Hi, I'm one of the founders of YouOS. Yeah, we're finally shutting it down. We haven't been working on YouOS actively since November 2006. Why it failed is a long blog post for another time (it centers around not finding a use for it ourselves).
Since then, Sam started thesixtyone.com, Jeff works at 23andme, and Joe and I recently sold our new startup, projectwedding.com to eHarmony.
It's this last item, logistically, why we're shutting it down at this time.
it centers around not finding a use for it ourselves - how did you guys get the inspiration/motivation to work on pojectwedding.com? Either/both of you got married and found such a service lacking?
People don't get it, do they. I have ZERO interest in an operating system. No, it's not that I have zero interest in an online operating system, I have no interest in any operating system at all! What I want are quick and convenient applications, and the OS itself is totally irrelevant. So anyone who tries to apply a paradigm that was forced on us to something that we choose to use will ultimately fail.
What is needed is not an OS, it's an organiser. A place I store files, write letters, etc. Not some multiple window thingy, but some simply thing that gives me quick access to my applications.
Everyone trying to recreate Mac OS or Windows, but webbased is doomed to failure. Mac OS and Windows are used because people don't have a choice as to what desktop paradigm they can use. If one decides to switch, there are no applications, so you are forced into using a particular way.
But it has always been a flawed design, so don't copy this stuff.
Do you really care about access to your applications (e.g. MS Word) or the functionality they provide (e.g. editing a document)? I think it's more likely just the functionality + the information. I think more likely Mac OS and Windows are doomed to failure. All I want is my information + function + communication (an emergent property of this would seem to be collaboration).
For me, creating a web OS is the wrong thing to do because the web already is an OS. It just needs more apps porting to it, and more interoperability between them.
If you really want to create a new platform, I think it lives or dies depending on the apps you can get on it that can't be found elsewhere. I don't know if youos had any such killer apps...
What went wrong: they tried to do a "web OS." So many of these have failed, or are on track to fail, that it really surprised me to see a new one the other day.
I would like to add, insight from the investors on the reason for investing, what changed in the past 2 years, and if the market conditions have changed, if an opportunity still exists?
It's a different group of people that speak up each time.
Group A doesn't care about looking at shut-downs, only at the "blooming opportunities of the Internet." They talk all the time about cool new things. Group B doesn't care about blather, but when Group A asks why something isn't working they'll explain it.
I remember showing this to all my friends at school. I opened it up and opened the browser, then i opened it in that browser and opened a browser in that and i did that until IE crashed :D They were all like "Wow, cool"
[+] [-] srini|17 years ago|reply
Since then, Sam started thesixtyone.com, Jeff works at 23andme, and Joe and I recently sold our new startup, projectwedding.com to eHarmony.
It's this last item, logistically, why we're shutting it down at this time.
[+] [-] tx|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] immad|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] raghus|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] maxklein|17 years ago|reply
What is needed is not an OS, it's an organiser. A place I store files, write letters, etc. Not some multiple window thingy, but some simply thing that gives me quick access to my applications.
Everyone trying to recreate Mac OS or Windows, but webbased is doomed to failure. Mac OS and Windows are used because people don't have a choice as to what desktop paradigm they can use. If one decides to switch, there are no applications, so you are forced into using a particular way.
But it has always been a flawed design, so don't copy this stuff.
[+] [-] bsaunder|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] axod|17 years ago|reply
If you really want to create a new platform, I think it lives or dies depending on the apps you can get on it that can't be found elsewhere. I don't know if youos had any such killer apps...
[+] [-] mbuchanan|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] axod|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jcromartie|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] prakash|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|17 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] volida|17 years ago|reply
So, asking them to hand it to you is a bit obnoxious
[+] [-] listic|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unalone|17 years ago|reply
Group A doesn't care about looking at shut-downs, only at the "blooming opportunities of the Internet." They talk all the time about cool new things. Group B doesn't care about blather, but when Group A asks why something isn't working they'll explain it.
[+] [-] lacker|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pavelludiq|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|17 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] globalrev|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jacobbijani|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sown|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] babul|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zeben|17 years ago|reply