“Both hardware- and software-wise, [Chromebooks] are nothing special: You can download Chrome OS’s open source brother, Chromium OS, for free — and at around $400 for a Chromebook, you would certainly expect some better hardware than what Samsung and Acer are offering. In fact, for around $300 you can get a cheaper and more powerful netbook with Windows 7 pre-installed — and it only takes about 30 minutes to wipe Windows and install Chrome OS yourself.”
If you can install your own OS, then (1) you are smart enough to install a regular Linux distro, and (2) you probably like to install your own stuff, so Chrome is not the best option for you. Except, maybe, if you want to give te netbook to someone else.
You can install stuff in Chrome. Just visit the Chrome store and see — they’ve even got Angry Birds now. Besides, a netbook isn’t for all sorts of apps, it’s for quick access to the web.
except a lot of people use them for offline work as they are both cheep and more portable than a conventional laptop. this is chromeOS big failer, the inability to let the user use ANY offline storage or programs.
Wrong: http://www.thechromesource.com/tag/chrome-os-offline/
Edited 2011-05-15 12:43 UTC
Exactly. I may want to give a computer to a friend or a family member and not have to spend too much time teaching or supportin them.
But then, I would install JoliOS, not ChromiumOS.
http://www.jolicloud.com/
And why would I pay for a Windows 7 license first and then install Chrome?
Have I ever mentioned how annoying sites like “extremetech” are, where they seem to think that three paragraphs of content in a tiny little box in the middle of the screen is too much… since it cuts into the space available for adverts any user with a brain has blocked?
Of course that the site NEVER seems to actually finish loading… ever…
another thing about that site that pisses users off is the forced 1024×700. there are ways to make things align to the sides so that the site looks good whatever res you are looking at it through.
I just naturally assumes that any site with “extreme” (or even lamer variations thereof) in the name sucks the devils cojones and are run, and frequented, by incompetent schmucks. Amazing how seldom I’m proven wrong.
just browsed extremetech a bit and it looks quite decent. Hardware reviews, diverse tech news, howto sections.
Symphathy to any new startup finding a catchy name.
Well, each page features about a hundred words of the article with a “Next->” link below it, framed by a sea of various and sundry sidebars. I didn’t dare turn my ad-blocker off. I only have a 15 megabit/s Internet connection.
Same here. But I didn’t feel OK even sitting on a 300mbps pipe.
EDIT: Sorry, not pipe – “tube”. Since “internet is a series of tubes”.
Edited 2011-05-16 13:01 UTC
It’s said that some people have even managed to get the Chrome browser to run directly on Windows.
“so your first port of call should be the Chrome Web Store. After that, you should set up Google Cloud Print, connect to Google Music (if you have a beta invite!), and then… well… the web’s your oyster!” <- LOL! Holy cow!
Sometimes I’m having trouble voting up an article.
This one for instance I click on the thumbs up icon and it does not work. Other times it does however..
Making your own Chromebook will be great.
Do anyone know if a laptop with numeric keypad will work with Chromebook because the key layouts of the chromebooks I saw are a bit different. Some business/clerical people for example specifically prefer laptops with numeric keypads.
Probably then an external USB keypad is also
Edited 2011-05-15 14:21 UTC
I assume it would work fine…
I rather not make my own Chromebook, in fact I will never ever buy a Chromebook and I consider Chromebooks to be complete and utterly shit. At least for me.
To make a pun of what Serghei Brin said, I will not make my own Chromebook because I will torture me.
Duuude…. Chill… You’re here, that means you’re not an ordinary PC user. This isn’t for you.
what an interesting article to happen across while browsing on your recently-imaged bootleg chromebook. I just pulled my old Acer AspireOne (A150) out of my junk drawer last night for this purpose, and I have to say that the general user experience isn’t too bad. I am one of the many who snagged a netbook on launch, and much like my nintendo Wii, used it for a few days and then let it collect dust; using it maybe 1-3x per year in an emergency.
As for OS’s, sure you could throw a full-blown linux install or Windows7… and it might even run respectably fast. The thing is, if you’re like me, having a full-blown OS on any of these is kind of a waste. I want a quick web browser session or SSH tunnel; Chromium/ChromeOS provides that, keeps my bookmarks, settings, webapps server-side (I refuse to use the “C” word), supports my hardware and just works with no fuss.
The article hit one thing right, though. If you buy a cheap netbook preloaded with Windows7, then you probably should wipe it — and use the Win7 license on a *real* computer. ChromeOS gets the job done well enough.
I wouldn’t go out to buy a netbook at this point of the game…but, hey, if you’ve already got one collecting dust…can’t hurt to give it a whirl.