Over at Search Engine Watch, my column this month continues the discussion started earlier this week about Google Chrome. The takeaway: It will complete the circle for creating better Web-based products — search and otherwise.

The news media and blogosphere are abuzz this week over Google’s Chrome OS — often carrying the requisite “Windows Killer” designation. I usually turn away from any “killer” claims, as they’re often just link bait. But this time it could carry some weight.

Carrying the same name as the Chrome browser, the long-rumored OS will be built specifically for lightweight Web apps and netbooks. In other words, it’s a shot at Microsoft’s longstanding paradigm of big heavy OS’s that run big heavy desktop software.

With the advent of cloud computing, this is no longer a reality. More users are turning from desktops to laptops and netbooks. That means less Microsoft Office and Outlook, and more Google Docs and Gmail.

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