Chrome OS is a step towards turning computing into a commodity, just like electricity.

It certainly is a nice metaphor – but it lacks the complexity of this very special “commodity”.

I would agree with you if it was only about raw computing power – so we would get CPU cycles from Google and not store anything on the cloud.

But the cloud is more than just storage or CPU cycles. It includes collaboration, social networking and access.

When your Google Account is the key to so many functions, friends, data, work and private functions it is not just a commodity – especially when Google can cut off your access without notice.

And I also doubt that centralization is more efficient: the winning mantra of net technology was decentralization. The Internet itself is decentralised.

We are demanding the convenience of cloud applications because they make us so much more efficient.

I think most people want simply convenient computing – they don’t think in dimensions as local or cloud computing. They just want the bloody thing to work.

Think of it this way: I could have a power generator in my garage so that I wouldn’t need to rely on the power company for my electricity. But is that efficient? No. Is it even desirable? No. I’d have to know how to maintain it. I’d have to buy coal or some other fuel for it. It would be really annoying. Chrome OS is a step towards turning computing into a commodity, just like electricity. I think that’s a really good thing.