Tell us more about it Howerd - I'm assuming this is the notebook that uses Chrome OS and needs an internet connection to function as everything is done online?
Yes, it has Chrome OS and virtually everything has to be done online. Although it has 2 USB ports, there is not even a way to connect a local printer to a chrome book! Printing has to be done via the cloud using either a cloud-enabled printer or another printer connected to another PC. There is a very basic file manager that, apparently, does not even let you copy from the SSD to USB drive without going via the cloud! But most of my time is pent in the 'cloud' anyway; I don't do things like photo editing - which many europinoy members do - it would be useless for that. If you want to do word processing - again that is via the cloud, using Google apps. The SSD is not used to save files - it is really just used for the cache and temporary files. But all of these are encrypted, so if you lose your chromebook your data still remains in the cloud but that cache and temporary files remain safe from thieves! The encryption is derived from the log-in credentials to you Google account. You can set up two-step verification before you can even log into your chromebook! The Chrome OS is basically the Google chrome browser with extensions! No way to install apps other than via browser extensions! But it does seen pretty secure as it uses a TPM chip to verify power up and log in and maintains two copies of the operating system (one in read only memory) should you ever be hijacked by a virus. Google claim you don't need anti-virus because of the verified boot process but I feel sure this is not really true. There is no firewall either. Chromebooks may well fail but that could actually be a godsend for staying safe on the internet, since no-one is likely to write viruses for them! Google is adding new features all the time and OS updates occur automatically (just like they do for the Chrome browser in Windows) and with a boot-up time of under 10 seconds and battery life of 8+ hours it seems ideal for checking emails during the day and visiting websites, but you are effectively stuck with the Chrome browser. It does support Flash Player but not Java or Silverlight. It has cost me £225 from LAPTOPS DIRECT (incl. delivery) for a refurbished (unused) model with 3 month guarantee. It has a 12" screen which seems a good compromise for daily use at home and portability. It is like a 'thin client' being just 0.8" think. It weighs 1.3-1.5kg depending on which review you read. There is no Ethernet port, but it does have wi-fi and the version I have bought also comes with 3G built-in. Without 3G, the price is £205 for a refurbished model. I had been considering much more expensive PCs with self-encrypting drives as I did not want anyone stealing my laptop and gaining access to my data. This seemed an ideal way of getting a secure computer, given that data is stored in the 'cloud' and any local cache etc is encrypted. It would also mean if the Chromebook is stolen I could still access all my data in the cloud from another Chromebook or any PC. Those Linux netbooks died a death with the introduction of Android and Microsoft's decision to extend the life on Windows XP on netbooks, so I wonder if Chromebooks will go the same way? They are linux-based but with even more restrictions than Linux-based machines. Only two companies currently produce Chromebooks - ACER and SAMSUNG, with rumours that a Sony model is on the way.
Chromebooks may go the way of the Dodo, but not because of Windows but more likely because of tablet computing.. Google have always hinted that Chrome OS and Android might one day merge into one product just as Windows now plan an attack on the industry with their new Windows 8 meeting tablet as well as PC standards. I think at some point I will own a PC, that links via the cloud to a tablet, my TV and my mobile phone... Perhaps come that day, netbooks will be limited to poorer countries!
The sad thing is that tablets are probably not going to be tools of innovation and creativity they are tools for the consumer to facilitate consumption of media resources and internet with very little feedback, typing an email on a virtual keyboard is not a satisfying experience, edit a photo with your finger? sure Actually some photographic adjustments do lend themselves to the format but nothing detailed. I might be just being an old fogey but a tablet seems to me to be like an miniature internet TV, it's just a new channel to feed you what the powers that be want to feed you. Ok some apps will allow you to manipulate data and I can envisage some useful programs for tablets, but I fear that for most people tablets will stifle creativity rather than promote it. While most laptops and desktops are probably used the same way as devices to consume media and information, they at least have greater intrinsic creative scope. Chromebooks at least have a lot in common with laptops and more so as network speeds increase and the cloud becomes more like your hard drive but I agree with Kuya I think the tablet will eventually kill them not because they are not good but because the market for creative users is not large enough.
Thanks for the excellent review Howerd. Like oss, I'm also an old fogey when it comes to tablets - I can be far more productive on a laptop, run my favourite software and generally do stuff that can't be done on a tablet.
For me, I see a tablet as the kind of kit you can lie in bed and surf the net on, which I already do with my phone anyway.. But a tablet with a bigger screen would be better for. For me though, I will always have a PC of some sort. Desktop or Laptop..
Ana want's a tablet and I can see the point for her now that we have wireless in the house, for her she basically wants it as an internet TV, she will use it for youtube, facebook and it would probably be good for Skype and Yahoo. I can see her point but the overpriced Android devices available from PLDT are just not up to the job, pathetic screen resolution and prices in the region of 250 quid even if it is paid up on account. I could get her a second hand first gen ipad for that kind of money.
One option with tablet devices is to attach a keyboard via USB or use a keyboard dock. There are some very cheap Chinese tablets on the market that come with a keyboard/case (around £150); I bought one but it is dreadfully slow on the internet, will not play Flash content (even though the advert claimed it did) and the keyboard will not generate shifted characters. All in all, a waste of money and put me off buying Chinese products. One very nice tablet PC (with keyboard dock) appears to be the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, with up to 17 hours hours of battery life! I don't think I will be buying a Chromebook for my fiancee whilst she is still in the Philippines; the reliance on an internet connection makes them pretty much useless! Let's hope that if Google do merge Android/Chrome OS that the new OS will be available for the existing Chromebooks
I have been using the Chromebook for a few days now, mainly in the evening after finishing work on the PC. My electricity usage is down cos laptops use a lot less electricity that an all-in-one PC! The first problem I encountered was getting to connect to the internet! It took me some while to realise that I had to press the trackpad with some force (rather than just tap it) to select an option. Google claim these devices boot up in 8 seconds but mine takes 15 seconds (even after a hard reset). Power down takes around 2-3 seconds though, so it is still worth switching off if not being used for some time (it does have a sleep mode too, but the times are not adjustable). Another annoyance is not being able to adjust the cursor size or colour. When it was first powered-up, the OS updated itself automatically and there have been at least another two updates to the OS since then, but these have not fixed the flaky wi-fi which never reconnects after the Chromebook goes to sleep (requiring the wi-fi to be disabled and enabled again to make a connection). This seems to be a problem with all Chromebooks (irrespective of the make) It gives a sense that Google is using us as beta testers of what is a rather expensive product! Another strange fault is that My Chromebook knows when I enter the room by immediately dimming the screen! I have tried this time and time again and it definitely knows when I return, but only if I return from the left hand side! Does that mean a little man at Google is spying my webcam constantly? In order to use the Chromebook fully, by that I mean use browser 'extensions' (which are the Chromebook's only way to install applications) you need to sign into the Chromebook using a Google account. I have decided to forego extensions, and use the 'Guest Account', which automatically defaults to Chrome's Incognito Mode, meaning EVERYTHING gets deleted when the Chromebook is powered down. So, I can be pretty certain if it is stolen I will not lose any data whatsoever to the thief. I may well create a blank GMail account just for the Chromebook, just to plausibly deny what GMail account I really access in Guest Mode. I really only intend to use the Chromebook to access email, the internet and Yahoo web-based messenger; That means I cannot use the cam for messaging, unless I can find a web-based messenger that supports webcam. It also means no access to Google Earth (Google maps can still be used on-line). When I need to use my VOIP account it means using that on-line (not such a big deal) and if I ever need to write any letters etc. I will have to use an on-line service, such as Google Apps; but, in order to print anything, it means switching on the desktop PC cos only cloud-based printers can be attached to Chromebooks! So, is the Chromebook worth buying? That very much depends on Google improving the OS over time, perhaps merging it with the Android operating system, whilst retaining the security features inherit in the Chromebook (e.g. secure boot using TPM chip). If you need your desktop applications when on the move, a Chromebook is not for you but if you just need internet access (via wi-fi or 3G) the Chromebook may well suit you, especially the 8.5 hour battery life! The Chromebook is definitely slower in general internet usage than my AIO PC; Gmail loads more slowly and browsing is generally more hesitant. An Internet speed check indicates the speed is the same on the Chromebook as the PC, suggesting that the Chromebook's CPU is the bottleneck. But I can live with it for the increased battery life it provides. When the Chromebook is put to bed at night, it will happily disappear among the books on the bookshelf, whilst my all-in-one PC remains in full view, albeit locked with a hefty cycle lock to the desk! The next review will be of a Samsung Galaxy Apollo (i5800) mobile phone purchased at the bargain price of £35 from e2save. I had been looking for a phone with an SOS button, until I realised a could get a much higher spec Android phone and install an SOS application for free! If I had realised that earlier I could have bought the wi-fi only version of the Chromebook and used the Samsung phone as a wi-fi access point! Damn these South Korean's, even my next car will be South Korean (Kia 'Ceed)
Nice read... My next boy toy is likely to be my next phone upgrade. Possibly a HTC one X or a Samsung Galaxy S 3..
