Is it just me, or is Google's Chromebook fighting yesterday's war? Chromebook for me doesn't make sense, not with Android. I'm sorry, the zdnet article is crap.
Chromebook is not a Windows Killer, and none of the five reasons cited would not compel the grandmother who lives next door or that man who doesn't care about the religious nature of Microsoft Office versus LibreOffice. Nor do I see a compelling reason for a business owner to make a switch.
Normal people just want things that work when they turn them on. And they don't want complicated.
> Normal people just want things that work when they turn them on. And they don't want complicated
Is that not the Chromebook's design? They have produced a product with curated hardware (QA tested and none of the sharp edges of Linux), an operating system that has a browser with one of the best UIs as the primary interface, and a pretty secure and automatically updating operating system that will help protect against malware. From the second he gets it, a user can turn it on and start using the Chromebook.
The only worry I see is not having standard apps like Microsoft Office and Google hopes that Docs will be able to replace that.
> The only worry I see is not having standard apps like Microsoft Office and Google hopes that Docs will be able to replace that.
This is the same worry I have. I'm not sure Google 'gets' how hooked into some of the more sophisticated features of Word, Excel, etc. many businesses are. I love Google Docs and default to it for anything that doesn't require a lot of sophistication. But it just doesn't even scratch the surface of what I need when I write complex documents. I could see new businesses who aren't entrenched in any of this stuff picking it up - it's certainly how I would start a business. But I can't see established businesses buying into it when the "bread and butter" software that they buy their computers for in the first place is so weak. Ironically, Google's best hope might be that its customers will use Microsoft's own online version of Office.
Nor do I see a compelling reason for a business owner to make a switch
How about paying a fraction of a normal PCs cost for hardware and OS that is automatically upgraded every three years. And not having to deal with Windows malware.
In many places, the business apps that people need access to are web-based or available via a virtual machine or Terminal Services. For these people, this is a no-brainer.
Yes, but there you are not talking of a Windows Killer, you are talking about a computer that is very good to some kinds of company with not so sophisticated apps that runs online.
Windows is a software that works well for almost all kinds of people and companies, not only for some kind of them.
Except that some users don't need Windows. There are a lot of people that just don't need a general purpose PC and the associated cost. That's the Windows killer. It isn't that a Chrome OS box is a Windows killer. It's the acknowledgement that not everyone needs Windows. Once that has been established, that is the Windows killer.
Also, normal people don´t want to pay more monthly expenses, especially for something that normally don´t have any monthly expenses. And beeing always updated is not somehing normal people cares a lot about
iPad and its ecosystem doesn’t offer a threat to the Open Web, it creates new ways for Content Creators like bloggers, and podcasters who can choose to offer their content for free. What iPad and its ecosystem does however is to create a threat against Search Engine Optimization, ergo: a threat to Google. Simply put, iPad content is a clear and present danger to Google indexing all the web’s and by extension, all of humanity’s content.
It's a major step backwards for information junkies like myself if more content gets locked into apps. Search and linking will be threatened. However I think it will regulate itself. If you can't find content, you won't consume it.
I disagree with the article's claim that "What's even better is that gone will the need to publish content that has to match ever browser on the planet." It's actually going to get worse. Content apps are like yet another browser to support. You can't operate under the assumption that most content consumers will have iPads.
I think apps are a fad to an extent and providers will tire of supporting multiple platforms that way.
on the desktop, i go for google reader. what i find on the iPod (i've yet to receive my iPad) is that i go for the app. like marketwatch or strait times. i find it more convenient. you on the other hand find it less convenient that way.
That's interesting to me.
i also find it interesting you think apps are a fad. I don't think it'll turn out that way--- quite obviously. i think market forces, meaning people making money off the apps can be enticing.
i don't think this will be limited to iPads--- Google Android apps could be another vector, but you make a good argument re: that it would be like another browser to support. imho they'll support it too as soon as more and more people use mobile to browse the internet. iPads, iPhones, Android phones, are awesome platforms to make this happen.
i share your distaste for social networking. i hardly check my facebook, just once every couple of weeks. there are just too many people blasting you some game or stuff like that. boring.
but w/twitter... it was different. after you get past certain barriers, it becomes a conversation.
some people use the sms function to blast all their friends "wanna meet for lunch". hey, if you only need to send once, right and pay once?
there are business leaders on twitter and some really smart people. think of twitter as a party that goes on 24/7. you get interesting conversation.
sometimes, some people come in and shouts out that they're on ustream, and hey a couple of people slip out to go to that room. while everyone else keeps the conversation going.
sometimes, you get the really breaking news. other times, you get good links to interesting stuff.
there are times, you just listen in on a conversation between two twitters and you learn stuff.
how do you keep up? you don't. you don't need to keep up. you can miss stuff and that's ok. i use growl on the mac to give me a heads up when someone twitters. that way, i don't have to actually be directly engaged. just think of it as background conversation in the office. And of course you can really turn it off.
Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune by Frank Herbert are my favorites. the sequels God Emperor, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse were good as well but I like the 1st three the most.
Dune was about how people shouldn't let supermen lead. it was complex. it was an ecological novel. they had quotable quotes like "thou shall not make a machine in the likeness of the human mind". people say it's the lord of the rings of science fiction. the characters are rich, the plot thick. i highly recommend Dune.
Dune is fantasy >_>
God Emperor of Dune was my favorite even though it was the most preachy. I thought the original Dune was a bit preachy being so strongly allegorical and all.
I prefer Herbert's other novels like Whipping Star/The Dosadi Experiment
I don't read a lot of fiction, but I've read this entire series through 4 or 5 times. It taught me a lot about politics, economics, and religion. Definitely changed me.
Chromebook is not a Windows Killer, and none of the five reasons cited would not compel the grandmother who lives next door or that man who doesn't care about the religious nature of Microsoft Office versus LibreOffice. Nor do I see a compelling reason for a business owner to make a switch.
Normal people just want things that work when they turn them on. And they don't want complicated.