Google's deal with Good to preload Gadgets and other Google Apps within the Linux OS on netbooks makes a lot of sense. Netbooks are the perfect place to seed end-users on Web-based applications like Google Apps--it's a marriage made for cloud-computing. But Google needs to tread carefully, especially when it comes to Gadget security.
Netbooks are the right place to start. Netbook users probably won't want to waste what little resources they have on installing a full-blown desktop suite. Their focus is on price, not on having a standard Windows desktop. As a result, they will be turning more and more to the Web and suites like Google Apps. It's clever: Give users yet another, easy alternative to Windows and thick clients -- and deftly put a competitive wedge between Microsoft and the emerging paradigm of cloud computing.
But as Google's market share increases, so do its vulnerabilities. Gadgets is not the most secure platform in the world. Google will need to step up its game--in security and privacy--if it's to make some real plays in Microsoft's back yard.
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