I have the Cr-48, and think it's great. The biggest use I see for it is in enterprise, since it would be so easy to set up a network of these (since the web is much more cross compatible than other things). Working in the cloud makes a big organization much more nimble which is worth a great deal to them.
Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
21–30 of 62 posts
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#22Why 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.
He's talking about the wireless anywhere feature, not general inhome wifi.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#23Good points:
# [These days] the only people who know how to take advantage of all [the functionality of their computers] are the people writing malicious code.
# If it's $199 or less, it'll be a big hit; likewise, if it's over $299, it just won't make sense.
Bad points:
# Even if it doesn't compete on price with iPads and Android tabs, it's going to compete for the same audience... if you have a tablet, you won't want this also.
# [People] are going to wise up, and realize that they've been paying for too much computer.
[we (Americans) have been paying for too much car for years]
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#24I have the Cr-48, and think it's great. The biggest use I see for it is in enterprise, since it would be so easy to set up a network of these (since the web is much more cross compatible than other things). Working in the cloud makes a big organization much more nimble which is worth a great deal to them.
I see a lot more barriers to this entering the enterprise market than it entering personal markets.
For example your company would have to run entirely on web apps already or kiss all of your existing infrastructure goodbye (shared drives, word documents, excel documents, externally received word/excel, Lotus Notes, Exchange, etc.)
Also if your company depends on using any other sort of software it's a no go, anything installed like AutoCad, Photoshop, Development tools, etc. I think many industries have one key piece of software that they can't exist without that must be installed.
And how does working in the cloud make an organisation more nimble? If anything it makes them more exposed to risk and of unintended downtimes when their internet connection plays up.
For example one of the companies I'm contracting with uses manymoon. Aside from being a bit poo, every now and then it stops working. Sometimes it's their servers, sometimes it's our wifi, sometimes the internet connection. It's not a key piece of software, but it makes you think of the kind of risk you're exposing yourself to. What if tomorrow google apps was shutdown due to a court order or bankruptcy? I know google won't go bankrupt, but there's no saying your other providers won't. Or a patent war which shuts down a key part of the system?
Obviously there are massive benefits like not having to run your own infrastructure, but it's still a risk.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#25I 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…
But you could likely get a cheap Windows netbook for nearly the same price, as OEM Windows 7 Starter will cost ~$40 OEM. So rather than $200 you pay pay $240, but you also get the ability to run Office, iTunes, FireFox, hook up printers, scanners, cameras. etc...
Is this worth an extra $40? It feels like it is, even if I rarely use any of these features. But there's probably also some value in being able to say, "This device is only for the cloud, period". But I feel like I'd rather get a tablet device (the Nook Color is already a mere $249).
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#26Why 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.
> - Most people need wireless connectivity not more than once or twice a year. Where do you get this idea? Why in the world would I ever want to "wire" my house for the internet by running cat5 cables everywhere when I can buy a box that will do all the work for me?
As a gamer, I trust cat5 cables way more than wireless connections (I have both at home)...anything to mitigate the possibility of disconnection and higher latency.
I also don't have any numbers to prove this, but I'm fairly certain my download/upload speeds are faster on cat5 than wireless as well. It's really noticeable when I remote desktop another computer on the network -- on cat5 I notice very little latency, while on wireless I get constant fps lag.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#27It 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.)
When Google is telling the OEMs who had planned CES 2011 Google TV rollouts to pull back and delay announcements so that they can "refine" the software then you know things are bad. 2011 is gone for Google TV, and by 2012 they will be facing better, strong competition from people who actually know what they are doing in the consumer space. Apple will keep getting better, Netflix and Amazon will get aggressive about going directly to the TV manufacturers, Roku and Boxee will continue to improve and expand their distribution pipeline, etc. Google sent a wake-up call to the content creators and distributors (who returned to favor to Google) that will also drive most of them to partner with one or two non-Google internet-enabled TV distribution platforms.
Google whiffed in making a play for the TV space and their competitors are not going to give them an opportunity for a second chance.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#28ChromeOS is zero maintenance. As a technical person with a few gadgets, that's one less thing to worry about. For non-technical people I can only imagine it as revolutionary.
Android, by comparison, is the Microsoft Windows of mobile operating systems. It requires customization, maintenance, and care. If I recommended an Android device to someone I am certain I would be paid regular visits as the designated mechanic. And I'm certain I'd have a checklist of stuff I'd have to do before even handing it over. I've used one. I see how people here are constantly fiddling on their significant other's behalf.
I think people here discount ChromeOS because they can work around Android's quirks and are happy hackers. They can't see how software maintenance is more like incomprehensible house chores than playing with Legos.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#29If they want it to succeed, they need to add a VPN client, and run the VPN servers themselves. In the era of Firesheep, nobody should be trusting public wifi networks.
Re: Why Google's Chrome notebook will succeed
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
But, How are they going to reach that price point? Specially since they are not going to produce them, and at least this model is pretty ordinary hardware(runs an Atom, not an ARM CPU). And, why manufacturers would want to canibalize their already tight margins on netbooks? Besides, most people I know, would pay 100$ for the ability of running a "real" OS.
'most people you know' aren't really ChromeOS's target market.
So it must be really tiny. Seriously, this thing is doomed unless gets really, really cheap, and I don't think how it could be.