At $250, New Chromebook Means Competition For Tablets, Netbooks, Ultrabooks

Google's new ARM-powered Chromebook isn't a lot of things: it isn't a full-fledged laptop, it's not a tablet (doesn't even have a touch screen); and by design it's not very good as a stand-alone device. Eric Lai at ZDNet, though, thinks Chromebooks are (with the price drop that accompanies the newest version) a good fit for business customers, at least "for white-collar employees and other workers who rarely stray away from their corporate campus and its Wi-Fi network." Lai lists some interesting large-scale rollouts with Chromebooks, including 19,000 of them in a South Carolina school district. Schools probably especially like the control that ChromeOS means for the laptops they administer. For those who'd like to have a more conventional but still lightweight ARM laptop, I wonder how quickly the ARM variant of Ubuntu will land on the new version. (Looks like I'm not the only one to leap to that thought.)

Comments

To hell with Chrome OS

[thatkid_2002]

A real Linux distro is where it is at.
The big advantage over other ARM based netbook hacks is that this one has a driver accelerated X (since ChromeOS is just a Linux distro) and not just some Android graphics driver.
Too bad it looks like they won't be selling them in Australia.

Re:I don't get it

[The MAZZTer]

It's all about Chrome OS.

1. No need for anti-malware... it runs a super-locked down variant of Linux. OS partition is mounted read-only and hash checks are done on every boot so it would be much more difficult for malware to get a foothold.
2. Setup is fast and easy, with few more steps than Google Chrome's setup itself on other OSs. Even if you somehow break everything recovery is as easy as you would expect (get SD card/USB drive, run a Google tool on it, then boot the Chromebook from it to flash the system.
3. Updates are as seamless and as easy as the Chrome browser does them.
4. Everything is stored in the cloud so backups and data loss isn't a concern.
5. It's just a browser with a minimal OS shell around it, so things are speedy, so the hardware can be on the light side and save a few dollars without sacrificing as much performance as if you loaded Ubuntu or Windows on it (I can personally confirm for the Cr48 that Chrome OS is much speedier than Ubuntu 12.04).
6. Profile and settings sync means your settings, bookmarks, tabs, etc are synced between desktop, mobile (Chrome for Android), and laptop. If your Chromebook dies for some reason and you get a new one you will be quickly synced.

In short this is likely the ideal computer for someone who just uses their PC for the internet and a few things like word processing that they could be using the internet for. And it's great for someone who isn't technically inclined, no need for anti-malware and less opportunities for things to break and having to get a relative to fix it.

More improvements are coming in newer versions of Chrome/Chrome OS, including a set of APIs that allow for creating "native"-like applications that manage their own windows etc (still all HTML/JavaScript based of course).

Re:I don't get it

[fermion]

They are not netbooks, that is the difference. Increasingly we have a workforce that simply needs to connect to a database, do email. Firms are buying expensive computers, repairing them, reimaging them after virus attacks, basically paying for functionality that is not needed. A *nix machine can provide only needed functionality, but can be more expensive to implement.

With this machine you are looking at $300 per workstation, google apps included. For certain uses, you are talking about a a complete cubicle farm for what one could put on a credit card. And if a computer breaks, just swap it out.

I can see these used in call centers. I can see these use in certain school situations. I can see this for use in the home for small kids. I can't see a laptop matching this price point, at least not one that is going to last a few years.

Re:Why bother?

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought the same thing. "I have no use for this, in my life." Then someone pointed out where this fits: in the hands of every person that has ever asked me for tech support. This is perfect for the non geeks in my life. I'd love to never be asked to figure x a laptop again and this may just fit that mold.

Re:Yawn

[DrEldarion]

Yes, and that laptop will be heavier, more bulky, less secure, have much worse battery life, start up much slower, resume from sleep much slower, etc. etc.

Chromeboks are brilliant machines for people who value price, convenience, and security over versatility.

as long as you have a good network link

[Joe_Dragon]

as long as you have a good network link and you better hope it's cap free and don't even think of roaming as it can cost $10 or more pre MEG!!

Re:I don't get it

[ozmanjusri]

Vehicle analogy time:

You change from a car to a train. The infrastructure is different and less flexible, but while the vehicle doesn't let you go as many places, it's much more efficient, less prone to breakage and less stressful at getting you to your workplace day in, day out.