Is Chrome OS Threatening Windows? (arstechnica.com)

Ars Technica sees new $600 "premium Chromebooks" Dell, Samsung, HP, and Lenovo as a growing challenge to Windows, proving that Chrome OS is reaching beyond the education market. These $600 machines aren't aimed at those same students. Lenovo reps told us that its new Chromebook was developed because the company was seeing demand for Chromebooks from users with a bit more disposable income. For example, new college students that had used Chrome OS at high school and families who wanted the robustness Chrome OS offers are looking for machines that are more attractive, use better materials, and are a bit faster and more powerful. The $600 machines fit that role.

And that's why Microsoft should be concerned. This demand shows a few things. Perhaps most significantly of all, it shows that Chrome OS's mix of Web applications, possibly extended with Android applications, is good enough for a growing slice of home and education users. Windows still has the application advantage overall, but the relevance of these applications is diminishing as Web applications continue to improve... Second, this demand makes clear that exposure to Chrome OS in school is creating sustained interest in, and even commitment to, the platform. High school students are wanting to retain that familiar environment as they move on. The ecosystem they're a part of isn't the Windows ecosystem. Finally, it also shows that Chrome OS's relatively clean-slate approach (sure, it's Linux underneath, but it's not really being pushed as a way of running traditional Linux software) has advantages that are appealing even to home users. The locked down, highly secure Chrome OS machines require negligible maintenance while being largely immune to most extant malware.

Comments

Microsoft seen this threat before

[xack]

Back in the 90s when Netscape was launched there was the talk that the browser could replace the OS. That's what caused Microsoft to push Internet Explorer so hard, to stop Netscape replacing their Windows Monopoly. Imagine an alternate future where we have NetscapeOS and Netscapebooks. I expect Microsoft to eventually crack down hard on Chromebooks, just like they stopped Linux netbooks by licensing Windows XP cheaply to OEMS on netbooks.

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[jon3k]

just like they stopped Linux netbooks by licensing Windows XP cheaply to OEMS on netbooks.

That's not what stopped Linux-based netbooks, otherwise we'd still have Windows based netbooks. Tablets and smartphones killed the netbook.

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[Build6]

The ecosystem is rather different now, though. One wonders how much power MS can wield against Chromebooks. They've been helpless to stop Android or iOS (now markets that completely dwarf their old Windows monopoly). About the only thing I can think of where they could sabotage the rise of things like Chromebooks would be their still-extant stranglehold over Office file formats, but that's definitely less important than it used to be.

If Chromebooks really do take over, even MacOS will have to get worried. Anyone has access to the Google campus? What's the ratio of MacBooks vs. Pixelbooks now?

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[Alumoi]

Suure, we'll all live in the cloud. Because, fuck privacy and the internet is always available, right?

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[MightyYar]

You don't have a Chromebook. I can tell because you think it only works when the internet is active. That's true if you want to collaborate (duh), and it's true if you want to play on YouTube - but the office applications work with local storage. It's not my cup of tea, but these things are wonderful if you have kids - under $200, super easy to disassemble and fix (there's nothing in them), very good battery life, and nearly impossible to bugger up the OS.

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[ITRambo]

MS has been trying to fend off Chromebooks in US schools for many years. They failed. Windows RT and 10 S were and are much more work to administer, and cost more in the long run for that reason. School IT departments love the ease of setup of Chromebooks. If a kid breaks his Chromebook, you just login to another one and all your stuff appears. School kids are growing up to become consumers that likely will prefer what they're used to using. That's what the Ars article is about. The future of home laptop computing is not Windows, except for people that have to run Windows specific programs and can't do what they want online, or with an Android app. Quicken comes to mind. Even tax programs are now available online.

Re: Microsoft seen this threat before

[that this is not und]

The ASR-33 I used in High School would have been affordable, but a hassle to keep running, 15 years ago. The HP minicomputer on the MERITS timesharing network would have been more of a challenge but probably attainable. Getting a good fresh source of enough yellow punched tape to save my programs and data onto would probably be the deal breaker.

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[fluffernutter]

I can understand using it in a school, because all the basics are there. But your company must not have very heavy requirements for spreadsheets. Recently I had an occasion to take hundreds of files from hundreds of servers and transition them into a hundreds of columns spreadsheet. The thought of doing something like that with Google Docs (aside from the fact that it was all confidential data) makes my head hurt.

Re: Microsoft seen this threat before

[kenh]

Microsoft will try to kill it; offer incentives, eg: reduced/zero app store fee if they don't sell the Chromebook port.

With 95% desktop market share, MS isn't going to lose much sleep over $600 chromebooks - the threat isn't real, people who like chromebooks rely on Corp/school district IT departments to make the chrome os environment as useable as say a windows notebook - remove IT Department support and Chrome OS is less attractive to the average user than a Linux notebook/netbook, and at $600 you can get a very capable windows laptop from any major manufacturer (except Apple, which really starts at $1K).

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[Solandri]

No, OP is right. Netbooks were already on the way out by 2010, when tablets began showing up.

Netbooks leveraged two things. The cost of low-end laptop components had gotten so low that the most expensive items in the bill of materials was the CPU and the Windows license. The original Asus EEE PC 700 (2007) used a little-known Celeron M processor and Linux to minimize these two major cost items. When netbook sales began taking off, Intel and Microsoft moved to protect their duopoly. Intel kicked off the Atom processor line. Microsoft released special lower-cost versions of Windows for these low-end devices. And by 2008 netbooks were based on Atom and Windows.

I've been helping people buy laptops since since the 1990s Through the 1990s, the price for the low-end laptop market dropped steadily from about $1500 to about $700. Then it got stuck at the $500-$700 range for over a decade. Netbooks were the first laptop-like device to crack that price barrier ($300-$400 MSRP). It wasn't until last year, a decade after the first netbooks, that prices for low-end laptops finally moved below $500 MSRP. I'd say $400 is the new floor now.

There's some force at play here trying to keep the prices for low-end laptop above $400-$500. The Chromebooks I'm seeing are mostly priced at $100-$200, which is about where I'd expect low-end laptop prices to be today if they hadn't stalled at $500 in the late 2000s. The most likely candidates remain Intel (Atom processors are in the $30-$60 range, while ARM SoCs are as low as $5 for roughly the same number of transistors) and Microsoft (OEM Windows licenses are about $50-$70, though it's rumored that some larger brands are able to get volume licenses as low as $20). Add just those two up and you're already at the full price of a low-end Chromebook. Those two companies have the most to lose if people get used to the idea that a portable computer should only cost $100-$200.

Re: Microsoft seen this threat before

[CaptainDork]

Agreed.

I'm 72 years old and saw Windows 3.0 (running in DOS) refresh the screen every time a user would step into another directory in File Manager.

I uninstalled that crapware and did not allow it to run the business.

Then, Windows 3.1 came out and fixed that and we were off and running.

I'm retired now and my impression is that Microsoft is damned well tired of Windows.

I think they want to get that albatross detached from the business model.

Windows 10 is very high maintenance for them and Office is, as well.

Both are long in the tooth and have reached the point of diminishing returns and competitors as in, Open Office, LibreOffice, Android, Chrome OS, and Apple are on the upswing with interesting innovations.

Re: Microsoft seen this threat before

[Wycliffe]

What surprises me is that this hasn't significantly affected cellphone prices. With laptops cheaper than cellphones you would think that would put downward pressure on cellphone prices and people would think twice before spending $500+ on a phone.

Re: Microsoft seen this threat before

[slack_justyb]

Mostly it would be about getting a full JVM

Minecraft usually packs in a JVM. Since Jigsaw in Java 9 it's a lot easier to drop the pieces of the JVM that you don't need and then package a trimmer JVM into your executable. You just need a binary shim that loads the minimal JVM and then that JVM loads your program. So pretty much, if you are after a specific target, you don't need to get a full JVM implemented any more. That said, for the Chromebooks that support it, there's an Android Minecraft that can already be ran on Chromebooks with that whole Android on Chromebook thing that Google started a few years back.

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[Billly Gates]

I think you mistyped NetworkComputers :-) ... the sun/netscape strategy to put JavaOS terminals everwhere.

The reason IE won was because it was a better browser if you can believe it. My opinion is not popular today on slashdot in 2018 but ask any old senior web developer? IE had less rendering bugs (if you can believe this too!!), CSS support, dynamic HTML aka Ajax, more stable, faster, and used less memory.

Without IE gmail would not be. To have web apps required ajax and or dynamic html which IE had.

Netscape grew too quickly and was frantic adding features rather than fixing bugs. NEtscape 5 and 6 were so bad that they were ignored for ancient Netscape 4.7.2. IE 5.5 and 6 were horrible too but sucked less.

Regardless times are different today. Chrome is no Netscape or IE and sets the standards ... properly! It is THEE browser of this decade no doubt as nothing can beat webkit and Google is moving with rapid acceleration to keep it from dying. MS can't keep up with Edge.

If MS were retarded enough to set standards the only people who would use it are dumb corporations. I bet most web developers learned their lessons after IE 6 not to base their manhours on one version of an ancient browser these days. There is nothing MS can do as even their ancient proprietary apps can be hosted on Citrix these days if they get too crazy.

Re: Microsoft seen this threat before

[Tough Love]

How is Linux with battery capacity now?

It's good. Obviously, Linux is getting good battery life on your phone. Intel hired a bunch of Linux kernel devs and got power management working fine on their desktop and laptop processors. Chromebook I can't vouch for... oddly enough, Google is most unhelpful about providing tech specs for hardware drivers. You need to check forums to see which Chromebooks are fully supported including power management and GPU.

Re:Microsoft seen this threat before

[Shirley Marquez]

Microsoft is already giving away Windows for free or very cheaply on low-end computers, so the cost of it isn't an issue there. Chromebooks are winning in education despite the fact that they have little or no advantage in purchase price over a low end Windows laptop. They do have advantages in administration cost, and that's a big force that is driving sales.

There are multiple tiers of entry level devices; the highest level for notebook computers as of 2017 called for a "low-end CPU" (term not defined, but probably applies to anything less powerful than an i3), 4GB or less RAM, a screen size of 14.1" or less, and eMMC storage of 32GB or less. (Reference: https://www.cnx-software.com/2... ) Those requirements have ratcheted up a few times since Microsoft first started offering discounted Windows; it was 2GB RAM, 16GB eMMC, and 10.1" display at one time. All of the cheap Chromebooks sold to the education market qualify, as do Chromesticks and Chromeboxes.

That 32GB limit is REALLY limiting for Windows. Owners quickly discover that if they store more than about 5GB of their own stuff, the system no longer has enough free space to install new builds of Windows. (There are workarounds involving flash drives.) New builds come along about every six months so that's no small thing; Microsoft will probably have to raise the limit to 64GB, like their own low-end device (the Surface Go) has.

This new class of premium Chromebooks lies outside the parameters for cheap Windows licenses so the cost of Windows is a factor there. Many of them have mid-range CPUs and Microsoft will be forced to respond by allowing a larger range of systems to get cheap licenses for Windows, more than just allowing more storage. 8GB RAM, real SSDs with 128GB or more storage, and i5 processors are common for that class of system; some companies are even offering an option for an i7. So far they all use low power (U series) or very low power (Y series) processors; I don't think we'll be seeing a Chromebook with an H series process or its equivalent from AMD any time soon.

I suspect that the end point will come within five years (and that's a conservative guess): Microsoft will make ALL licenses for Windows Home free of charge. You will only pay for the Windows Professional and Enterprise features: domain logon, disk encryption, remote console capability, etc. They may also continue to charge for licenses for the very high end hardware that requires the Workstation edition: multiple CPUs, RAM above 256GB, etc.

2019: the year of the linux desktop

[It's the tripnaut!]

Behold, our time has come!

The Microsoft Ecosystem Is A Dead End

[StevenSheeves]

Hard to believe anyone can be surprised by this news.

I am the 'computer guy' to a large number of friends, family members, and neighbors. Over the past few years every single person I've helped with their computer problems has used their Microsoft computer for nothing more than email, webbrowsing, pictures, and movies. They used their computers less and less each year with more and more of the tasks listed above on their cellphones.

Long gone are the days when almost every person needed to have Internet Explorer to do any sort of online banking. Any consumer company in 2018 is making sure that their services and content is a first class experience on Android and iOS.

Exacerbating many of the people I help is that not only do they have no use of Windows apps their Windows systems get trashed by viruses or spyware or other random problems while their cellphones just work.

All of these people would be better served by a Chromebook or something similar but almost none of them are aware of what they are. The demand would be even greater if these people understood that all of the problems they constantly are coming to me with are exactly what the Chromebook was designed to solve.

Re: Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[Anonymous Coward]

Google docs

Yes.

[Qbertino]

Windows: Pay to get observed.
Chrome OS: Get observed but get something for it. For free.

Disclaimer: I'm typing this on a Chromebook. That is basically unheard of here in Europe, especially in Germany. I wanted to test having big brother observe me all time every time at all I do to the fullest extent and see what the trade-in for that is. Since I exclusively do web development and have all my everyday stuff in the web and mostly with Google anyway the benefit is palpable. Linux is a close second, but mostly because the disto landscape is a mess and you can't get a neat ARM laptop for 450 Euros that runs 10 hours on one charge and boots in less than 10 seconds and has everything pre-installed. Everything meaning also my entire setup and history with Google. (I'm using an Acer R13 Chrombook, it has replaced my 2011 MB Air).

It's not all disadvantages that Google watches over you is my point. Right now the Google ecosystem is what I recommend to anyone who knows nothing about computers and has little or no budget. My other Chromebook costed 120 Euros and the new 11" ones from Dell come 199 Euros a pop. New and without firesale.

Add in that a n00b using big brother doesn't have to think for a second how he will get his pictures from his phone on to his laptop or the printer and wether his stuff is lost if his notebook shatters and you easyly understand why we all happyliy carry our high-end televisor around with us and even love it.

Google is your friend.
Google watches over you.
Everybody loves Google.
Trust Google.

Googles model is that of the future and MS and others are going to have long-term problems competing with that unless they somehow manage to establish a solid "Cloud brand" with their presence. Which I don't really see happing. Windows only still has some traction because office people do wee-wee in their panties if they don't get their outlook, and MS office. Other than that Google owns, by convenience and by price, many times over.

That's my impression anyway. Many an expert in my field that I know are actually using Chromebooks and enjoy the enablement that comes with going all-out cloud, surveillance be damned.

So, yes, Chrome OS is a threat to Windows. And a big one.

My 2 eurocents.

Re:Yes.

[DogDude]

A. Microsoft and Google don't track you in the same way. Not even close. Google literally archives and analyzes your emails and documents. Microsoft keeps track of how you're using Windows, not the contents.

B. Windows is used for a lot of things other than Office and Outlook.

B1. There's no good replacement for Outlook.

If all you're doing is Face/Gram/Tweeting, and you don't care about some Global MegaCorp reading everything you do online, then yes, just stay with a Chromebook.

Re:Yes.

[kzwork]

Microsoft keeps track of how you're using Windows, not the contents.

How do you know that?!

B1. There's no good replacement for Outlook.

Yes, Outlook via Citrix works even on Chromebooks, cellphones and tablets (probably on smart watches too).

Re:Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[RossCWilliams]

I am a windows user and haven't used Office in years. I use OpenOffice or Google Docs when I need a word processor or spreadsheet or powerpoint. That said, in an office environment there are a lot of specific applications like accounting programs that are only available for windows and most offices only want to support a single operating system. So even if young people like Chrome when they head off to college, it is going to be a long time before they find it on their desktop at work.

Sun got so many things right

[Build6]

"The Network Is The Computer"

everything old is new again

Cloud, network computing, "dumb" terminals... it's like how there's a push towards game streaming as well. If the network bandwidth and latency gets good enough, you don't actually need to have a GTX1080 class GPU in your machine... computing history just seems to oscillate between local computing power vs. "do it on the mainframe and use a terminal"

Re: Sun got so many things right

[that this is not und]

The required bandwidth wasn't there back then.

What it offers consumers is a maintenance free platform that invisibly updates.

Re:Sun got so many things right

[dissy]

Except those dumb terminals were just that, dumb terminals. They wouldn't work at all if the network wasn't available.

We're talking about Chromebooks here though.

Obviously a Chromebook can't load a webpage or access my google drive if it's offline, but it's identical to how Windows can't access a webpage or OneDrive if it's offline.

You can only run local applications and use local storage while not on the Internet.

It's not the same thing as a dumb terminal at all.

$600 Chromebook $500 android/iPad/Surface Tablet

[bobstreo]

but the $600 Chromebook $300 laptop (even one running windows) in terms of functionality, storage, available applications... The $300 laptop may be a bit thicker.

Now if you toss linux on the $300 laptop, it gets much better...

Re:Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[info6568]

I think, if you ever used a Chromebook, that you are not playing with LInux native applications in Developer Mode.

Taking into consideration that it is Beta software and that some features (as sound) are not ready, they work very well. I have a Samsung Chromebook Plus machine and I see no difference between a full Linux machine and this Chromebook running the software. But some people will complain, that these programs are just Linux and not ChromeOS native applications as the Windows ones.

The main difference now is that the Web browser, in particular Chrome, grew to be an extremely powerful Graphical User Interface by itself, even capable of running games. What a Web Browser lacks, because never was the intention to have it, is heavy processing layers of functionality ... the Web Browser depend on servers to do the heavy things ... but, just a minute.

Linux it is wonderful running background functionality. Through all the Internet and in many of our appliances we have Linux based server software without a GUI doing very good work. And ... why not to mix them in the same machine? The heavy things running in the new LInux compartments and the Graphical stuff in the Browser? ... then, the Chromebook it is not a toy, it is really a better machine concept than a standard notebook where everything it is mixed producing all sort of troubles. It is a type of machine designed for the current state of affairs in computing and, in particular, security.

Whatever happens with ChromeOS and Windows, I think that the 1980s model to do things arrived to an end. It is not just practical. And when you see Microsoft investing so much in Azure, including Linux, you realize that they also noticed that.

I side note: They already run Android stuff in the Chromebook ... why to add the Linux part? The problem is that Android it is very limited compared with the full Linux functionality. Also, they are working the Fussia OS core .. what could they be thinking for the future? ... I don't think that Android be the answer for all the questions.

Re: Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[chill]

No, that isn't correct. Many of the applications you describe are now server based with web interfaces, if not out right cloud based with web interfaces.

For the one or two legacy apps that aren't, they are accessed thru RDP or Citrix.

In my office of 200, with 160 of those not in IT, we're finishing a transition to Chromebook or iPad for everyone. The pulpit were very well and this is much easier to support.

Keep in mind

[dnaumov]

This is mostly a US phenomena. Outside of US, most education institutions donâ(TM)t even know what a Chromebook is. In my country, I am yet to see my first Chromebook outside of ads, in an actual real environment.

Re:$600 Chromebook $500 android/iPad/Surface Table

[blind biker]

Did you account for the fact that the Windows laptop comes with Windows 10, so it will reboot when bubba Microsoft says so, and it will upgrade, install or deinstall what bubba Microsoft says it will? That's my number one problem with Windows 10, and the main reason I avoid it as a plague.

Something worse than ChromeOS

[Ol Olsoc]

Want to know what Microsoft might be really concerned about? This is half on Topic since it's about what Microsoft should be worried about.

My wife bought me a new inexpensive small form factor laptop for my use at breakfast and places I don't want to take my good laptop.

A cute little thing, and surprisingly zippy. It had a 32 GByte SSD which helped with that zip.

Then a Windows update came along. Oopsies - it failed. Not enough drive space.

Okay, I attached a terabyte drive to download the update. It downloaded, then again - Not enough drive space on the laptop. That's weird, the only thing I installed was FireFox, something like 350 MByte.

Oh hell. So I started deleting things I don't need. Then things I thought would probably be reinstalled with the update.

Couldn't get below needing another GByte of space on the laptop. So I reset it and took it back.

Looking around for another small form factor lappy, it seemed they almost all had those 32 GByte SSD's in them. And many of the display ones had the same "not enough space" for the update Windows.

So congratulations Microsoft - you have taken us down the road we were on with "Vista Ready" Laptops.

A generation of worthless lappys.

In Exchange for your Privacy

[sycodon]

Well, they stand to make a fortune in advertising by tracking your every purchase, retail visit, and waking moment and selling the info.

So it's subsidized by your private information.

Re:Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[tepples]

I think, if you ever used a Chromebook, that you are not playing with LInux native applications in Developer Mode.

For some, this is because developer mode is too easy to accidentally powerwash unless you're willing to risk voiding what's left of your hardware warranty by turning the firmware write-protect screw. They're waiting for the majority of Chromebooks in use to support Crostini, a container to run GNU/Linux native applications within verified Chrome OS.

And ... why not to mix them in the same machine? The heavy things running in the new LInux compartments and the Graphical stuff in the Browser?

Because many Chromebooks still in use have a kernel older than Linux 3.15. Crostini's container technology reportedly requires a kernel-level containment feature that wasn't rolled out to all file systems until then.

Re: Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[that this is not und]

You had to prepend 'shitty' a few times there, out of fear. Don't let your fear cloud your judgement.

Re: Year of the linux desktop all over again

[that this is not und]

I know what my wife uses her laptop for. 95% of it she could do on a Chromebook. The killer right now would be Java Minecraft. Microsoft owns Mojang, though, and I suspect there will never be a Minrcraft port to the Chromebook. That's specifically a good reason for Microsoft taking over Mojang.

No one likes windows - they tolerate it

[GeXX]

No one likes windows or trust microsoft, they tolerate it and use it because it's what the habit is, but overall, windows sucks, and is the old man that just won't die. Microsoft knows this, google knows this, and apple knows this. That's why microsoft is doubling down on subscriptions for every stupid thing, keep the money coming in as long as they can, and developing for other platforms, it may take another decade, but windows is on the way out for the home user, and the corporate world after that.

Want to go see why, head to a store, and you will find at least 1 windows computer with some warning about anti-virus, firewall, or some upsell, back in the day when computers were just for techs that was fine, but now they need to be a appliance, who would buy a car that came with a big warning sign on it.

Go to amazon read the chromebook reviews, then read the windows reviews.. It goes something like this, chromebook- turned it on and went to work.. Windows goes like this, after I got it, I spent a hour uninstalling a bunch of crap, then had to free up some space since someone thought 32gb was enough for it, after that, bought office, then a anti-virus, and after about 3 hours and 200 bucks more, ready to use the machine, just to find out it isn't fast, and runs facebook games slow, but hey it's better than chrome somehow?

Look at windows 10, every update breaks something, the UI is a mix of new stuff and stuff from windows 3.1. hell there are 2 control panels, and a people app that is totally useless for the most part.

Office 365 is heavy, onedrive sucks, does foreground syncs of files coming from onedrive, which takes 20-40 seconds on even the best hardware and internet, messes up excel files 25% of the time, sharepoint is down almost every day, and for some reason in the day of more data, they are the only one that for some reason reduces the amount of space people can get.

Oh then they go through and do a microsoft sam assessment every 2 years which isn't a audit, its more of a shake down to make sure that everything is purchased which is fine I guess, but when one is spending 40-50k a year like my company does with them, then get audited like dude.. F off, it really pushes me to go with alternatives which I already have, I am tired of having to pay for a product 2-3x (licencing plus cals, plus other hidden charges)

Microsoft is the only tech company that I've ever seen start off with some amazing products, were the first with most, but because they love to add 1000 features without polishing any of them, end up losing. For some reason they seem to think that having tons of features is more important than the user experience. I loved the spot watch, used one of their first mobile phones, they lost both markets, I saw the surface table at ces which I thought was amazing, then they come out with some small tablet, with the cheapest ssd they could buy (I had the highest of the surface book pro's and the ssd sucks) and then the cloth that they put on on the surface pro, that looks nice but ends up being dirty as poop, make a great ergonomic keyboard that is bluetooth only so if one is not in the os, then i need to plug in another keyboard just to get past the push f1 to boot.

Windows is like taking a 18 wheeler to 7-11 for milk, chromeos is like taking a car with a automatic transmission.. People just want to get on do their thing, turn it off and go, not mess with updates and a bunch of other crap for 2 hours.

Chromeos is the future, and now with linux support and having all the kids coming out of school into the workforce trained on it, will ensure that each and every chromebook is a threat to microsoft, there will be fringe cases, maybe 10% of people still holding onto one, but even now, I read somewhere that if one took all the smartphones, tablets and any other devices that connect to the internet in consideration windows is around 13% of the market. It just works..

Re:No one likes windows - they tolerate it

[sgage]

"Windows is like taking a 18 wheeler to 7-11 for milk, "

This is why I switched to Linux many years ago. Windows is just too much, layers and layers of too much. It has just grown too complex.

That said, no Chromebooks for me - I'll just use Linux, with my local apps, and my local storage. The kids don't seem to care about privacy anymore, and that's their business. I just don't want my stuff on someone else's computer. You know it is going to be compromised sooner or later, even with the best of intentions. Which I don't ascribe to Google, in any case.

Re:No one likes windows - they tolerate it

[GeXX]

You are far more technical than most, and know proper procedures on what to do, and how to save your data. I've fixed way too many computers that crashed from something they installed, and they just lost 10 years of data and photos because they did not know what they are doing, this is where chrome shines, those users will no longer lose the photos of their kids growing up, or notes, you would be the 10% of users.

Re: Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[GeXX]

Going the google way has given my company a advantage that others do not have, and has helped with growth beyond what any of us expected, my construction workers can use the stuff easily, if they trash it, it isn't 3 hours of re-setup, and their kids can't install all their crap on them. Simple, and easy, now to the point that the guy that can push the power switch, has more information available to them than the builders that are using the m$ solutions which end up being way more complex than turn on and search.

Using the right tool for the job, and not the tool that everyone else uses out of old habits, can be a good thing.

Re:$600 Chromebook $500 android/iPad/Surface Table

[Bonker]

About a year and a half ago, I purchased a Dell Laptop (Core i5, integrated graphics, 500gb HDD) because a) my Samsung tablet had just shattered and b) I needed something to do schoolwork on that could be taken to my local 2 year college and used on their premises.

(Note that a pencil and a spiral notebook would have been just as effective for 90% of my work there...)

It cost me ~ $450 US. The Chromebooks and Android tablets that were equivalent and available were in the $300-$400 range. The laptop came with win10 preinstalled. I could not get a 'bare' laptop for less since I was taking advantage of several overlapping discounts. I never let win10 boot on it. I immediately blew it away in favor of a Mint Linux install.

The amount of computing power that laptop wields in comparison to a Chromebook or Tablet is, frankly, ridiculous and unnecessarily. Unbound by Windows idiocy, it is far more powerful than many 'enterprise server' (*gag*) class machines that I've worked with in the not-too-distant past. Not only can I be running 1080p video on the thing, I can run the IDE and development environment of my choice, including a database server, Libre Office, a real email client, Firefox *and* Chrome, simultaneously, *and* still have cycles and resources left for downloading more crap to watch.

I'm almost completely unbound by proprietary and/or closed-source software. I don't have to run any closed source software if I don't want to. I don't *have* to run any mandatory spyware. (Chromium gets launched if I'm developing against it.) I'm immune to any kind of lock-in and thanks to my IT background, feel no bonus for keeping my crap 'in the cloud'. I am not a 'sync-er'. (If it's not backed up and stored in a fireproof container, etc..., etc...)

Now a lot of that power is conditional on the fact that I understand how to install and take care of a linux desktop. I understand how to do my own backups as well as their value. I understand how to work to protect my privacy with encryption and VPNs. I understand how to troubleshoot little, niggling problems that would drive an Android or MacOS user insane. (You poor Windows guys. I just ache for you. I've been there, and I'm so very sorry there aren't more ways out for you.) I don't *have* to get nickeled and dimed to death by the 'Android Store.'

About the only places that any given Chromebook really outshines my setup is on weight and electrical power consumption... and that's not really an issue for me since there are charging stations near everywhere these days. It's also a reflection of the kind of power I'm sitting on. If a Chromebook is an electric smart-car, my Laptop is a highly-tuned muscle car, with the gas mileage to match.

Yeah, there are benefits to be had in ditching a Windows Laptop for a Chromebook. However, if you're willing to take the time to understand what you're doing, and that's NOT a little thing, you can get a WHOLE LOT MORE bang for your buck with a laptop equivalent in price to that Chromebook.

Re: Microsoft worry? Not in my world...

[Knuckles]

.-NET/COM add-ins don't embed code. VBA macros don't have to
And it's a bit funny to complain about embedded macro code and then go do Google and let them run whatever they want in your browser.
You are correct about the TCO. But I'd like to see numbers for it being an alternative "for most".