A lot has been written about whether the , but it's not an either-or situation. It's better to view the projects as two heads of the same animal. If you buy a new computer, then Google can provide an operating system, but if you prefer to stick with what you know--such as Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux--then Google will offer you the same functionality via a program you can download.

Essentially, Chrome browser and , which is to turn the Internet into an platform where we all can work. If we're ready to abandon our desktops, however, is yet to be seen.

Keir Thomas has been making known his opinion about computing matters since the last century, and more recently has written several best-selling books. You can learn more about him at . His Twitter feed is .