Anybody Gettin a Chromebook?

[lukep]

Other than PR what does it have going for it?

I've already listed those several times in this thread. The reason they seem invisible to you is because this product isn't targeted to you. -You're not noobie enough, basically, to appreciate them. -But noobs and teenies are the biggest, most profitable market, hence this whole thread.

A feature list is one thing but until it actually gets some use calling it a home run is presumably as premature as calling it a flop.

I didn't say that either, just that this is exciting because MS finally has a direct competitor other than Apple.

Boot from SSD (probably what chrome does too) and wipe out the need for backward compatibility by locking feature scope (just like chrome does) and yes Microsoft can put out a product just like it.

Just the fact that MS would have to do so would be groundbreaking. -But I don't think they have it in them, really.

 

[justo_tx]

Sheesh, It's not like every chromebook will need its' own router. These networks are already in place for existing computers!

That's not what I meant, if you business line from Verizon drops you're doing a whole lot of nothing (edit) if you're 100% cloud. Even when our Level 3 T1s drop we can still do quite a bit of work, there's some pain but people aren't being sent home for the day.

Any way you can connect your printer to a router is fine. I've got my printer wired to my NAS, I'm sure it would work on that connection as it is available across the whole network to all my PCs.

You can't market the device based on ease of use but tell people they need to connect their printer to a NAS dude, maybe you can do that but what about grandma?

Don't you think that's a tad bit smaller of a number than what they are currently paying???

Maybe maybe not at the rate they currently refresh hardware and the state of the existing school infrastructure.

 

[facebookguy]

i might buy one...

 

[lincolndsp]

nazi google adwords staff will buy that shit for sure to hit the ban button while on the go

 

[Lucidity]

Clearly, Chrome OS is not targeted at people like us. Hell, I won't switch to Mac or Linux because I don't think they run enough types of software.

Doesn't mean it won't be successful though. If it can handle some basic media like photo / video management and let people do email, web browsing, and word processing you've just provided for the needs of a huge portion of computer users.

 

[amanda11]

I can see some businesses doing it for employees, and some schools doing it for the kids - but I can't see buying one for myself when I can pick up a full fledged laptop for the same price.

What am I missing?

Old people? Durrr it's easier to use.

 

[Staccs]

Asus has been doing this for a while, though not exclusively (You get a fully functioning computer + "Express Gate"), so the cost is of that of a typical laptop.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAMDHnDJdaQ]YouTube - ASUS Express Gate Boot Up & Overview[/ame]

 

[Sonny Forelli]

let me know when the google store opens and you can walk in and get training.

until then old people, WITH disposable incomes, will continue to praise apple and the apple retail store chain as teh greatest leap forward in bringing technology to them that they understand.

I'm sure they'll just have adwords support (or android marketplace support <lol, lack there of>) support this.

The $14.95 app I paid for that due to a marketplace hiccup thought it installed but never did? Yeah I'll take my half dozen emails back and forth before giving up and eating the $14.95 (and the INABILITY to ever get the app that I really needed) over walking in and talking to "Nick" at the genius bar and having him kindly (and for free) fix everything that I fubared with my fat middle america fingers.


Riiiiight.

I'll hold my breath.

 

[goldmercury]

google = winning

finally something that won't flop

I see this been taken up by edu/non profits big time

 

[Gooddeal]

google can haz support?

 

[amateursurgeon]

This would make a lot more sense as a tablet PC. Hell, I'd probably buy one as a tablet.

 

[goldmercury]

If it's just a browser what support will be needed?

 

[kingofsp]

yes, google has treated us all so fairly and is so forward thinking with their privacy practices that surely I want all of my business data trusted to something they built.

i'll keep my ipad - at least apple has no motivation to phone home...

Thank you. And I do not use Chrome on any of my machines.

 

[lukep]

google can haz support?

That's the beauty of this product... ABSOLUTELY no support needed... It's not their hardware, (and even that has no moving parts) and the software needs as much support as their free browser does.

I think this is what I respect most about Google... I've been trying to put together a biz model free of support for most of a decade now... It's not easy to do, but Google (mostly) has succeeded at building a $mega-billions empire without a tech support rep or anything like that. I'm quite jealous.

 

[Sonny Forelli]

That's the beauty of this product... ABSOLUTELY no support needed... It's not their hardware, (and even that has no moving parts) and the software needs as much support as their free browser does.

I think this is what I respect most about Google... I've been trying to put together a biz model free of support for most of a decade now... It's not easy to do, but Google (mostly) has succeeded at building a $mega-billions empire without a tech support rep or anything like that. I'm quite jealous.

and done it by throwing customer service out the fucking window while repeating a mantra of "DO NO EVIL" while providing some admit-tingly GREAT free software/services and using personal data in arguably wildly illegal ways and then making no apologies w/ Schmidt faulting the consumer for this.

Don't get me wrong- I'm very envious- but I also don't drink their

 

[cardine]

I think this is what I respect most about Google... I've been trying to put together a biz model free of support for most of a decade now... It's not easy to do, but Google (mostly) has succeeded at building a $mega-billions empire without a tech support rep or anything like that. I'm quite jealous.

It's easy to not offer support, you just have to be content with people not having their problems solved.

 

[BeerNuts]

I think it is an interesting idea by having the entire thing run in the 'cloud'. Which will be adapted by others in time I am sure. But why the fuck is it not a tablet? This computer is just another netbook, and as far as I know netbooks flopped.

Who owns one? who has even seen someone with one? No one wants a cheap ass computer that doesn't do jack shit. I think google is fucked on this one.

 

[lukep]

I think it is an interesting idea by having the entire thing run in the 'cloud'. Which will be adapted by others in time I am sure. But why the fuck is it not a tablet? .

Because they are reinventing the TERMINAL form factor here, much like iPads reinvented the PDA form factor... This is not an entertainment device primarily, but it can do that too. It's a dumb terminal to run work apps on and that's how you're going to see it pushed.

This computer is just another netbook, and as far as I know netbooks flopped. Who owns one? who has even seen someone with one? No one wants a cheap ass computer that doesn't do jack shit. I think google is fucked on this one.

I own one, it's pretty useless.

Netbooks flopped because they were underpowered laptops, and nothing else. When you use one you want it to do things your existing PC does much faster, and that's irritating... They're SLOW at some things, even just watching youtube.

This won't be like the same environment at all. Do you expect to run your PPC campaign-managing software or Micro Niche Finder on your Phone? No? That's because we have expectations of what a device can run when we know its' operating system.

When this things turns on instantly to a chrome desktop, people expectations will be of a terminal, not of a full desktop. -For instance there is no file system nor hard drive, so ppl won't assume they can download anything nor install anything... Which are what kills the netbook.

 

[lukep]

Missed this one before...

That's not what I meant, if you business line from Verizon drops you're doing a whole lot of nothing (edit) if you're 100% cloud. Even when our Level 3 T1s drop we can still do quite a bit of work, there's some pain but people aren't being sent home for the day.

I get you now... Yeah, that's one tick against it... What to do about downtime... Here's how I think this will play out:

Bizzes that can afford it (fortune 5000?) would have a backup router system in place, since they already likely have a whole trunk of the internet backbone connection nearby to connect directly to.

Schools will be wary of this problem; but after the school boards do a cost analysis, they'll say: "Ok, so it goes down for something like 1 day a year... But we save 90% of our IT budget. Let's do it... I'm finally getting that raise this year!"

Small bizzes and individuals will think somewhat like this, and then be tempted to grab a 4G wireless card to slip in there instead of using wifi.

/Game over

You can't market the device based on ease of use but tell people they need to connect their printer to a NAS dude, maybe you can do that but what about grandma?

Luckily for google then every modern printer I know either has a NIC built into it already or at least offers a NIC upgrade.

Maybe maybe not at the rate they currently refresh hardware and the state of the existing school infrastructure.

Are you joking? Here are some basic numbers:

Assume 1000 students = 1200 computers needed, plus an IT support staff of perhaps 4 people.

With a bulk-rate, more powerful computer that comes to: $500 x 1200 + ($42,000 salary x 4)

$60,000 for the PCs & $168,000 annual salaries =

Total $228,000 spent in 1 year.

(Of course they won't have to buy new PCs every year, the majority of the cost is the same.)


If they switch over the lot to Chromebooks, they can let 3 staffers go because IT support will be very minimal. Maybe they can let all 4 go and get some kids to do the rest, but let's say 3 for now. Also, they have no moving parts... Not many getting broken, and those that do get replaced immediately without any fees. So let's knock off the extra 200 PCs for support...

$28 x 1000 x 12 months = $33600. 1 Salary = $32,000 =

Total $65,600.

Every school in the nation is being pitched this number right now. So are Bizzes and government offices, etc... Think any of them might bite?

 

[justo_tx]

Are you joking? Here are some basic numbers:

Assume 1000 students = 1200 computers needed, plus an IT support staff of perhaps 4 people.

With a bulk-rate powerful computer that comes to: $500 x 1200 + ($42,000 salary x 4)

$60,000 for the PCs & $168,000 annual salaries = $228,000 spent in 1 year.
(Of course they won't have to buy new PCs every year, the majority of the cost is the same.)

If they switch over the lot to Chromebooks, they can let 3 staffers go because IT support will be very minimal. Maybe they can let all 4 go and get some kids to do the rest, but let's say 3 for now. Also, they have no moving parts... Not many getting broken, and those that do get replaced immediately without any fees. So let's knock off the extra 200 PCs for support...

$28 x 1000 x 12 months = $33600. 1 Salary = $32,000 Total = $65,600.

Every school in the nation is being pitched this number right now. So are Bizzes and government offices, etc... Think any of them might bite?

Support staff will remain in place maybe not at current levels but a 75% reduction isn't realistic, the network still needs to be maintained and the the administration still needs to be supported (probably on PCs). Also you changed the salary for the one last IT guy and dropped the need for spare units (you say they will be replaced "immediately" but since it's the equivalent of a child not having a book spares will have be on hand).

But more importantly you glossed over the fact that PC is purchased once. If a purchased Windows based PC can currently be bought for $500 (your number) but can be used for say 5 years (schools are cheap they'll get at least that out of them) the hardware cost alone of PC is $500 versus $28 X 12 X 5 = $1680 for the Chromebook. You are right, the fuzzy numbers you threw out will be pitched but a lot of people will see the sales guys are blowing smoke up their asses (they may have a shot with ISDs that currently lease PCs).