Google Brings AmigaOS to Chrome Via Native Client Emulation 157
First time accepted submitter LibbyMC writes "Google's approach to bringing older C software to the browser is demonstrated in bringing the '80s-era AmigaOS to Chrome. 'The Native Client technology runs software written to run on a particular processor at close to the speeds that native software runs. The approach gives software more direct access to a computer's hardware , but it also adds security restrictions to prevent people from downloading malware from the Web that would take advantage of that power.'" Chrome users can go straight to the demo.
Lack of vision (Score:5, Insightful)
Sometimes, Google just baffles me. The lack of direction in their product lines makes me shake my head.
We have several distinct software platforms:
1) Android. Development in XML with Java used as glue to hold everything together. Unless you don't. You can use standard C libraries and call the Linux kernel directly, bypassing the Dalvik Java VM. [cnet.com]
2) Chrome browser. Development largely in javascript, again there are some obvious exceptions. [google.com] Javascript is, of course, preferred because it's safer, so ChromeOS protects you by having everything done in Javascript. Except that it isn't.
3) ChromeOS. Kinda/Sorta like using the Chrome browser, except that it's not, because you are developing things that run as if they were actual clients. In Javascript. And of course, this too, is just as strictly enforced [unixhub.net].
4) But Let's not forget the 4th platform in the trio: Google's Go language [unixhub.net] is clearly a contender, and it's designed to replace C, except for a few bone-headed decisions like linking everything statically resulting in enormous binaries [donatstudios.com]. Because you really, really need to have the same library installed once for every app installed, because that way you get to recompile everything installed on your system any time a security update comes out for your favorite library. Except that, of course there are exceptions here, too. [google.com]
And most importantly, you cannot target all these platforms with any single codebase written in any language. It's like they are trying to make their product suite as difficult as just using products from multiple vendors anyway.
Re:80's hardware (Score:4, Insightful)
So an emulator running on 2010 era hardware can almost run at speeds of the native technology on 80's era hardware.
wow
On the other hand, you can emulate a high-end IBM mainframe circa 1980 at higher speed than the original on a cell phone.
That's terrifying. You don't even need motor-generators or a water chiller.
Re:Lack of vision (Score:2, Insightful)
Dynamic linking is cancerous, thank the gods they chose not to use it. Of course, it's Rob Pike and Ken Thompson, so there was never any risk of it. And never will be as long as they're on it.
Re:80's hardware (Score:4, Insightful)
So while a 1980 mainframe was used for ballistic calculations, credit-card transactions, DNA structural analysis and such. Today's smartphones are essentially used for playing AngryBirds and poking on Facebook. That's what we call progress ;-)
Re:80's hardware (Score:4, Insightful)
No, the point of chrome is to get people to switch over to google.