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Is the Chromebook the New Android Tablet? (computerworld.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report from Computerworld, where JR Raphael makes the case for why it's time to call the Chromebook the new Android tablet: What does a traditional Android tablet do that a convertible Chromebook doesn't? No matter how long you mull, it's tough to come up with much. Nowadays, a Chromebook runs the same apps from the same Google Play Store. It has an increasingly similar user interface, with a new touch-friendly and Android-reminiscent app launcher rolling out as we speak. It's likely to have an Android-like way of getting around the system before long, too, not to mention native integration of the Google Assistant (which is launching with the newly announced Pixelbook and then presumably spreading to other devices from there). But on top of all of that, a Chromebook offers meaningful advantages a traditional Android tablet simply can't match. It operates within the fast-booting, inherently secure, and free from manufacturer- or carrier-meddling Chrome OS environment. The operating system is updated every two to three weeks, directly by Google, for a minimum of five years. That's a sharp contrast to the software realities we see on Android -- and if you think the updates on Android phones are bad, let me tell you: The situation with Android tablets is worse.
In addition to the regular selection of Android apps, a Chromebook also gives you a desktop-caliber browser experience along with a laptop-level keyboard and capable trackpad. (And, as a side perk, that means you've got a built-in multi-mode stand for your tablet, too.) It's the best of both worlds, as I've put it before -- a whole new kind of platform-defying, all-purpose productivity and entertainment machine. And while it won't immediately lead to the outright extinction of traditional Android tablets, it certainly makes them seem like a watered-down and obsolete version of the same basic experience.
In addition to the regular selection of Android apps, a Chromebook also gives you a desktop-caliber browser experience along with a laptop-level keyboard and capable trackpad. (And, as a side perk, that means you've got a built-in multi-mode stand for your tablet, too.) It's the best of both worlds, as I've put it before -- a whole new kind of platform-defying, all-purpose productivity and entertainment machine. And while it won't immediately lead to the outright extinction of traditional Android tablets, it certainly makes them seem like a watered-down and obsolete version of the same basic experience.
It allows me to boot the fucking thing in offline mode without a god damned fucking internet connection is what it does.
It frees me from an integrated fucking google assistant.
It lets me decide when to update the fucking operating system.
It gives me a small form factor device I can throw into my backpack and still have space left.
Ideally it would give me the ability to wipe it and put Cyanogen or something like that on it.
Of course, google is ditching the useful Nexus end of stuff, trying to ensure I use an integrated mother fucking digital assistant I have no interest in, and ensuring their bullshit ads and analytics are even harder to get away from.
I don't want your cloud, your digital assistant, your ads, or any of that shit. I want a tablet which I control, weighs almost nothing, and isn't dependent on an internet connection to useful for some stuff.
All technology columnists are idiots, no exceptions.
>"What does a traditional Android tablet do that a convertible Chromebook doesn't?
Let's see how easy that is:
1) It is not as light as a tablet.
2) It is not as thin as a tablet.
3) It typically (but not always) costs more than a tablet.
4) It doesn't have an upside-down keyboard I have to worry about getting damaged, dirty, wet, etc.
5) It isn't typically available as small, like 10", which means even further weight savings, thinness, battery life, and portability.
And when the idea is portability, those matter a lot. Some of us want a tablet because we have no desire to use the tablet as a laptop. I have never, not even once, wanted to type on my tablet or use a trackpad with it. I use it to play games mostly, with some weather checking, music listening, watching video, and photo browsing.
Now, if it has a completely REMOVABLE keyboard and then was exactly as thin and light as a typical tablet, and available in several sizes/prices from 7" to 12", then yeah, it could replace a tablet for practically everyone. Until then, the concept of a "tablet" isn't moot.
You failed to demonstrate that they don't have a functional cloud based OS, or won't continue to have the same in the future.
Then let me elaborate. It's all about anticipated value.
The key variable here on each device is its web browser. Web browsers are critical for any schools dependent on Google Apps for Education. That Honeycomb tablet can't even run Chrome browser, and Ice Cream Sandwich only supported Chrome up through v.42, which lost its support around the end of 2016. All the websites teachers depend on daily would, bit-by-bit, lose their ability to function in these old browsers. At the time of purchase, did we know the software limitations of these devices? Absolutely not. There was nothing in any documentation telling us how long Android would remain current with these tablets, making it impossible to gauge an anticipated value at purchase.
With Chromebooks, Google clearly communicates to the world that the software on a Chromebook was guaranteed to stay updated for five years. Therefore, our anticipated lifespan of four years was only physically limited by the wear and tear our students would put on it. We could anticipate its value and budget accordingly. But with Android, half the devices we tried had OS's that would not have lasted us four years, without our knowing which of them would. That makes it impossible to plan a device's anticipated value, and our district already experienced devices that fail sooner than they should, and didn't want to go through that again. (That experience involved LearnPads, but that's a whole different story.)
And I didn't praise the Chromebook at all for its performance. That 303c was slow as molasses out of the box, and it only got worse with time. But its browser still works, making it still useful for its intended purpose. If you like using older Android tablets because it still serves its intended purpose for you, then good for you, you're getting good value out of it. I'm praising the Chromebook because it's delivering our district good value.