This is a really good article from read/write web, laying out the three most viable scenarios for the Google OS, and they predict we could see it within the next six months.

Here’s the break down:

• A web based desktop (i.e. operating system)
• A full featured Linux distribution
• A lightweight Linux distro and/or BIOS

Personally, I think the first option is the most likely, considering that this is the direction the internet is heading. Let’s dismiss the other two options for the time being. Most of the apps I use are internet based already, e.g., Writley (now Google Docs), del.icio.us, gmail, Google Calendar, flickr, Netvibes, meebo,…

The only thing really holding back resource heavy apps from residing on the net, i.e., video games, photo editing software, are the broadband limitations. Someday this will be the thing of the past. When that happens, hard drives will also be the thing of the past, at least in the conventional sense. This is still a long ways away though.

For those of you who don’t use internet apps, you really don’t know what your missing. Over the course of a month, I must sit in front of twenty different computers. Yes, I know, for the average user this may be a bit extreme, but for people like us it’s not that strange. My point is, it’s nice to be able to hop on to any computer and have my bookmarks, my documents, my email, my news, my instant messengers, my appointments, my RSS feeds, my photos and videos, etc… right at my finger tips.

Now imagine having your entire desktop there as well. This isn’t a matter of if it will happen, but when will it happen. When eyeOS was launched (or at least when I first saw it) about a year ago, it was in rough shape. It’s come along way since then. Though still not even close to ready for the mainstream, you can definitely see the potential. Some other webtops to check out are YouOS, Goowy, DesktopTwo, and Xin, the latter of which really caught my eye. I’m just waiting for my confirmation email to check it out.

So, as you can see, there is some progress being made towards full featured online desktops, though even I think you would be crazy to use them in their current state. Google OS could possibly change this. And I stress, possibly.

Until that day, what every power user should be using is an ajax driven, dynamic, customizable start page such as Netvibes, Pageflakes, Google Pages, Live, Protopage, or the relatively new contender, Webwag (which I have to admit, looks very impressive). Use one of these for a month and you would be lost with out them. I prefer Netvibes, but all of the above offer a slightly different look and feel as well as there own set of features.