Seems like disingenuous reporting. The article is clearly about Google providing gmail and apps hosting to universities. That's old news, and yes, it may make people more open to using Google services.

But what does this have to do with Chrome OS?

I think the logic is they are getting millions of college students to use the core applications of Chrome OS and that will provide leverage at some point. A bit far fetched, but I suppose having the next generation grow up using your platform is a good thing for when you try and convince them to use your OS.

Sadly the college my wife is currently attending is changing their system over to Outlook online, which can only be used via IE opposed to their current system that can be used by IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari.

Not only is their in-campus system horrific for non-MS fanboys, but now their out-of-campus system is becoming an MS whore too.

I use Outlook Web Access with Opera and it works just fine...not sure which system your wife uses.

I'll grant you that OWA does work in Opera (and other non-IE browsers) but it really sucks compared to the IE version. Perhaps you've never tried it in IE; if so then you don't know what you're missing.

Thankfully, Exchange 2010 will finally bring full OWA support to non-IE browsers. http://www.robichaux.net/blog/2009/04/exchange-2010-owa.php

I have used the IE version as well, and yeah, it's better...but the Opera (and others) version is perfectly sufficient.

I guess you and I have different conceptions of what's "perfectly sufficient".

Possibly. What I meant is that the app is fully functional in Opera.

Outlook Web Access can be used with IE, Firefox, Chrome, or Opera without any problems or loss of functionality. If you are experiencing differently, the problem is on your end.