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Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

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Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#101

Post by bogomipz »

dabockster wrote: post #62
robert_foss wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally I'd love to have a dev Chromebook. The software stack running on it is second to none. Even the BIOS is light-years ahead any Windows/Linux box. As for OSX I'm not familiar with the boot process.

> As for OSX I'm not familiar with the boot process. Basically a mix of UEFI and their proprietary SMC controller on the system board. The SMC is actually kind of nice to have since it means that the actual boot sector is more sandboxed.

>"The SMC is actually kind of nice to have since it means that the actual boot sector is more sandboxed."

Can you elaborate on this? How does the boot sector sandboxing work exactly?

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#102

Post by notheguyouthink »

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #66

I think a major issue is what happens if Google locks your account for some reason. There have been instances in the past where Google has locked the account of a user for some TOS violations. http://m.gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/google-pixel-reseller... http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/1/jordan-b-peters... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-21/one-statistics-prof... Given that Google has a propensity…

Previously everything of mine went through Google. Email, phone, phone number, search, etc. I've migrated everything away (except Google Voice) for this very reason.

My life would have came to a grinding halt if they banned me, and I couldn't even email them about it.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#103

Post by haberman »

frahs wrote: post #47
wazanator wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm willing to bet crouton runs on it out of the box so you can get a dev environment up fast.

But the developer mode notification on bootup kills the laptop :( It warns you that you're in developer mode, makes a beep, and prompts you to push spacebar if you want to turn off dev mode, deleting everything on your computer. Maybe you know to never make this mistake. Maybe you almost never turn off your computer. All that needs to happen is for you to reboot the computer once (say, it ran out of batteries while y…

I don't understand why it's not possible to run a Docker image that has the whole development environment, without turning on developer mode.

ChromeOS doesn't want to expose these syscalls to ChromeOS apps? I can understand wanting to sandbox the actual OS environment, but a Docker container should be totally isolated from that?

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#104

Post by politician »

derekp7 wrote: post #100
RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #66

I think a major issue is what happens if Google locks your account for some reason. There have been instances in the past where Google has locked the account of a user for some TOS violations. http://m.gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/google-pixel-reseller... http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/1/jordan-b-peters... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-21/one-statistics-prof... Given that Google has a propensity…

If you purchased the device from Google, and they locked you out, couldn't you sue them in small claims court? That would at least force them to respond, and if they don't they would get a default judgement against them. If it is possible / likely that a court would hear the case, would your only option then be to sue for monetary damages, or could you sue for them to perform an action (such as reinstating your accou…

The consumer likely "agreed" to this treatment in the TOS/EULA.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#105

Post by stupidcar »

notatoad wrote: post #35
cuu508 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My initial observations: * bezel

it's a convertible tablet. they all have huge bezels, because that's where you put your thumbs.

How big are these thumbs supposed to be? Because the screen on this thing looks like a postage stamp in the middle of a football field.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#106

Post by raesene9 »

Scirra_Tom wrote: post #84
RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #66

I think a major issue is what happens if Google locks your account for some reason. There have been instances in the past where Google has locked the account of a user for some TOS violations. http://m.gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/google-pixel-reseller... http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/1/jordan-b-peters... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-21/one-statistics-prof... Given that Google has a propensity…

Is picking a few cases then concluding it's Google's propensity perhaps a bit hyperbolic?

I think it's worth illustrating the concept. A device that's heavily reliant on a cloud service (in this case Google's) means you have to worry about the risk of being locked out of that account especially if getting access after that lockout is difficult.

These devices are very different to traditional computing devices (e.g. Windows/Linux PCs) which mostly store content locally as there lockout from a single cloud is unlikely to be catastropic.

As the major consumer OS makers (Apple/Google/Microsoft) go more in the direction of an integrated experience where cloud storage is key, how they handle possible ToS violation and account lockout/closure will become increasingly important.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#107

Post by nickysielicki »

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #66

I think a major issue is what happens if Google locks your account for some reason. There have been instances in the past where Google has locked the account of a user for some TOS violations. http://m.gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/google-pixel-reseller... http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/1/jordan-b-peters... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-21/one-statistics-prof... Given that Google has a propensity…

Not a concern for 99.999% of people, developer or not.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#108

Post by leggomylibro »

politician wrote: post #104
derekp7 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you purchased the device from Google, and they locked you out, couldn't you sue them in small claims court? That would at least force them to respond, and if they don't they would get a default judgement against them. If it is possible / likely that a court would hear the case, would your only option then be to sue for monetary damages, or could you sue for them to perform an action (such as reinstating your accou…

The consumer likely "agreed" to this treatment in the TOS/EULA.

Yeah, but EULAs don't supersede actual laws. You can't sign over your firstborn child in a EULA, yet.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#109

Post by dabockster »

victorhooi wrote: post #83
dabockster wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Usually to flash some new expensive tech item around the office in a show of dominance. Then us devs get stuck dealing with the fallout when the tech purchase wipes out the network or something.

Your comment seems like a troll...lol. I'm not sure how a Chromebook could "wipe out the network". In fact, if anything, I'd argue it's less likely to than a Window laptop since Chromebooks are so secure out of the box. I bought one for my mother a few years ago, and honestly, not having to go over and clean up malware periodically, or ever do Windows Updates, or ever worry about her clicking on dodgy links on the in…

I'm not talking about a literal Chromebook. It is a figure of speech.

And it's spelled "troll".

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#110

Post by jamespo »

Finch2193 wrote: post #64
jamespo wrote: post #44

"Proper" crouton, not getting beeped at, waiting for boot delay & sacrificing security etc would be the only way this could be compelling.

what are the drawbacks of the current crouton implementation making giving you pause?

What I list really, having to put the laptop into dev mode.

My mrs accidentally wiped crouton by following the prompts to take it out.

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