Skype finally released version 2.8 of its VoIP client for Mac OS X. Besides many bugfixes and the now enabled public WiFi access, we are excited about the screen sharing feature. Having our offices in Stuttgart and Berlin, we are forced to use tools that support collaborative work from any location.

The new Skype version for Mac – the Windows version was already capable of doing so – let’s you share your whole screen or a selected window with the person you’re talking to. Now it’s even easier to go over presentations, concepts, mind maps and other documents together while having a conference call via Skype.

You can download Skype 2.8 for Mac here.

If you think about it, it’s not really a surprise that Google announced the development of an own operating system. This move was already discussed as a consistent further development. In their blog post Sundar Pichai (VP Product Management) and Linus Upson (Engineering Director) call the project “a natural extension of Google Chrome.”

“It should just work”

Their goal is a fast, light and easy to use system to access the web based computing world. Therefore “speed, simplicity and security” are mentioned as the systems key objectives. The user is not supposed to struggle with an overloaded operating system and security issues. The so called Google Chrome OS will be open source and – for the beginning – targeted at netbooks. The first devices will be shipped in the second half of 2010. Later on full-size desktop computers will be supported as well.

Already developed web applications will also run on Chrome OS. The system can handle every application that sticks with valid web standards. It could push cloud computing even further. At the same time this implies that developers don’t have to get familiar with a new language and that their user base extends as apps will not only run on Google OS, but on almost any browser on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Google vs. Microsoft vs. Apple

If there’s currently a company that can challenge Microsoft and its long lasting dominance, it’s Google. Techcrunch even calls it “a nuclear bomb made of chrome” that Google drops on Microsoft. If it’s really a sensation or just a hype, time will tell. Google announced to release the open source code before the end of this year. It might be to the launch of Windows 7. It sure will be an interesting competition. Besides the possible impact on Microsoft, we shouldn’t forget about Apple with now almost 10 percent market share in the OS market. When Google talks about its effort to develop an easy to use and simple operating system, it is addressing the Mac users as well. It sure will be interesting how market shares will look like at the end of 2010.