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November 27, 2006

Can eyeOS Succeed Where Desktop.com Failed?

Natali Del Conte

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The founders of Barcelona-based eyeOS hope that they’ve found the right model to create a much anticipated new market - the web operating system. Like desktop.com, the failed high flyer from web 1.0, eyeOS is a browser based “desktop” that gives users access to a variety of applications (word processor, chat, calendar, etc.). The free, open source project is set to launch in early 2007. I spoke to one of the founders, Pau Garcia-Milà, earlier today via IM.

Like Zimbra, eyeOS is a server based application that users must download and install to access (one reason that this is a server app - to overcome data security concerns by business customers). The company launched a hosted demo version of the product in June and has just over 80,000 registrations to test the service.

Essentially, eyeOS is like Goowy, except it does not run on Flash. The applications run on almost any browser, based on Javascript. It ain’t bad but it’s not a fully-functional Windows-replaceable operating system just yet. It has a word processing program, chat, calendar, RSS, and a Web browser. It is missing a spreadsheet and presentation program, among other things that would make it a proper OS. But it’s a work in progress.

The point is that it is a community-building effort. Founder Pau Garcia-Milá said that the company takes 90 percent of their development ideas from public requests via the Wishlist, wiki, or open forums.

“We really think that a webOS MUST be Open Source, for the simple reason
that a Web operating system tries to allow users be ‘free’ from their computer,” Garcia-Milà said. “If it’s not open source, you’re closing all of your users into YOUR server.”

eyeOS hosts the OS on their free server, funded through public donations. There are three ways to install eyeOS: MiniServer, which is the complete OS for Windows, MicroServer a lighter weight server for Windows, and Source Code, which installs the system under an existing server.

eyeOS is based in Spain, where it was founded in 2005. So far they have only been funded through $1,300 or so in donations, partly because “living in Spain means difficulties on the investment front.” Once version 1.0 launches, Garcia-Milá says that the business model will change.

See Go2Web2’s preview of ORCA today as well, a similar service.

  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Monday, November 27th, 2006 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. IndianBytes.com

    November 27th, 2006 at 12:35 pm

  2. TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » Desktop.comが失敗した分野に挑むeyeOS

    November 27th, 2006 at 3:06 pm

  3. Publictivity.com Blog » The Holy Grail- “Online OS’”

    November 27th, 2006 at 3:49 pm

  4. Can web OS’s be the OS’s of the future? « Shawn Christopher

    November 28th, 2006 at 5:46 am

  5. AjaxWindows, Why?

    June 14th, 2007 at 9:41 pm

Comments

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  1. Stan

    November 27th, 2006 at 12:52 pm

    Well, you still need a regular operating system to access the web OS… How about creating a system that logs right into your web OS account after booting (assuming you have an always-on internet connection) skipping the windows and/or other operating systems overall?? Then I think we will be looking at a revolution. Right now, this is hardly a revolution.

  2. hombrelobo

    November 27th, 2006 at 12:58 pm

    Step by step. Windows 1.0 wasn’t a revolution. We are still at 0.93 …..

    Think about embeded systems, about accesing it via your cellphone, and so on.

  3. michal frackowiak

    November 27th, 2006 at 12:58 pm

    I have looked at the eyeOS demo and somehow I feel it needs a lot of work… YouOS (https://www.youos.com/) is a much more advanced “web os” but not open sourced unfortunately.

    It does not compare to the initial Zimbra release - Z. was much more mature. Z. also had a clear business model.

    Another question: who really needs web-based os? I can imagine some applications (look at YouOS and its hundreds of applications to feed your imagination) but this is still a very limited marked.

    What companies REALLY need is a combination of OS, applications and content storage/management to create a productive environment. I do not think there is anyone out there that would rely on web-based OS in this matter.

    Anyway - good luck!

  4. Anony Mouse

    November 27th, 2006 at 1:30 pm

    The term “Web OS” is meaningless. It’s like it came out of the web 2.0 bullshit generator. Let’s take any “old” computer technology and stick “Web” on the front. How about “Web Front Side Bus” or “Web Translation Lookaside Buffer”. Which of the primary operating system features have these Web OS’s implemented? Scheduler? Virtual memory subsystems? File system? Job control? Network stack? Device drivers? When you guys say “Web OS” I get the feeling you mean “website that draws a picture of a bumpoff windows desktop”.

  5. hombrelobo

    November 27th, 2006 at 1:37 pm

    OK, then read webOS as web Open Source. That solves your problem, no ?

  6. shawnpetriw

    November 27th, 2006 at 1:38 pm

    “It is missing a spreadsheet and presentation program, among other things that would make it a proper OS. But it’s a work in progress.”

    Since when is a spreadsheet etc. part of an OS? No OS has those; they have add- on programs like Office.

    Perhaps the story should say “…, among other things that would make it a proper solution.”

  7. Tony Angelo

    November 27th, 2006 at 1:39 pm

    Why are we calling these things OS (Operating Systems)? Wouldn’t a more accurate name be “application suite?”

  8. michal frackowiak

    November 27th, 2006 at 1:46 pm

    Let us call it “Web Desktop” since it seems to be the closest term.

  9. Peter

    November 27th, 2006 at 2:38 pm

    Well, I wouldn’t use eyeOS simply because I don’t see innovation or hardly an incentive to use it. I don’t understand why should anyone use a web os when they can just use windows, or even Vista with all the gadgets/widgets… nothing to see here, folks!

  10. Wil Schroter

    November 27th, 2006 at 2:46 pm

    Does anyone else remember Marc Andreesen talking about how Netscape would replace the desktop in the mid-1990’s?

    I think there are some possibilities, but c’mon. Let’s call it what it is - a best case possibility to get some neat Web apps stuffed into a single button bar.

  11. Jason McMinn

    November 27th, 2006 at 2:49 pm

    This, like Desktop.com, is a waste of time. Why would anyone use this? Does the OS really need to be replaced? Focus on AJAX applications and don’t waste time/energy on a OS replacement. Between Linux, Mac, and Windows, everyone can find something to use.

  12. matthew

    November 27th, 2006 at 2:56 pm

    i hate to be knee-jerk critical, but i see absolutely no practical use for this sort of thing.

  13. Email

    November 27th, 2006 at 3:13 pm

    Congrats on your first story at TC. Looking forward to more!

  14. Faisal

    November 27th, 2006 at 3:40 pm

    Its not fair to compare this product to desktop.com , which was unique in its features and look and feel , but as Tony said : its more accurate to call it : application suite.

    By the way , i read before that Google hired many of Firefox developers , plus IE lead developer , and i also read they were building sophisticated browser cache engine , are we close to Google web based OS?

    Note: its lame to mention AJAX when talking about creating true web based OS , i think a sirius company will use real web platform , ActiveX maybe , or perhaps Adobe’s new Apollo

  15. Christopher Sisk

    November 27th, 2006 at 3:41 pm

    I hate to agree with almost everyone, but how can we even call this an Operating System? The whole thing just seems like a novelty. As stated before, When you can boot to this OS, bypassing windows, then there’s something in the right direction… but until then, just keep it under wraps. So some micro-promotion so people know you’re still working on the project. That’s like inventing some snow skis that go on car wheels and calling it a new car… no its not, its just something added to my existing car that, in reality, does nothing practical.

  16. Faisal

    November 27th, 2006 at 3:48 pm

    Sorry , the correct Apollo link :
    Apollo

  17. Matt Hicks

    November 27th, 2006 at 4:40 pm

    Congrats on your first TechCrunch post and welcome abroad! Look forward to reading more posts like this (and good to see you’re already starting a debate on what should be called an OS).

  18. ginchy

    November 27th, 2006 at 5:21 pm

    “Essentially, eyeOS is like Goowy”

    Well OK then.

    In a related story, the NASDAQ dropped like fifty points today.

  19. Denver

    November 27th, 2006 at 8:09 pm

    I have a dream, that one day, all software, even the operation system are open sourced and free….but where the profit come from? The advertisement? Hence, It’s just a dream.

  20. Tony Sung

    November 27th, 2006 at 8:52 pm

    “eyeOS … is missing a spreadsheet and presentation program, among other things that would make it a proper OS.”

    Would it be possible for them to integrate with 3rd party apps like EditGrid and Thumbstacks ?

  21. hombrelobo

    November 27th, 2006 at 9:14 pm

    You stay in bed then …. :)

    The fact that there is a debate and that thousands of people try the system says that there is something there. Not for purists, but then, we can always go back to CPM, the OS for the real macho … :)

  22. David Mackey

    November 27th, 2006 at 9:15 pm

    eyeOS is a pretty nice service. I am thankful they are open source. A webOS, unless it is supported by a major backer like Microsoft, will be unable to take a good market share b/c of user hesitancy to lock in to a possibly dying company.

  23. David Mackey

    November 27th, 2006 at 9:17 pm

    cool. a webos built on the same technology as pandora ought to be nifty.

  24. Vic

    November 28th, 2006 at 5:59 am

    I think WebOs`s have to evolve to a solid structural tool, with integrated security enhanced applications, but we will see a lot of this endeavors in the next Web 2.0 phase…, by the way, eyeOs is really cool so far i think, but we have to wait for the critical mass users before a trully judgment.

  25. Frank Cefalu

    November 28th, 2006 at 6:04 am

    Well, while it has a nice interface design to the overall theme, the fact it is php based is unnerving. For instance, changing of the desktop’s background image to the alternately available one does not function properly. Whilst this may be in testing stages, opening a whole bunch of DHTML Content Overlays from Dynamic Drive does not constitute a Web Based Desktop. Even Windows has more interaction than this thing…. And that is bad my friends, BAD.

  26. seduce any woman

    November 28th, 2006 at 6:06 am

    For me looks great :)
    If you dont have notebook its a cool solution :)

  27. Carlos Antonio

    November 28th, 2006 at 12:06 pm

    Craythur.com is very easy and future of is.

  28. gladys

    November 28th, 2006 at 12:34 pm

    i still prefer to use seperate file storage services such as
    http://www.orbitfiles.com
    http://www.box.net

  29. KingKong

    November 29th, 2006 at 11:02 am

    Hmmm… WebOS is still a term in need of a true product with which to define it. eyeOS is interesting but b/c it requires a downloadable client, it’s not fully virtual and therefore thinking of it as a web app is a misapplication of the term (no pun intended). Businesses insist on local clients only because they are inexplicably reluctant to cross the threshold onto the Web despite the fact that everyone knows (and the statistics verify) that hosted solutions are in fact more secure than local solutions, where viruses/trojan horses proliferate.

    That said, if you want to refer to these WebOS’s or Web desktops, the best that I’ve seen (and I’ve tried them all) is Desktoptwo (http://desktoptwo.com), which comes closest to replicating the desktop in terms of functionality and look (Sapotek, the company behind Desktoptwo, calls it a web-based desktop, and not a WebOS, which is smart, imho).

    In the end, none of these services is a true OS,as in multi-layered… yet. But, I do believe all of these efforts are worthwhile and that a real WebOS will emerge soon enough, perhaps due to the combined efforts of all these companies.

  30. Rogerio

    November 29th, 2006 at 12:37 pm

    The Craythur is more fast. I like…..(http://www.craythur.com)….

  31. Marty

    December 4th, 2006 at 12:57 pm

    “Back in the Day” a 90lb screen, 8lb keyboard and a couple of other (maybe) devices sat on the desk. They might have DEC, IBM, Telex…. or sum udder logo upon them. We’ll refer to these devices as dumb terminals for lack of a better word. We had mainframes to talk to or control…..then pc’s, then LINKAGE, now ‘they’ (whomever the hell that group is) want me to go back to limited functionality, full trackablility and on able to see what they choose…….i think NOT!!!!!!!!!

    …..engage

  32. Abhijeet Kunder

    December 6th, 2006 at 10:23 pm

    Quite frankly, Google will either buy eyeOS out if they really are worth the hoolah. If they don’t, they probably are working on something which will kick ass anyways (either that or eyeOS is not really a stand out)

  33. Benjamin Mestrallet

    December 22nd, 2006 at 10:36 am

    Have also a look at eXo Enterprise WebOS, it is a new comer in that space but really worth the look

  34. Carlyle

    January 4th, 2007 at 12:04 pm

    I walk into an internet cafe or public library … just me, no laptop, luggage, pda … find a spare workstation/browser, and I have my application(s) desktop, with all of my personal, work, life data available.

    Or at a friends house, or at a customer site — hop on his workstation, and have *my* environment up & running, to do my apps with my data at his site.

    Biggest challenge: establish trust in that server farm that has all of my life on it, like my pda currently has.

    http://www.gotomypc.com — watch out, this is a challenge to some of your business.

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