Is Google going to be the Linux King?

By "King", I mean, will they succeed more than anyone else in taking Linux into mainstream use as an operating system? At the very least, it looks like they are set to be a major player in that arena. Here is why:

The Future of Linux is Google
Google's slow, steady march into the OS realm has begun to pay off. It's time for the Linux world to rally.

I used to think Ubuntu was destined to lead Linux into the mainstream, but now it's looking much more like Google--not Canonical--will be the first Linux vendor to truly challenge Microsoft.

Google's migration into the operating system business has been so gradual that many industry watchers have shrugged it off. When the company announced its Android OS for phones, it looked interesting. There was nothing new about the idea of using Linux on a handset, and (apart from Google's involvement) little reason to expect it would carve out substantial market share in the competitive smartphone arena. But, with about 20 distinct Android handsets in the hands of more than three million users worldwide--and about 30 more devices expected to roll out in 2010--Google's mobile OS is now looking like a force to be reckoned with. [...]

It goes on to describe how Google has been successful at promoting Linux on phones and handheld devices, hitting Microsoft in a area where it is weak. Google is poised to release it's Linux Chrome OS on netbook computers, further expanding it's reach into a Market Microsoft wants to dominate. If Chrome succeeds in the netbook market, it could also conceivably extent that influence into the desktop market as well.

The article explains the hows and whys of it all. And why Microsoft has a real competitor in Google. I say great, more choices for us all.


Also see:

Google buys Gizmo: a new phone company?