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The Fixes That Google Chrome OS Still Needs To Make

Posted by timothy on from the ok-but-where's-the-windows-menu dept.

CowboyRobot writes "Thomas Claburn at Information Week opines that Google's Chrome OS is actually morphing into the Windows-style os that it intended to make obsolete. There's still room to grow, and here are his suggestions for how to make it better: Get better hardware, Include a Web-based IDE, Support local storage, Allow offline apps. 'When Chrome OS was launched in 2010, Google SVP of Chrome and apps Sundar Pichai declared, "Chrome OS is nothing but the Web." Now, if you peer behind the browser pane, it's clear that Chrome OS is looking beyond the Web. It's not a complete repudiation of Google's bet on the appeal of a thin-client system that keeps user data in the cloud. But it is a concession to the realities of a market that's more comfortable with the familiar desktop metaphor.'"

4 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. No big surprises in the article. by DuckDodgers · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think his laundry list of recommended changes is obvious to anyone that's been paying attention.

    1. Better hardware. No kidding - right now Chrome OS is aimed at schools and businesses, which if they need a locked down browser environment should be okay with what they have now. But if they want consumer adaptation, offer at least the option of better hardware. I'll buy a Chomebook when I can get Sandy Bridge or a Tegra 4 (yes, I meant 4) processor and a graphics chip that supports at least one external monitor and really good WebGL.

    2. Web-based IDE. Again, I think this would spur power user adoption of Chrome OS, though I consider this the least essential of the features.

    3. Support local storage. No kidding. It will be a while before HTML5 storage is available at all the websites people routinely use.

    4. Offline apps. No kidding yet again. I don't want my device to be useless for my family every time our internet connection has a hiccup.

    1. Re:No big surprises in the article. by mcgrew · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't like the "thin client" at all. "Thin clients" used to be called "terminals". We moved away from terminals to PCs for very good reasons, such as if the network or server goes down you can still get work done. You're not beholden to the server's rules.

      Lots of IT people like thin clients because it means job security and control of users.

      I'll stick with Linux and my own network. The internet and networks in general are for sharing data, nothing more.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    2. Re:No big surprises in the article. by Altanar · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The internet and networks in general are for sharing data, nothing more.

      Funny. Sharing data is 99% of my computer use. Without the Internet, I might as well not own a computer.

  2. ipad killed the chromebook by alen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    i was a CR-48 beta tester and never figured out the point of it. they look like laptops but the OS is gimped. yet cost the same as a netbook. what is the point of buying one?

    the ipad does more which is why apple is selling every one they make