Google Announces 'Chromebook' Laptops, No Word on Chrome-Based Tablets

[baleensavage]

The Chrome OS is an interesting idea, but I can't help think that Google would have been better suited to just release these with Android instead. If anything can be learned from iOS, it's that no one likes/uses Web apps. They want installed apps. Quite frankly there are many times when you don't have access to the internet and having your computer DOA when you have no internet takes it from being a useful productivity tool, to being a web-browsing tinker toy.

Also, No Netflix=No Sale. They could put Flash on there, but not Silverlight? Hmm, sounds suspiciously like Microsoft doesn't want a new competitor

Plus what is it with Google and all their products being FUGLY. These things look like netbooks from 10 years ago.

 

[RedReplicant]

They do not have the creative capacity to compete with Apple, or even Microsoft. All you have to do is look at their Sketchup software or even their iGoogle home page. They design like my grandfather dressed in the 60's. And I think I can smell cigar smoke, too.

They are creative in other ways, Google is what happens when you let the engineers run a company.

Plus what is it with Google and all their products being FUGLY. These things look like netbooks from 10 years ago.

Seriously? This really isn't bad looking.

 

[URFloorMatt]

The lack of vision in this thread is astounding but perhaps understandable. These machines are not targeted at iPad owners or even Mac owners generally. They are targeted at students and enterprise.

These machines have day-long battery life, require no antivirus software, require no software updates or patches whatsoever, store all of your files in the cloud, and come with a three-year full replacement and support plan. All for $20/mo. as a student or $28/mo. as an enterprise user. To put that in perspective, the student user would spend $960 for four years of college, and get two laptops out of it.

This is potentially a Windows killer (eventually). Anything that the Chrome OS can't run right now, you can run virtually via Citrix on a remote Windows machine. Large corporations could gut IT departments if they switched to these machines. And small corporations can scale up faster by essentially outsourcing their IT problems to Google.

I don't understand the comments about Internet access either. Where you do use a laptop that doesn't have wireless? On college campuses, wifi is ubiquitous. In cases where it's not, you can get the 3G version. I can't remember the last time I turned on my MacBook and didn't have a live Internet connection. But Google announced offline access to Gmail, Docs, and Calendar coming in the next Chrome OS update anyway, which some of you seem to have ignored.

If you are not a student interested in a MacBook, a heavy PC gamer, or going to major in something heavy on Windows-based software, then I foresee no reason laying out $1000 on a Windows machine that will be obsolete by the time you graduate college. You can lease one of these devices without increasing your loan burden.

 

[Doctor Q]

It's the return of Larry Ellison's pet project: thin-client computers. Which is simply a brainer version of a dumb terminal.

Next somebody will have a great new idea: add more local storage and more locally stored software to the thin-client, i.e., turn it into a full computer. Then somebody else will have a great new idea to strip that computer down and store those files on the network/in the cloud. And presto - we've re-re-reinvented the thin client!

 

[baryon]

I'm totally against "living in the browser". I'm a "client" kind of person.

Take Facebook for example: It has a basic GUI, a chat window that cannot be moved, pages that cannot be viewed simultaneously, and it's just a webpage. If it were a client, you could do Exposé, drag and drop, and all kinds of better looking GUI things. Facebook has no notification system, you have to have it on all day to know what's going on, or install a client of some sort. If someone chats to you, you don't get a bouncing Dock icon with a badge, you get a lame sound and that's it. You don't even know which tab it came from.

Everything that runs in the browser has limited access to system resources and can't access most things in your computer, which is why webpage GUIs feel like client GUIs from 10 years ago.

I prefer using things like the Dock, Exposé, Spaces, menus, gestures and communication between apps for my user experience instead of just tabs and links.

I think that technology has come a long way to allow things like OS X, and now we find ourselves "living in the browser", not utilising all the awesome features an OS offers. I think it's a step backward.

Of course, for people with no money, it's great to have a computer that still runs the web at least. But I don't think this is the future, unless in the future web content can get out of the freaking browser somehow. Maybe in 10 years we'll open Photoshop from our Dock and it will be just like today, except that it's 100% downloaded from the web on the fly. But until that happens, local, client apps will have a huge advantage over web apps.

 

[NAG]

I can see this taking over enterprise if Google plays it right. IT departments love computers that they can completely control and have always tried to use thin clients (e.g. the whole thin Java client craze). This looks better than the previous options.

As far as this being good for consumers...people flip out over the crowd sourced location database on the iPhone, what do you think will happen when they realize where all their stuff is going and is being stored?

 

[glossywhite]

Look, Google, people want Windows, Mac or Linux - usually Ubuntu. Chrome OS? Gimme a break! (yes, I know it is Linux btw). You succeeded with Android, but come on, Chrome OS hasn't taken off, and likely won't - know your limits.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Wow! It's like a circa 1990 laptop! Awesome!

 

[AidenShaw]

...and gets its design from Jonny Ive who knows more about design than just about anyone alive.

Agreed, as long as you restrict "design" to mean "boring, minimalist late 20th century design".

 

[nishioka]

Chromebooks will last a day of use on a single charge, so you don't need to carry a power cord everywhere.

O RLY?!

8.5 hours of continuous usage

http://www.google.com/chromebook/#chromebooks-samsung

6 hours of continuous usage

http://www.google.com/chromebook/#chromebooks-acer

When did "a day" become 8.5 or even 6 hours long?

 

[kirk26]

Hmmm, where does Apple into play here? Non-Apple story? Get off my lawn!!

Seriously, ChomeOS looks like it was developed by an elementary school kids back in the 1990's.

 

[msimpson]

Slices, dices, chops...

The BS in the marketing spin is hilarious...

These are not typical notebooks. With a Chromebook you won't wait minutes for your computer to boot and browser to start. You'll be reading your email in seconds. Thanks to automatic updates the software on your Chromebook will get faster over time. Your apps, games, photos, music, movies and documents will be accessible wherever you are and you won't need to worry about losing your computer or forgetting to back up files.

1) "Thanks to automatic updates the software on your Chromebook will get faster over time"

- Huh? Is that because the code they are releasing now is so buggy and slow they are going to have send out fixes?

2) "Your apps, games, photos, music, movies and documents will be accessible wherever you are and you won't need to worry about losing your computer or forgetting to back up files."

- OK, so everything is in the cloud? Might be possible, but do you really not need to worry about losing your computer?

And how long will the Chrome be in beta?

 

[iEvolution]

At that price this thing is already on its way to failure. I mean get real.

 

[MrWinters]

Where are bigger pictures? The Samsung looks great to me based on that tiny picture.

How dare you say something positive about any product without an Apple on it. You are on Mac Rumors - Troll!!! What are you, on Google's payroll???

At first glace, I thought they looked OK, but when I read they weren't made by Apple, I realized quickly that they were Junk, Crappy, and Clunky! I'll stick to Magical, Elegant, Delicious, and Ever so sexy Apple products!!!

Looks like Google is skating to where the puck used to be..

 

[TheChillPill]

IMO Google are fast become the 90's Microsoft. Trying to do too much, and not getting any of it right.

When Google only did search, they were admired by most. Now they're trying to 'control' search and everything we consume - against their early motto 'do no evil'.

 

[jowie]

No Word on Chrome-based tablets? That's gotta be a selling point for them.

 

[NebulaClash]

Agreed, as long as you restrict "design" to mean "boring, minimalist late 20th century design".

You must be one of the few people on Earth who thinks this way, considering all the 21st century awards the guy wins.

 

[MrWinters]

O RLY?!

When did "a day" become 8.5 or even 6 hours long?

When you grow up and get a job, you'll understand!!

 

[rmwebs]

As a beta tester, these suck

I can buy a real laptop or tablet for $500 that doesn't need Internet access to work

Its not trying to be a 'real laptop'. Clearly you arent their target audience with this.

 

[glossywhite]

IMO Google are fast become the 90's Microsoft. Trying to do too much, and not getting any of it right.

When Google only did search, they were admired by most. Now they're trying to 'control' search and everything we consume - against their early motto 'do no evil'.

A slight exaggeration.

They got Android right. It may have taken a while to mature, but it sure is gonna give iOS a few headaches (yeah, I can predict I'll get flamed, so save yourselves the effort). How about Gmail? That's doing great. Google Earth? yup. Google Maps? yup.

Maybe they're not quite as bad as you say?

 

[435713]

IMO Google are fast become the 90's Microsoft. Trying to do too much, and not getting any of it right.

When Google only did search, they were admired by most. Now they're trying to 'control' search and everything we consume - against their early motto 'do no evil'.

Google for some reason gives me the creeps. Personal thing. I do see the parallel between them and 90's MS. Android may easily take 80% of the phone market over time the way everything is structured. Since Apple wants hardware money its up to MS, HP, and RIM to have diversity there. Android could be any other phone OS just insert its name for the amount of share it has. I believe its free to put on phones as well. Obviously its a no brainier for companies to use it. If I am not mistaken that its free.

I could only imagine the amount of personal data they would have if somehow their chrome OS started to gain market share traction. All their stuff can be done on the cheap and consumers and hardware makers love that. Doubt they can dent MS and Apple with their OS though. I'd rather get ********ed by familiar companies personally.

EDIT: I do like their search engine and google maps though.

 

[NateJamesMeyers]

there IS offline use, several apps such as gmail will continue to work offline and will update (or send messages) as soon as they get internet. and why would they have the 16 GB hard drive if there wasnt anything to do offline?

OH! and something else I noticed. on each 3g model you get 100mb of free internet per month with no plan. AND right next to that it says no overage fees. so maybe its like tmobiles plans and if you go over they just cut down your internet speed. if thats true youre agruments mean nothing....

 

[TheChillPill]

A slight exaggeration.

They got Android right. It may have taken a while to mature, but it sure is gonna give iOS a few headaches (yeah, I can predict I'll get flamed, so save yourselves the effort). How about Gmail? That's doing great. Google Earth? yup. Google Maps? yup.

Maybe they're not quite as bad as you say?

I'd disagree with them getting Android right - along with the note that much of their inspiration, I'm sure, came from Apple.

I'll give them Google Maps - they've done that well, Gmail not so much.

My biggest gripe with them though is the sheer amount of personal data they use to their advantage, along with the way they muscle in and control search results to their own competitive advantage.

 

[Cinch]

laptop is so cumbersome

An iPad and a destop like an iMac is the way to go! A month ago I seriously consider buying the MacBook Air as a replacement for my MacBook. Now I'm not so keen on this idea. I think an iMac for work and/or house central computer and iPads for entertainment and content viewing is the new model. The laptop has no place in this model and good riddens! On a side note, using Excel on a laptop is painful but on a desktop with a mouse - it is pleasant. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[Ichneumon]

I still don't like the idea of having everything stored and accessible only through the cloud. I love syncing files between computers and use dropbox extensively, but with no offline excess, I don't see this as a real option. I use my laptop and iPad when I travel to school and taking notes during classes, (I'm a university student). I'm sure they've found a way to "enhance" the browser experience to allow you to use office-like stuff, but seriously, the iPad likely has more functionality with apps like Goodreader, IAnnotate, the multitude of Office apps and the standard browser.