Comments on: Google Chrome: Why?

By: Matthew Bleicher

Matthew Bleicher — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:27:11 +0000

If you are looking to get a computer for recipes, I suggest going to eBay and bidding on an older laptop there. The screen will be larger, you could have it across the counter – or room – without squinting and the price will be the same or cheaper. Heck, if you are feeling really industrious you can even take it and do this with it: http://bluelinecity.com/projects/kitchenet/

As to using them in schools – perhaps. But if you want the students to do anything beyond tests and posting to Web sites – like say visiting a flash-intensive site about astronomy or using software that does the same – a netbook will be woefully underpowered. Not to mention that the kids will all get eye-strain from hours on those tiny screens. They are not meant as full-time computers, and using them all day in their classes would not be a good thing.

As to loving Google and using everything: You can do all of that now on Windows or Mac. Using a new OS (that doesn’t come out for another year anyhow) just doesn’t seem necessary to me.

By: Elizabeth Lemerond

Elizabeth Lemerond — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:13:18 +0000

I disagree that netbooks are a fad that will last only a short time. I am eager to purchase one to replace the need for a pile of cookbooks in my kitchen. Perhaps I could use a smart phone for this, but I doubt it would work well covered in flour. I need a larger screen. In addition, all I ever seem to do 90% of the time during the evening is research random info online, answer email, and update Facebook—our economy laptop is overkill for these tasks.

Unless they are super-fragil I could see netbooks used in classrooms for online quizzes and posts to sites like SchoolFusion.

I know I need to check Chrome out because I do, “love Google Apps and use them for everything”! : )

By: Matthew Bleicher

Matthew Bleicher — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:40:09 +0000

I won’t disagree that it could be very cool. Geeks, like myself, will no doubt try it out when it comes out. But any kind of wide-adoption seems very unlikely to me. It still strikes me as something that is going to be very niche. No way does this end up with a bigger market share than Mac – let alone Windows.

More than likely it will be like Linux (as a desktop, not server, OS) – people who really love to tinker will use it. A few businesses might switch. But in the end it will just be a cool think for developers and people who like using cool things from developers for it.

I can see this being in my VM – but I don’t see it ever being a primary OS.

I also firmly believe that netbooks – which Google is making this for – will be gone in a year or two. I mean, smartphones are just about as powerful as a netbook these days, and far more portable.

By: Mike Cantelon

Mike Cantelon — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:57:55 +0000

Googe’s Chrome OS will be targetted towards web developers who want to use what they know, namely HTML 5, to make desktop apps instead of web apps.

Palm Pre’s WebOS allows this, and has garnered a lot of developer excitement because of this.

Google is thinking that if they make development easier their app environment will be rich and that will, in the end, attract users.

Google has been right before, so I’m interested in the outcome.

By: Michael Reed

Michael Reed — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:09:02 +0000

While I support anything that weakens the bloatware produced by Microsoft, I have to agree with you. I wish Google had adopted a Linux flavor and promoted game development and business apps for it. If there was a Linux flavor that had support from gaming companies, Windows would go away.

Of course I am an outspoken OSS advocate, and I support freeware. On my machine at home I have Office 2007 because I of my work requirements, but I use OpenOffice, also VLC, Foobar, Irfanview etc. So take my opinion with that caveat.