YouOS Staff: intervista esclusiva a pc-facile.com e Datamanager.it

“YouOS is an experiment. We asked ourselves if this was even possible without caring about if this is the "future" or not. There's the whole concept of the "network is the computer" - we're not out to prove that that model works, but mainly that it's possible and go from there.”

YouOS is an experimental web desktop produced by WebShaka that replicates the desktop environment of a modern operating system on a webpage, using Javascript to communicate with the remote server. This allows users to save an environment to return to later, and for multiple users to collaborate using a single environment. The software is currently in alpha stage.

An easy-to-use application-development API is provided for YouOS, as an IDE is in development. This has allowed for the creation of over 640 applications for YouOS (description by Wikipedia).


1.You OS has the main functions of a desktop environment, what is missing and what are the defects?

YouOS is limited by what the browser can do. For instance, we cannot do 3D graphics very easily, as browsers do not natively support it. We also have limited access to mouse and keyboard controls. We cannot open sockets to arbitrary servers. Thus, YouOS does not have the full functionality of a desktop application. As browsers become increasingly more powerful, the power of the YouOS desktop will increase with it.


2. Isn't YouOS the proof that current operating systems are too complex and too heavy? Could people that use their PC in a simple and domestic way do with YouOS only?

Yes, for the majority of users, a PC is a conduit for two actions: checking email and surfing the web. Current operating systems are too heavy for such actions. Theoretically, we could combine a basic distribution of Linux, Firefox, and YouOS to provide a compact, secure, and remote desktop out of the box.


3. Online operating systems, is this the future or just a valid support? Are Internet users ready for this step?

Internet users are not yet ready for this step, at least not in its current form. Our view is that there will be many more iterations and refinements in this space. We just want to get in early on an experimental level. The "web desktop" of tomorrow will almost certainly look entirely different - possibly more like a wiki and less like a desktop.


4. What are the minimum requirements to fully use YouOS? Both in terms of hardware and software and in terms of know how.

For hardware, any reasonable modern machine (P4 or higher) with access to the internet will work. For software, we need the user to use either Firefox or Internet Explorer. As for know how, YouOS is a new system and there are many parts that are not intuitive. We hope to work on that over time.


5. When did you get the idea of a web based operating system? Was it something you felt you needed?

YouOS is an experiment. We asked ourselves if this was even possible without caring about if this is the "future" or not. There's the whole concept of the "network is the computer" - we're not out to prove that that model works, but mainly that it's possible and go from there.


6. What are the main advantages of an operating system like YouOS?

It follows you around where you go. You can immediately share applications and data with friends. It will not destroy the local computer you are working on, as it is sandboxed. It's free, of course :)


7. Currently, to use YouOS, it is still necessary to have an operating system installed on your PC. Do you think that in the future it will be possible to change this and it will be possible to use it on a PC without an operating system installed, for example using a mini client? Do you have in mind any further implementations?

As I mentioned, it would be trivial to distribute YouOS on top of a small linux distribution and firefox. We already have experimented with LiveCD distributions with limited success.


8. What is your recurring dream after inventing YouOS?

That we give the world a different way of interacting with computers - ideally a world where a computer "just works" in the same way your TV just works. Like Cable-TV technicians do most of their work behind the scenes, we want YouOS engineers to do the same.


9. Do you think YouOS can be adopted by companies in the near future?

It's already being adopted by one large (Fortune 500) companies for internal use - mainily to foster experimentation and collaboration. They like the app building process.


10. 2020: how do you see the world of operating systems? Will Microsoft still exist? If so, with what role?

We don't know what 2010 looks like, much less 2020. I'll guess that Microsoft will exist at that point, but that they will not be making most of their profits from Operating Systems then.


11. What do you think of the Open Source movement?

Our product would not be possible without Open Source. Our client code is already open source and we're seriously considering making the entire code base open source.


12. What applications can be installed on YouOS? Are you expecting to increase this number?

All applications on YouOS have to be written specifically for YouOS. This is quite a limitation and we're looking into making this easier. Currently, there are some 400+ released applications, with about 10 new ones appearing every week.


Thank's to Srini Panguluri - YouOS
by Alessandra Christille & Marc Gautschi pc-facile.com, Loris Bellè Data Manager Online