滨的共享空间

长达一个半小时的Chrome OS展示活动结束了，如果你和谷奥一样从头到尾收看了此次直播，我想你一定也会和我们一样的激动。不过我们还是需要冷静下来，仔细想一想我们是否得到了昨天问题的答案。

1，Chrome OS到底是个什么玩意？

就今天的演示和我极为贫乏的知识看来，Chrome OS像是一个整合入Linux内核的Chrome，浏览器和内核浑然一体。今天的活动中Google反复强调，Chrome OS只支持web应用。什么？你说你可以进入console，然后下载源代码自己编译你想要的程序？想都不要想，因为Chrome OS的整个root（/）文件系统是只读的，即使对做惯了Administrator的电脑拥有者来说，也是一样的。

所有的web应用都可以是Chrome的应用程序，但是又有一些不同，比如说那些panel。虽然我们不难看出演示中的panel其实也是基于web的，但是起码这些应用为chrome os写了特别的代码——你用Firefox打开同一个Google Music Onebox是肯定看不到那个音乐播放器panel的。

Chrome OS界面方面，和我们之前报道过的泄漏版Chrome OS基本一致。那个看起来像Picasa的图标是一个应用入口，你可以将其想象成Windows上的Start按钮。今天我们看到的Chrome OS还有若干个Application Tab应用标签，可以理解为Quick Launch Bar吧。

2，开发者如何参与？

我们都知道，Chrome OS是完全开源并且免费的。在今天的活动开始前，Chrome OS的源代码就已经出现在了网上。如果你是一名Linux开发者的话，你可以非常容易的向Chrome OS贡献你的代码。而对于应用程序开发者来说，如果你的产品是一个web应用，那么你已经在为Chrome OS开发了——当然，也许你还要加上操作系统的判断，发现客户正在使用Chrome OS的话，你可以扔出一个漂亮的panel。

3，Chrome OS需要什么样的硬件？

这个问题的答案是一个杯具——我们想要简单的下载一个iso，并用之启动电脑安装使用Chrome OS的愿望已经落空。Google告诉我们原则上（编译好的）Chrome OS是不会单独提供下载的，想轻松用上Chrome OS的办法只有等到明年圣诞节假期时买上一台预装Chrome OS的上网本。当然如果你足够Geeky的话，你完全可以从源代码下手，尝试让Chrome OS在自己的电脑上跑起来。但是我想，这应该会需要相当多的工作，最起码我自己是基本没抱这个希望。

和杯具同时到来的还有洗具，和谷奥昨天猜测的一样，Chrome OS果然直接从SD卡启动。而更为离谱的是，Chrome OS完全放弃了对硬盘的支持，这完全颠覆了我们传统上主机三大件的概念，硬盘厂家在今夜泪流满面！

没有硬盘，文件存在哪里？Google告诉你，存在天上的云中。Chrome OS中完全没有本地文件的概念，除了只读的root分区外，SD卡上还有一小块区域用来存储加密后的用户账户信息。其实用户帐户信息也是实时和云保持同步的，本地的这份数据只不过是一份cache而已。

去掉硬盘，会给上网本带来什么影响？成本降低，重量减轻，速度更快（SD卡完全可以视为SSD），电池续航时间更长，抗冲击能力大大增强。

当然，在外围设备支持上，Chrome OS还是尽力了。演示过程中我们看到Chrome OS可以直接打开移动存储设备（一台Droid手机）中的图片，还有，演示人员也向我们承诺了：Chrome OS是支持打印功能的……

4，Google Wave和微软

很遗憾，整个活动中我们没看到wave的影子，但是从为Chrome OS优化过的Google Search等不难看出，Chrome OS中的wave一定会和现在我们使用的wave有所区别，最起码堆在页面中那一大坨小窗应该会以panel的形式出现吧。

至于微软，Google在今晚很有洗具效果的将其变成了一个Chrome OS应用开发商——演示过程中当演示人员点击一个excel文件时，Chrome OS打开了Live Office App，不知道比尔大叔看到这里会是什么感想？

Chrome OS给上网本提供了完全不同的思路，之前的上网本绝大部分预装Ubuntu等Linux系统，这些系统在快捷键等各个方面模仿Windows，并且为每个不同的任务提供不同的应用程序，让人们在上网本上做尽可能多的事情。但是，上网本毕竟不是工作用的主力，越来越复杂的程序拖慢整个系统的速度只会让用户心生烦躁。其实对于绝大多数上网本用户来说，Chrome OS提供的功能已经足够用了，更何况Chrome OS运行起来是那么的流畅。但是如果你是一名金融分析师需要在电脑上进行大量的运算，或者是一名狂热的3D游戏爱好者的话，Chrome OS并不适合你，或者可以说上网本不适合你，你需要的是一台配置强大的全尺寸笔记本电脑。

5，真正吸引我们的是什么？

看来Google并没有骗我们，Chrome OS启动速度确实非常快：从开机到进入Login界面用了7秒，而从Login界面到进入工作状态用了3秒。登录进系统后，Chrome OS允许你在云端收发email，和好友聊天，欣赏音乐/视频，或者写写文档，做做表格。如果你是一个马大哈不小心把你的Chrome OS上网本丢在了地铁里的话，你只需要省吃俭用重新购买一台新的上网本，而当你打开这台全新的上网本并用你自己的帐号登录后，你会发现你的一切都回来了——因为所有的数据都储存在云上，而不是你本地的磁盘。

此外，Chrome OS还具有自我升级与自我修复功能，所有的Chrome OS组件将在不需要人为干预的情况下自动更新。而在启动过程中，一旦Chrome OS发现由系统文件遭到破坏导致的签名错误后，则会马上自动重新启动并下载正确而干净的系统文件，整个故障恢复过程也完全是自动的。

Chrome OS是安全的，因为每个tab都是相对独立的运行在一个沙盒中，一个标签的崩溃不会影响其他标签的使用。同时整个浏览器和系统文件也是完全隔离的，所以你完全不用担心恶意网站对你的系统进行破坏。

6，Chromium OS？这是什么东西？

这是今天的一个新名词，其实熟悉Chrome的读者肯定能猜出来，Chromium OS就是Chrome OS的社区开源版本。他们的关系就像Chromium和Chrome。

7，总结？

如果你随时随地都可以高速上网的话，Chrome OS将是你的下一台上网本的完美选择。当然这在某些程度上也取决于你生活的地区，我想Chrome OS想要在天朝推广的话还是会有一定难度吧。

Pennsylvania, Sep. 23, 2009 (Xinhua News Agency) -- Pittsburgh, a transformed legend from America's Steel Capital to the Green City, is set to host the G-20 financial summit on Thursday and Friday.

Pittsburghers, proud of their city, are chanting "we are ready."

At the summit, leaders from 20 major economies around the world will review the progress that has been made since the Washington and London summits. They will also decide on additional actions to ensure a sustainable recovery from the global economic crisis.

The summit will be one of the biggest events ever in Pittsburgh, the second largest city in Pennsylvania, with a population of 320,000.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl told Xinhua recently that all preparations have been settled and that the summit would be a great event that makes people understand how special the city is.

"What we have done and what a lot of people don't realize but hopefully will realize after the G20 is that we are not that old town and smoky town any more, but in fact a town that is very diverse and welcoming to a lot of industries and sectors," the mayor said.

About 4,000 police officers and security personnel have been mobilized for the summit. About 3,000 journalists will be on hand as well to cover the 1,200 delegates' remarks and activities, and of course any protests against the summit outside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

On Thursday and Friday, almost all roads and streets in the so-called security zone will be blocked, and nearby schools, universities and businesses will be closed.

Despite the inconvenience, Pittsburgh residents are proud of their city for hosting the summit and say it was chosen by President Barack Obama because it is a good example of transformation that can inspire other cities to survive the economic crisis by doing the same.

Amelia Rossi, whose company is based in Pittsburgh, told Xinhua that Obama's "great decision" offers Pittsburgh a "great opportunity" to share its success with the rest of the world.

"I think it will be a great experience to share with the rest of the world, and to learn from the world as well," Rossi said.

Dorsey Kweller views "Inspire Innovation," one of the slogans that has shown up on the campus of the Carnegie Mellon University, as a key to helping Pittsburgh transform itself from a gray city of steel to a green city, an innovation center for clean technology, biotech, computer science, robotics and health care.

Kweller, who has lived in Pittsburgh for about 50 years, said she is "really proud of what our city had done in the terrible time about 30 years ago," referring to the 1980s when Pittsburgh's steel industry experienced a fatal recession.

During that recession, Pittsburgh shifted its economic focus from steel to education, health care, services, tourism, and advanced technology such as robotics.

"Before, we had steel mills, and we had dirty skies," but now "we have Carnegie Mellon (University), we have Pitt (University of Pittsburgh), we have University of Pittsburgh Medical Center," said John Whitehill, an investment banker and a volunteer for the summit.

Whitehill told Xinhua that the summit is "absolutely a big event" for Pittsburgh. "We have (up to now) only one opportunity to host the G20."

"And I can speak for most of the citizens: we are so delighted that you come here to watch what is going on in Pittsburgh," said Whitehill, adding "Pittsburgh welcomes the world!"

"We are ready," Whitehill and other four volunteers, Jorge Aranovich, Amelia Rossi, Mehmet Ali from Turkey and Liu Liu from China, chanted before Xinhua.

In a statement concerning the summit, Obama said "Pittsburgh stands as a bold example of how to create new jobs and industries while transitioning to a 21st Century economy."

"As a city that has transformed itself from the city of steel to a center for high-tech innovation, ... Pittsburgh will provide both a beautiful backdrop and a powerful example for our work," the president said.