The Future Of Google Notebook

I am predicting the following pathway / roadmap / architecture direction that leads to something similar to G-Notebook ... and my "reputation" as a mostly anonymous blogger is on the line (oooh). Foundational elements first:

1. Google Chrome OS. If you haven't heard about it, you've been in hiding or have an actual life. This is G's play to get into the backbone of portable computers (iPhone, netbooks, etc). Throw in Android and you have a cheap, open, system to run any light weight computer. Applications will reside mostly online (the infamous "cloud"). They can build on later for fuller functionality outside of the mobile platform domain.
2. Google Chrome will get "push" synchronization. It will start with Bookmarks (and remember how much Google Bookmarks looked like G-Notebook?). This will compete directly against "X-Marks" for Firefox on the Chrome browser? If it works well, it will be a very nice feature for Chrome users.
3. Google Voice.
4. Google Wave.

Let me go back to 6 months ago, when G removed their toolbar from Chrome. Here are two quotes from that time:

"Removed the option to import bookmarks from Google bookmarks. We think we can improve this feature, so we're pulling it out until we come up with something better"

"Remove 'Google Toolbar' as an option for importing bookmarks. The user experience without the ability to keep bookmarks synchronized is not good. We decided to pull this and work on a better user experience."

My expectation is that G will not only sync bookmarks, but will reinstate a Note-Taking type of application similar to what is embedded in the Opera browser on Chrome. The risk is that they try to merge Notebook and Documents into one application. That is clearly not a good option. The other downside is that this would be tied to the use of Chrome which is not allowed in many corporate locations. This integration with synchronization will continue into their OS.

In summary, I believe this is where the Big G wants to go:

  • Google OS / Android integration on any hardware
  • Google Chrome browser on any hardware (operating more like a virtual desktop)
  • Push synchronization for Bookmarks, Web Notes, G-Account Details, Contacts, Social Networking, Browsing history, Communication History, OS Settings (imagine your desktop being the same on whatever computer you use), communication settings, (using Chromium Sync / Chrome Wave / G-Voice).
  • All voice communications through Google Voice (Over IP) with push synchro, comm. history, "Unified Messaging", and customized rings following you wherever you are logged in or as pre-defined in your Google Voice contact settings
  • Capabilities to take and access notes on web, voice, IM, or any application
  • Primarily cloud based applications (Google Apps) with minimal download (G-Gears) for offline usage
This will mean that as long as you use Chrome, you will have access to all of your online life on any platform (fixed or mobile) either online or offline. The idea would be to leverage existing G-Assets to drive Chrome / G-OS adoption. Huh? Google wants to own all communication and computing.

3 comments:

  1. Hi! I just want to let you know that I am an avid Google Notebook user ever since I first discovered it. Luckily, I got a Google account before it closed, and so I'm still able to use it. And I have used it to do my homework, take notes in my summer politics camp, write short stories, or even just collect funny quotes. I predict that Google Notebook will be revived in some fashion as Google realizes that it needs to improve the user experience in order to make sure that the combined forces of Bing and Yahoo! do not overthrow it. And, I am writing an alternate history short story on my blog (written mostly on Google Notebook) in which Google buys out Yahoo! and incorporates its Yahoo! Notepad and Search Pad technologies into a revived Google Notebook.

    I will post that story here: http://dannysignifyingnothing.blogspot.com/

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  2. Hi, everyone...

    I have been using Google Notbook so long that I don't know when I started. I have been able to install on new computers and keep my lists updated and increasing even past the ending of G-Notebook. But, I am in Firefox and the latest update says it will break and isn't compatible with G-Notebook. I've put off the FF update because I cannot stand to lose my notebook. I use it for my job and as a graduate student. It is a lifeline for me. I'm currently exporting all the links to my google docs just incase somehow I love the notebook.

    I do not wish to switch browsers or operating systems. I just want to continue using what I love in this product. Does anyone know if you upgrade to the new FF if you can "fix" your notebook? I certainly don't want to try it and then lose everything.

    Glad there are so many G-notebook users. Thanks for supporting this product.

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  3. Yes Jananix I have a similar story. I have used Google Notebook and found it to be exactly what I wanted. Completely flexible yet very simple and uncomplicated to use.

    I use Firefox and updated it to version 3.6. unfortunately the new version disabled Google Notebook. I attempted to go to a previous restore point on my computer to get 3.5 back and had many problems, too many to go into here.

    The wind up was me getting version 3.6 back and losing Google Notebook. I am now learning and using a more complicated Evernote.

    And so it goes.

    Regards
    Sedan2 http://www.squidoo.com/WhyRainBarrels

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