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Chromebooks Don't Suffer From Bad User Experiences Found on Windows and Mac Computers, Google Says (aboutchromebooks.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

Kevin C. Tofel, writing for About Chromebooks: Having worked for a Google Chrome Marketing team over an 18 month period, I never saw a project that aggressively goes after Windows and Mac computers like the one that was published today [Editor's note: the video is unlisted, but accessible]. [...] As someone who has used (and often still does use) other platforms, I can't really disagree with the point of this video. For too long, computer users have had to deal with cryptic errors, updates that can take hours to install and the dreaded blue screen of death / spinning beach ball.

Granted, some of my personal experience with those issues was when I was in corporate IT for 15 years; that career ended for me (by choice) back in 2007. And clearly, all desktop / laptop platforms have improved since then. Even so, Google is highlighting the modern approach of Chromebooks with this short video and that's an important point.

9 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. News for nerds? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Manufacturer says their product is good and people should buy it

    News at 11, bitches!!!

    1. Re:News for nerds? by lgw · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Meanwhile, the geniuses at Microsoft are planning to move Windows to a rental model.

      I don't think that's how it's going to work out, long term, at least in the consumer space. I expect Windows will eventually be free, or nearly so, while Office and other MS cloud offerings are monetized as a subscription. Heck, isn't Office free on mobile, since people aren't used to paying for mobile apps?

      MS has realized the end is coming for their traditional consumer revenue model. As everyone moves to mobile, Office is the only footprint MS really has. They really want to make money for cloud services for mobile users - which will of course be subscription-based. Good luck with that - it's a crowded space.

      Of course, their enterprise products have always been subscription based, as the real money was in the support contracts.

      --
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    2. Re:News for nerds? by postbigbang · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So tell me you're good with the typical 32-64GB of storage. Tell me you're ok with 1080p. Tell me you're good with speakers that sound like tin cans. Tell me you're into all that peripheral device attachment option pack. Tell me you're good with dual OS.

      Why not simply buy an inexpensive 8MB/500GB laptop with actual LInux on it? I write this on a Lenovo running Debian underneath, Cinnamon on top. It's not the world best, but it's durable, has reasonable speakers, a few extra jacks, and yeah, 500GB instead of 32.

      It's a terminal. Simply a terminal. Cool terminal. Terminal.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    3. Re:News for nerds? by tsa · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Let's hope it ends before one of my computers breaks down so I don't have to choose between crappy overpriced secondhand or crappy overpriced new Apple stuff. Apple managed to lose a lot of their appeal very fast.

      --

      -- Cheers!

  2. No privacy worries as well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    With everything stored with a third party provider, I have no need to worry if my data is protected from prying eyes, as it is as protected as Google wants it to be.

    No thanks... keep your Chromebooks. A netbook with Tails or even Ubuntu is a lot better on the low end.

  3. True by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Chromebooks suffer from lack of experience period. They are the most neutered of computers, you can't actually do anything with them.

  4. Re:Different bad user experience... by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Virtually all Chromebooks have an SD card slot. They all have USB. And while the cheapest come with only a little bit of storage built in, "not having enough local storage" is rare in the mid range and high end Chromebooks. So I don't feel like your criticism is entirely fair.

    You are definitely encouraged to upload your data, and many applications don't even support local data (because they're websites!) But even that'll change as Crostini matures and becomes mainstream.

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  5. Chromebooks are for inexperienced users by goombah99 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Since virtually everything you can do is something you can do in a browser the comparison point ought to be to firefox not an actual operating systems.

    CHeomebooks barely have a user experience. Their abilities are so lightweight it's not asking much that it do it well.

    Oh sure you could run them unlocked. I've done it. And I have to say the user experience is insanely painful when you switch it to "debug" mode to allow you to install anything other than the blessed browser based apps. I can tell you that the first time you forget to hold control-D down during any reboot and it wipes the disk, it's a probably the worst possible user experience you could imagine.

    Try installing something. Anything from a package manager.... oh wait you can't. You get what they have and it's browser style apps. you can't use any of the other ports.

    it's locked down.

    So it's the perfect device for 75% of the people out there who are better off being prevented from doing stupid shit than being offered versatility. I might be underestimating that market. It's the toaster of of computers. Even android phones can do more. it's like a firestick with a keyboard.

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