I've had several folks come up to me in the past few weeks at conferences like the Embedded Systems Conference and RTECC asking me if I thought Google's Android and ChromeOS were going to be "game changers".  My answer is that it depends on the market.  Let me explain...

In the previous installment, I discussed my views on Google's Android.  I'll next continue with ChromeOS...

 OK, what about ChromeOS?  Is it a game changer?  Maybe.  The success of ChromeOS hinges on the consumer's level of trust in the "cloud".  Essentially, ChromeOS represents a paradigm shift back to centralized computing as it existed in the mainframe days.  Except that now the mainframe is collection of servers in the Internet someplace.  The "thin platform" paradigm focuses on quick boot times and universal connectivity.  

For corporate IT departments, ChromeOS can be a Godsend.  It gives the corporate IT infrastructure control of their data again.  Rather than having their data strewn about the world on various "fat platform" PCs, cloud computing allows the IT departments to set up servers and store all of that information in a centralized place where it can be managed, backed up and secured.  One thing that Apple has done for the world is to prove the viability of the thin platform with the iPhone and iPad.  Yes, there is some storage on these devices.  But, most of the action happens between the device and servers on the Internet.

Will cloud computing be embraced by the public as a whole?  Well, the typical consumer leaves a lot of information in the cloud that they're blissfully unaware of.  How much data or value is embedded in Facebook, Flickr, Google Docs, etc.?  What about Apples MobileMe or the on-line Carbonite backup service?  Most consumers are also unaware that a large number of the e-commerce vendors they deal with on a regular basis (who are storing their credit card numbers or other personal data) are actually running on Google or Amazon's cloud servers.  So, the consumer is using cloud computing now and just doesn't recognize it for what it is.

Again, Apple's successes in capturing the hearts and minds of the public go a long way here.  First, Apple's iPhone and iPad are running ARM-based processors.  Proof to the public that the device doesn't need to run Windows or be based on the x86 to be useful.  This will go a long way to breaking the control of the WinTel hegemony.  In fact, companies like Dell, Asus, HP and others are all planning platforms that will run ChromeOS rather than Windows and many already have non-x86 processors running on their platforms like Dell's OMAP-based Latitude On platform (it runs MontaVista Linux, but just as easily be the Linux-based ChromeOS).

The success or fail of ChromeOS will largely be based on the consumer's perception of privacy and safety.  A thin platform that doesn't download email but rather uses Gmail or similar service will be relatively impervious to malicious code via the "normal" channels such as spam mail.  Of course, they could download an application that contained malicious code.  There is where the "trust" factor comes into play.

Will the could vendor allow the user to download something that could harm their platform?  Apple has gotten a lot of flack over draconian practices in their iTunes store in the name of safety/security.  But, in the end, the average consumer probably isn't that concerned with the openness of the platform and sees Apples restrictions as protections.  He/she just wants to be able to stream You-Tube, watch Hulu, do social networking and the occasional document or spreadsheet.  The fact that applications are filtered is of little concern.

But, what about data mining done by the cloud vendor on the data that's stored on their server?  That's quite different.  Google is in the business of data mining and selling access (i.e., advertising) to its users.  As long as the data in the cloud isn't being abused and is safe (e.g., backed up), then the average consumer is likely to not pay much attention.  But, major outages, compromises of data integrity or personal information could put a bullet in the head of cloud computing by the consumer.

So, is ChromeOS a game changer?  For corporate users, I think the answer is yes.  For consumers, the answer is both "maybe" and "well, it depends".  Corporations will stand up their own servers (maybe using Google's cloud services) and use VPNs to secure the data.  So, the trust factor is there for the corporation.  But, for consumers, it depends on how the data is handled and whether a similar level trust can be established.  Does this mean the end to "fat platforms"?  Not at all.  But, the market will expand to include people who can't deal with a computer but can deal with an appliance.

A couple of years ago, I wrote and article for IEEE-USA Today's Engineer Magazine in which I outlined the issues regarding where the "new blood" of embedded engineers are coming from.  In that article, I summarized the views of many of us who represent the old hands at real-time and embedded systems.  Namely, students coming out of many university programs are not sufficiently trained in real-time and embedded systems issues.

http://www.todaysengineer.org/2008/Feb/help-wanted.asp

In fact, noted embedded systems columnist Jack Ganssle did a little further research by examining the programs of several large universities and found that it's now possible to get a degree in computer science with only one or two classes that involve any programming at all.  He wrote about his findings in Embedded.com magazine and we've have many discussions since regarding this sad state of affairs.

I feel that this lack of training represents a significant threat to the US economy and innovation as we try to become more "green" and regain some of the economic stature that the US has enjoyed in the past.  That article was widely received and I got thousands of responses from all over the world.  As it turns out, that original article became the number three top web-hit grossing article for the magazine over the past two years.

So, when IEEE contacted me back in October and asked if I would write a follow-up article, I was more than pleased for the opportunity.  The follow-up article came out in the April IEEE-USA Today's Engineer entitled "Save an Engineer, Save the World".  The article was also abstracted and was made the feature article for the new IEEE-USA in Action magazine.

http://www.todaysengineer.org/IA/2010/innovation.asp

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieeeusa/ieeeusa_0410/#/4/OnePage

In this follow-up, I respond to many of the messages that I received over the past two years from the original article and add a plea for those of us in the industry to take the time to help mentor students and get them interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects.  I feel that the US is continuing to slip into a "we can't do that -- it's too hard" mentality where we will be at the mercy of innovations from Europe and Asia.

Embedded systems are a part of nearly everyone's day-to-day lives.  From our cell phones, to our cars to our MP3 players and television sets, embedded systems are everywhere.  And, as the graying of the existing embedded talent pool continues to progress, we need to identify and train the next generation in the techniques that we know work and help them differentiate between computer system theory and the harsh realities of resource-constrained, deadline-driven computing.

Between programs like US FIRST and BEST Robotics, Connect a Million Minds and others, each of us have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students.  With most schools systems finding themselves in a severe funding crunch that forces them to cut back on teachers and programs, it is imperative that we, as engineers, step in an make a difference by volunteering our time to educate future engineers and scientists in the best practices that we've learned over the decades.  That engineer you help create might just save the world by inventing a solution to one of the many problems facing society today.

Mike