Google officially announces Chromebooks

Does it mean that whenever i am doing something cpu intensive like editing 8mbpx photo that i took with my pocket photo camera i will upload it to google first but then it will load google servers cpu and not my notebook when i will edit it?

As for the keeping your stuff with you — i guess most notebook users fixed this problem long time ago )) 13 inch is portable and powerful enough and can carry enough data to never need anything again.

And then again as to everything — it would be more accurate to say that you will have NOTHING of what you used to have. Only browser will stay the same if you were using chrome. Doubt anyone would pay thousands dollars for photoshop enterprise if there would be something remotely similar for free. No 3d games, no professional programs.. everything will be different and most likely way worse.

 

Lieto, I haven't read much about it, but I saw the promo video on the Cromobook werbsite and the very first thing it said was that it isn't a "computer", it's just "the web".

I wouldn't buy it for myself as I would lack functionality the same way as you, but it could be great for many people, or even as a secondary laptop...
Even that I need advanced features from Office, I also use Google Docs for drafts (its great to open it anywhere and share it with other authors). So I say that this kind of cloud approach is indeed interesting, but it doesn't substitute the offline resources that we are used to. The word everything is clearly pure marketing as it is totally subjective.

 

If it cost $200 I'd buy it in a heartbeat. A throwaway laptop that even I'd let m my kids use. Make a rugged version of it for $400 and I'd probably be sold even more. But as it stands, no thanks.

 

people will buy it and install windows on it + bigger ssd

 

Rawr, more Atom stuff. D:

I got a feeling "Chromebooks" are going to be overpriced here in Norway, so il probably just DIY a AMD Zacate netbook instead if needed, but right now my smartphone serves my mobile needs just fine.

Also anyone else liking the Samsung 5 series with Chrome?

 

I bet you can't install the OS of your choice... and the main CPU does not need a cooling fan.

 

</width='560'>[/p]

Video:
Wow, what a micky mouse 'system'. lol...

I thought Mac O/S was bad...

Lieto, don't think Windows will install on such castrated hardware - the keyboard is a 'Google' spec'd one (no function keys, etc.) and the 16GB USB thumbdrive 'ssd' is right around 2007 standards.

Hungry Man, I know 6 yr olds who would find this platform limiting - but, I'll agree; they're not your avg. 6 yr olds.

 

Actually reminds me of Windows 95 a bit... or maybe OS/2 Warp.

 

Wow, what a complete rip off!

See:
Google Details Its Chromebook Subscriptions


So, if you're a 'poor' student you have the privilege of giving Google $1040 annually (!!!) instead of just buying this crippled 2007 era tech platform for $349 - $499.

If you want the 3G (data limited, I'm sure) version the annual price is $1196.

Lol.... I'd rather have a ThinkPAD.

 

'Poor' student's aren't always as poor as one may think. At my university (in a 'city' of about 80,000 people and in a mainly agricultrual part of the country) half of every student owned laptop I see in the plaza areas are MBP's. Also, most students I notice have smartphones which require $30/mo data plans on top of the cell coverage and after the initial phone cost of several hundred dollars.

If they want the product, they'll buy it. Even if it means Ramen & $0.99 menus for the next 3 months.

 

Actually, it's only $240 annually, but they require a 3 year contract which is completely absurd (the machine is already using obsolete hardware -- who wants to be stuck with it for 3 years?). Also, they specify the limit on the 3G:

100MB is laughable for a laptop -- this is more like an oversized cell phone with a keyboard.

 

Yeah, I don't see how they get $240 annually - marketing hard at work, I guess. 20x52 is still 1040 here. Even 20x40 is 800 dollars (based on a 10 month year).

100MB of free data - ROFL...

Even worse, minimum 10 unit contracts and you need to pay out the contract to 'break' it. Though, hardware upgrades are included (but I am already laughing at what they will deem a 'required' update).

Even with their skewed numbers, it will cost a minimum of 240x10x3 or $7200 to 'liberate' yourself and your fellow workers/students for the next three years (and, of course, they don't care if you use them or not...).

The more mathematically correct numbers are 1040x10x3 or $31200 for three years of 'freedom'.

Freedom to spend the money sensibly, where you want and for much better tech.


A business will never do any favors - even if it looks like that when examined artificially (like Hungry Man seems to do).

Even when it's free - it is going to cost you in the end.

Always.

See:
Why Chrome And Android Are Incomplete


The above link talks about why Chrome O/S and Android O/S is incomplete.

The reason I think it is incomplete is much simpler: they haven't yet been able to take basically proprietary hardware and have you pay more for the privilege to use them ('use' in a severely limiting way) and have it all appear 'magical'.

I hope these fluff HW devices disappear soon and for forever.

 

From your article:

There are 12 months in a year. 20*12 = 240.

 

ROFL.... lol... hhaaahahhahahahaaa...

Okay, I guess I really don't like Chromebooks (at all!).

My math was/is off-kilter.

Still, $7200 for 3 yrs for 10 systems is still out of this world 'nuts' for a 'less than netbook' product.

 

I completely agree. Its not just the fact that they have only 100mb free, or that it requires a 3 year contract. Or that there is a 20/24$ fee or requirement for 10 pcs. It's just wondering what the heck has google been smoking? Reviewers are going to rip their os to shreds, and there enormous investment will tank. Their systems are "creative" but lack power and a lot of other stuff even the basic netbook has. It is a pity that the general public keep getting dumber and need help with anything technical; this is what google is trying to capitalize on with their os.

 

Need examples.

 

Is Win7 and the almost unlimited number of programs/utilities enough examples for you?

 

@Hungry Man

I have to laugh at how you were trying to compare this chrome book to available Windows 7 netbooks as spec for spec comparisons (eventhough the chrome book is using a poor/ cheap SSD; and does not use the hardware in even close to the same way as Win 7 would -different OS means not comparable, as they use/ need resources entirely differently); it doesn't matter if it has a specific Atom processor or not, it still can't be utilized in in such a way that it is truly useful so it doesn't matter what the exact spec's are...


and what KillerBunny is referring to is [I think] that even on a netbook you can do PhotoShop work if you would need it to, or play your flac media, or do any of the the things you could possibly need to (albeit at a much slower than normal speed, it is still better than not being able to do it at all like on the chrome book)

and its rude/ a pain when you a quote people and take then screen name out

 

Makes my life easier.

Again a misinformed user. You can do these things on ChromeOS.

Not nearly. Going to need specifics. I'm sure you'll find a few but I doubt they'll apply to the average user.

 

... because it is too hard to do 'ctrl' 'c' then 'ctrl' 'v' ??? and yet you can argue for a under powered, and overpriced device until the sun goes down...

how am I mis-informed, and what exactly am I a user of? you CANNOT do more than the basics of stuff on the chrome book (you might say "there is a app for that" just like the a iOS/ android fanboi would; but at the end of the day it is a pain in to try and work around the device's, OS's, and app's severe limitations...

key word here is average user, who are you referring to, because we already know that the 'average' american does practically no computer work, and can often barely figure out the power button keyboard and mouse; but even with the chrome book they would have numerous issues in using

while the 'average' user here [on NBR] would much prefer a Win 7 netbook that can run any of the Win 7 applications (note they are not called 'apps'), compared to the chromebook where you have to use a limited OS, and limited 'apps' that do not offer you the full set of features you need (and you would likely have to pay out for a even slightly useful 'app' -the chrome book is taking the control out of the user's hands and placing it in the company that sold you the computer; it is basically Google trying to be apple)

 

Literally what I'm doing.

As for arguing until the sun goes down... I'm actually really bored of this. I dislike having to be the one to break information to people, it's not my job to educate but unfortunately it seems that the vast majority of users are misinformed.

So you're saying things have to be built into the OS? This is like saying Win7 isn't good because it can't mount ISO files even though there are 3rd party apps for it.

I've already said this. NBR users probably won't benefit from this. It's not targetting them.

I doubt the average person will have problems with ChromeOS. Not like they're gonna get a virus.

And saying that you'd have to pay out for a useful app is silly. We don't see that with Android nor do we see it with iOS. There are plenty of wonderful free apps. Do you have to pay for your apps on Windows just to get useful ones? Obviously not.

The problem with most Windows users is they're completely blind to the benefits that a company like apple/chrome has implemented.


edit:Oh and to anaswer your question. You can use image editing software just fine. Maybe not as advanced as photoshop, but, again the average user doesn't need photoshop and the average netbook isn't running photoshop (I'd bet the vast majority aren't since when someone wants to run photoshop they know how demanding it is.)

Also it plays media just fine. It has a media player lol

 

Come on guys, Look at his sig and understand his position.
It is only right to advertise after receiving a free sample.

 

Yup. I actually have first hand experience with the OS. I believed what you guys did and then I used it.

 

@Hungry Man

It's precious how you defend google. But your points are decent, the average user is stupid and will not have "too many" issues with a chromebook. But I just don't think this is a good time for google to try and introduce this into the market, tablets are the hot new thing now, or tablets that morph into netbooks (asus eee pad transformer, samsung slider<--can't remember exactly, etc.) Google is trying to cut themselves a slice of the action introducing their OS into the mix, but I don't think this is going to work out too well. People are just too used to windows, mac, and linux to bother switching.

For us techies, this is not useful. But it may appeal to the masses, IDK. I just don't like the idea of storing everything I do on the web, considering all the news of hackings of major corporations (ex.-collegeboard) etc.

 

The idea is to be familiar. Browsers are basically the one application that everyone has experience with. They all look very similar too.

How are we defining techie? Because I know plenty of people who think they're "techies" because they can follow online guides to tweak their firefox cache size or enable pipelining. I'd say I'm a techie (comp sci major studying for Sec+ and A+) and I find it plenty useful.