Each time we sit down at our computers, many of us are working with a Microsoft program called the Windows operating system.  It is no secret that Google and Microsoft aren’t exactly good friends as companies go.  Well, last week, Google has announced that they are developing their own operating system and that it will be free.  This move hits Microsoft in the gut and hard. Ouch.

Microsoft is reported to hold 90% of the market and sells about 400 million copies of its operating system each year for around $45 a pop.  Did I mention that Google will give theirs away?  When we buy a new computer that is made by Dell or HP or many others, it comes with the Windows operating system.  Now, Google is meeting with computer manufacturers regarding offering their operating system in addition to or instead.

Google is targeting a release of their system in the second half of 2010 and will initially focus on an offering for Netbooks.  A Netbook is a small computer that is built to work with the internet specifically and these little pint sized computers don’t have many of the additional offerings (e.g., DVD player) you would find in a typical laptop.  Netbooks are very popular these days and carry a very small price tag.

Why is Google taking on Microsoft again? Well, Google thinks that they can build a better mousetrap.  They believe that their new operating system will be faster, easier to use and have fewer lines of code.  Google’s goal is to offer a simple operating system that is not weighed down with all the issues that continue to plaque Microsoft regarding performance and security.  Google is starting with a blank sheet of paper and Microsoft has to deal with legacy code that was written in the past.

Converting most people away from Microsoft will be a daunting challenge as people tend to resist change, and especially so when it involves something that they don’t truly understand like the inner workings of their computer.  Most people just want it to work, so Google will face the challenge of getting people to care enough to want to change.  Some folks will switch immediately, however getting the majority of the market to move will be difficult.

In case you have missed it, Google and Microsoft have been battling for years.  Prior to this latest salvo from Google, Microsoft released a new search engine called Bing in an effort to take market share from Google.  Google, which by the way is the most visited website in the world, released Chrome last year as a replacement for Internet Explorer.

For those Mac-o-philes that are reading this, I am sure you are wondering what happens to Apple in all of this?   Well, analysts see Apple getting hurt by Google as well.  A Google Netbook could be sold for as little as $300 and this will hurt Apple’s entry level machine that is priced around $999.

Regardless of what happens, this should be good for the consumer as all three companies… Google,  Microsoft and Apple are going to need to up their game a little as consumers get more choices on what to buy.

Things are changing! Now is the time to brainstorm new ways that information technology can expand our economy and solve the critical issues we face. Some of us need to focus on thinking about what’s next – not just dwelling on the mistakes of the past or the problems of the moment.

Great leaps forward can be made through “Eureka” moments (for all of you Naval Architects out there) and “Eureka” moment can be driven through collaboration and brainstorming.

Dr. Ben Carson once explained to me how important reading is to training and improving the mind. The process the eye and brain undertakes to convert symbols into related concepts is really amazing. Similarly, we have all seen the affect that open discussion has in solving tough information problems. Getting a group of diverse people together to verbalize, listen, consider and comment on questions seems to be a good to get to the heart of a matter. The think tanks have been using this concept for years. Innovative product development organizations use brainstorming as an effective mechanism for designing state-of-the-art products.

I’m not talking about more meetings, however, we technologists need to get out of our cubicles and talk to one another. Let’s not just be “link-senders!” Get together, ask questions and challenge each other to think outside the lines. Verbalize the problem – it seems to make the brain work differently. Talk about ways that people are using technology – neat things you have seen, snippets of code that work well, etc. Remember, just because something was done before, doesn’t mean that it was done well.

Day dream, discuss, consider and discuss again. Great leaps forward will occur during this current economic reshuffling. Embrace the change and be a part of it. Let’s talk!