Net-books have taken some interesting leaps and dives in their sales since their arrival on the market a few years ago. Popular for their simplicity and portability, netbooks are mainly used by those who need minimal desktop functionality, reliable access to the web, and who do not necessarily need the processing capabilities of full-functioning laptops. Google has taken notice of this trend, and has brought a laptop of its own onto the market, called the Chromebook. They face some fierce competition with the ever-growing popularity of tablets and other mobile devices, so let’s take a look at how they stack up.
Minimalistic
Google's new laptops come with a twist. Most of the Chromebook's design is inspired by the netbook, but it comes without Windows, Mac, or even any flavor of UNIX that you may be familiar with installed. Instead, it runs its own Chrome OS, which is designed to integrate with web applications optimally. Chrome OS is very fast, but this comes at the cost of minimal desktop functionality.
Adaptable
Chrome OS was designed to adjust to changing trends in personal computing. Google has noted that most consumer applications have moved to the web where they are more convenient to access, as they can be used from a web browser. Chrome OS has been designed under the assumption that, for many people, desktop functionality is superfluous. By doing away with desktops, they've made a very fast browser-OS hybrid that can run on limited hardware, but that still gives consumers access to all the services they use most often.
Viruses
Another advantage gained by throwing away the desktop is the reduced impact of viruses. Since almost nothing is stored locally, almost nothing is at stake if you have to purge and reinstall your system. This benefit extends to almost any kind of system failure.
Specs
Chrome OS is technically a Linux distribution, which should please hackers. However, the Chromebook's hardware specs are humble. They are designed with portability and endurance in mind, with approximately eight hours of battery life and weighing only 3.75 lbs, but sporting much lesser memory and processing power. At the moment, Chromebooks are manufactured by Samsung and Acer, and their specs are comparable to other netbooks in the $400-$500 price range.
Pitfalls
There are a few caveats to potential Chromebook users. First, the minimal amount of local storage can lead to some frustration. As an example, if one were to insert an SD card filled with images into a Chromebook, one wouldn't be able to store any of them except through Picasa or another similar service. Chromebooks also have few USB ports, not exceeding two in any of the models yet released. Some have criticized the keyboard's design, which replaces the functions keys seen on most laptops with keys that are exclusively used for browser navigation.
But, the greatest worry for Chromebook users is its complete impotence when deprived of an internet connection. In fact, Chrome OS's only notable persistent application is a light-weight edition of Angry Birds. 3G and 4G data plans are available through Verizon starting at $30 per month, but this is a weak solution for writers, developers, students, or anyone else who needs access to their data on a whim, never mind some capricious wireless router.
The Chromebook is still in its infancy, and there may be improvements to come. Despite its flaws, it's the only computer of its kind, and it will be exciting to see how it develops in the future. In particular, one wonders how users might contribute to the project via Chromium OS, the developer-oriented and open-source version of Chrome OS. I have a feeling that, as a Google product, it's unlikely to fail outright.
This Guest Post was written by Blake Sanders. He is a tech writer at broadband comparison site Broadband Expert. Blake specializes in industry insights, mobile broadband news, and information on how to get
free laptops.
Source Of: Photo courtesy of
slgc via FlickR Creative Commons.
