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Jolicloud, makers of a cloud-based computer operating system that pre-dates Google's forthcoming "Chrome OS" by well over a year, has finally reached version 1.0. In this release, the OS is now completely built on HTML 5, forgoing its previous dependence on Mozilla's Prism for its back-end in favor of Chromium, the same open-source project that will also become Google Chrome OS.

According to Jolicloud's CEO Tariq Krim, his company isn't trying to compete with Google for the same users; it wants to attract those who have a netbook now, are running Windows XP or a Linux-based OS and are itching for a chance to upgrade their install to something more modern and current.

Before Google ever breathed a word about Google Chrome OS - the company's forthcoming lightweight computer operating system that consists of nothing but a Web browser - there was Jolicloud. One of the original standouts in the field of cloud-based operating systems (referring to the way data and apps are available online as opposed to on the desktop), Jolicloud has continued to innovate and grow, despite the very real threat of having to compete with a computing giant like Google.

The company's latest efforts? A new dashboard and an expansion of its so-called Joliplatform, the Jolicloud version of a Web app store, but one where apps can access both Web-based and local resources. Yes, "local" as in the files and folders you had on your computer prior to upgrading to Jolicloud.

Jolicloud, one of the original standouts in the field of cloud-based operating systems, has just released their new Chrome-based web application platform as promised earlier this month. The company's operating system now features 600+ web apps, a faster browsing experience and HTML5 support, notes a company blog post. The switch in back-end platforms from Mozilla prism to Chrome is an interesting one, too, especially considering that Google's upcoming Google Chrome OS for netbooks will soon launch, supposedly with manufacturer partnerships in tow. Will Jolicloud's open source efforts at delivering an alternative end up being just as successful? Or will they become the also-ran of the forthcoming cloud computing landscape?

Since the announcement of Google Chrome OS, the upcoming web-based operating system from search giant Google, a number of smaller web OS startups have hoped to capitalize on the renewed interest in the cloud desktop. One of those startups, eyeos, today announced their plans to release the next major upgrade to their web OS product, eyeos 2.0, on January 1st, 2010. To differentiate themselves from the herd, eyeos offers a couple of unique features including automatic sync with the local desktop and a host-your-own option. But is this what users really want in a cloud os?

Lately, people have been noticing that the big shift in computing - that is, moving our apps off the desktop and into the cloud - has more ramifications beyond what simply appears to be a return to a mainframe/thin client architecture. On the surface, today's web seems to be a developer's dream - there are more platforms than ever and everything has an API. Yet the darker side to this shift leaves developers with less control over the apps they build. Instead, they're at the whims of those that run the gated communities and closed platforms of today's web. Are we abandoning openness for the sake of security? And is that a trade-off we want to make?