail keeping up with Google. We'll be sitting over here with a tightly integrated hardware/software solution that doesn't require an internet connection to get pro work done.

Something really crazy almost happened today. I was within two clicks of buying a Psystar Open Comptuer with Mac OS X installed. We've had fun with their name, and we've questioned their legal footing, but when I saw comparable MacPro specs on a $1500 configuration, it was almost enough to "add  to cart." My mind was imagining editing our videos here in half the time, without a care in the world. And after all, no matter what happened with Apple and Psystar, I would be safe. I mean, what are they going to do, take the computer back?

And then I got to the last portion of the FAQ's page: Psystar is not responsible for any legal repercussions brought upon you due to your use or involvement with the Open Computer and/or OpenPro.

Saying something, and having it be the law are two different things, but it's just the kind of clause that really takes away the warm fuzzies of getting a "Mac" at half the price. I'll pass.

When the June Net Applications Marketshare report was released, there was a great deal of discussion in the Apple World about the Mac approaching 8% of operating system share in the world. That wasn't the real news though.

Windows was at #1 with 90.89%, Mac in second with 7.94%, and Linux in third with a surprisingly low .8% Look at number four though. In just one year on the market, the iPhone accounted for .16% of marketshare according to Net Applications measurements. (Net Applications' methods are another discussion, but let's say relatively speaking these numbers are accurate) The iPhone OS, following the 3G phone launch could easily become the third most popular operating system by this time next year, if not sooner.