Slashdot Mirror
Chromebooks Don't Suffer From Bad User Experiences Found on Windows and Mac Computers, Google Says (aboutchromebooks.com)
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.
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.
Manufacturer says their product is good and people should buy it
News at 11, bitches!!!
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.
Chromebooks suffer from lack of experience period. They are the most neutered of computers, you can't actually do anything with them.
Not having enough local storage to save your work locally all the time, and having to rely on "someone else's computer" to store your personal data. I'd say that qualifies as "bad UX."
I don't know what the current state of ChromeOS is, but there have been a handful of things that have made it unappealing for me.
1) The focus on web apps. I tend to want local native apps. They provide a more consistent UI when they take cues from the OS GUI instead of just being "whatever the web developer thought looked cool." Also, I don't want to figure out what I have to do to get my word processor to work when I'm in airplane mode.
2) The focus on web storage. I want my computer to generally work offline without needing to plan ahead. I generally don't want to have to think, "Oh, I'm gong offline soon, so I should make sure to sync the files I need to my local storage." I just want all my stuff to be there when I need it.
3) Being tied to Google. I have a Google account, but I don't particularly like the idea that I need a Google account just to use my computer. Thought admittedly, Apple and Microsoft have been moving in the same direction, being more aggressive to push you to use iCloud and Microsoft/Azure accounts. Still, I don't like it.
Why can't someone just make a good, reliable, modern computer that works out of the box, without trying to force any personal assistants, online services, app stores, or VR nonsense on you?
All I saw in that video was a bunch of no longer applicable OS shit memes. The video provided no compelling marketing. I saw nothing of interest. What was presented looked like a social media consuming toy version of a computer. I am on a Windows 10 machine with an ancient FX 8350 and 16 gigs or ram. I wait for nothing except perhaps for compressing and decompressing multi gigabyte directory structures. I have Linux on an old i5 laptop and it is as fast as it can be. For android I have an S8+. For my serious computing needs I really do need 3 machines for my work, expect for the Android. Half the time my SIM card is in an old BlackBerry Classic because it suits all my mobile needs.
Why would I want this? That is what the video should have covered.
Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
Last I read, only a Chromebook in developer mode can sideload APKs, and in developer mode, the firmware prompts the user on each boot to press keys to disable developer mode (which wipes the drive). So you'll have to end up keeping your Chromebook under lock and key in order to keep someone else from turning it on, following the prompts, and losing all your data since last backup as well as the use of the machine until you can get all your stuff reinstalled. (I wrote about this elsewhere.)
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.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
To the tune of the Captain Planet theme song:
Slash Ver Tisement! It's appeared, oh.
Gonna take our users down to zero!
With ad dollars, maximized,
We'll once more try to sell this site.
Slash Ver Tisement! It's appeared, oh.
Gonna take our users down to zero!
Gonna make our users wonder
Why they still click after, every blunder!
You'll pay for this, Slash Ver Tisement!
We're the Slashdotqueers.
You can be one too!
'Cause trolling on this site is the thing to do.
Leaving and ignoring is not the way,
Hear what Slash Ver Tisement has to say:
"THIS SITE IS FUCKING DEAD!"
Android = Google = ads = tracking
Chrome = Google = ads = tracking
ChromeOS = Google = ads = tracking
Chromebook = Google = ads = tracking
Windows 10 = tracking
The only sane choices left are macOS, Linux and BSD. And since Apple have gone completely insane on the hardware Mac side of things, that leaves Linux and BSD. And we're heard for years that BSD is dying, so that leaves systemD... I mean Linux as the only possible choice.
#DeleteFacebook
I'm writing this on a Google i5 Pixel Chromebook.
The god-damn bluetooth keeps turning off. If I put it to sleep, there's a 50-50 chance than the bluetooth just turns off and a reboot is needed to get it working again.
Google do not have a fix. Lots of people have the same problem.
This is a crappy user experience.
And this thing was damn expensive as well.
"The best part? I became an ordained minister while not wearing pants." -- CleverNickName
And an iPad is way more functional than a Chromebook.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Yes, by choice. Big difference.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
It is advertorial but it's also true. In my tiny, anecdotal experience:
Helping friends and family with keeping their Windows systems functional was horrible and occurred too frequently for everyone concerned. Non technical users have true difficulty in describing the very real problems they do definitely encounter in using traditional desktop operating systems. Sometimes the OS or applications update and new problems arise; sometimes the users explore and try stuff and encounter bugs or deeply a unhelpful UI that leaves them unable to undo changes. It's really hard to diagnose this stuff, or often even to have it demonstrated to you. I did try encouraging people to try Linux based systems (I did the installs as am not a total sadist) and, of course, the Windows issues are negated but other stuff crops up which seems just as bewildering for the user. The fact that it is much easier to fix or explain for me is totally beside the point to them.
Chromebooks have pretty much killed off these socially awkward situations. Occasionally I'm asked about a seemingly insurmountable problem and I can say clever stuff like "it's down to Chrome caching everything, even your typos when trying to log in places, just power it right down and restart." This works a mere 99% of the time. The remaining 1% is when the poor user imagines they can set up their fully functional USB printer or scanner. Hahahahahahahaha. Easy answer though: "Buy a new one that is certified to work with Chromebooks so Google can parse all your printed matter".
I don't use a Chromebook, but I definitely encourage their use by any person who I would otherwise expect to seek PC help via family/friend networks.
The customers who place the ads think consumers having to look at their ads is a good experience.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"