Richard Stallman - founder of the Free Software Foundation, and original author of the GNU software ecosystem - has slated the upcoming Google Chrome OS, calling the operating system "careless computing". While speaking with the Guardian, Stallman commented how he liked that Chrome OS is loosely based on GNU/Linux, but seems to not like the idea of cloud computing.
Stallman noted that the OS has been gutted of software tools common for OS's and that it discourages and impedes installing applications. Google's approach with Chrome OS takes on a thinking that a netbook that can't install external apps will be more secure than one which could potentially install malware, and that an OS without many preinstalled apps will boot faster.
Stallman's main concerns for the Google Chrome OS is that users are more likely to lose control of their data, saying that a government official could get hold of your data without even having to receive a warrant (to take away the computer) to do so.
The concern for Stallman is that "cloud computing" is a marketing term which doesn't hold enough meaning to it, saying that in reality, any "Tom, Dick and Harry hold your data, let any Tom, Dick and Harry do your computing for you (and control it)" which brings us back to what Stallman calls the OS; "careless computing". Can Stallman's comments encourage any changes with the Google Chrome OS before it's launch?
Via: The Inquirer