Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
msnbc.msn.com
Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
1–10 of 62 posts
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#2Why it won't:
- A computer does not cost as much as a car, so it's not as expensive to buy more than you need.
- It can't be cheaper enough than ordinary PCs to accept the restricted functionality it offers, because ordinary PCs are already available at the bottom of the pricing barrel.
- Most people need wireless connectivity not more than once or twice a year.
- The cloud is overrated.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#3This is not really on topic but I find it initially cute that this article is on msn.com
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#4I think price is the real key. If it's around the $200 mark, I'll probably even pick one up for surfing while sitting on the couch or toilet.
My grandparents need/want a laptop, and literally all they'll ever use it for is to google stuff. They'll possibly want to upload pictures from their digital camera they never use, but if that's made simple via USB and some cloud based service (existing or otherwise), then this device would be perfect for them. $300 and I'd get them a cheap windows laptop. My wife is using a $349 toshiba full sized laptop right now, and it does everything she needs. But if I could save them $100 or so on one of these, that would definitely be the way I'd go.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#5The only interesting thing with the article is that it comes from msnbc, a company owned in part by microsoft!
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#6I personally wish I had this when I had to find a notebook for my mom and grandmother who had never used a computer before.
While it may not interest a broad demographic, it definitely serves a purpose.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#7Why it won't: - A computer does not cost as much as a car, so it's not as expensive to buy more than you need. - It can't be cheaper enough than ordinary PCs to accept the restricted functionality it offers, because ordinary PCs are already available at the bottom of the pricing barrel. - Most people need wireless connectivity not more than once or twice a year. - The cloud is overrated.
I'm not saying it will succeed (that remains to be seen) but:
1. Not if you don't have the money for a computer in the first place. My grandparents would really like to get online, and the difference between a $400 laptop and a $200 netbook is significant.
2. Not if all you need is the basic functionality this device offers.
3. This is just all sort of wrong if you don't live in a metropolitan area.
4. That's your opinion, and a valid one, but I love the cloud. I'm moving everything I can to it. Of course, I don't personally concern myself too much with security, but I still think it's a great tool for a lot of casual computer users.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#8It is amazing that the article treats Google TV failing as a foregone conclusion:
Alas, Google TV fell apart because it didn't have great app support, and more importantly, that content owners didn't want their content shared through the browser.
(I am not a Google TV user.)
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#9I think price is the real key. If it's around the $200 mark, I'll probably even pick one up for surfing while sitting on the couch or toilet. My grandparents need/want a laptop, and literally all they'll ever use it for is to google stuff. They'll possibly want to upload pictures from their digital camera they never use, but if that's made simple via USB and some cloud based service (existing or otherwise), then this…
Another important feature if you or your non-techie friends and family value your time is the protection from malware recovery and other sysadmin tasks.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#10Why it won't: - A computer does not cost as much as a car, so it's not as expensive to buy more than you need. - It can't be cheaper enough than ordinary PCs to accept the restricted functionality it offers, because ordinary PCs are already available at the bottom of the pricing barrel. - Most people need wireless connectivity not more than once or twice a year. - The cloud is overrated.
I have to disagree with point 3.
At least in the UK, almost everyone uses wireless rather than wire connections in the home 73% of the UK population have home internet access, and 60% of the UK population use the internet every day.
I think there's a huge market for a personal home browsing device, which is a large use case of the ipad, available here at a much lower cost.