At long last Google has finally unveiled their Chromebook, which has the potential of reviving the dying netbook industry (which Apple has mortally wounded thanks to the iPad).
While it’s great to see Chrome OS court the traditional laptop over the tablet, there are a few reasons why I probably will avoid purchasing one in the future (despite some of the positive reviews Chromebook is receiving in techland).Â
No Dreaded iTunes
As much as I personally loathe iTunes, it has become a necessary evil in my life as its one of the few (if only) tools available to properly update my iPhone.
Although there are many users with an Android device, chances are many of them boast iPod Touches (or even iPads) making updating their beloved Apple device impossible.
ChromeFail
Although I personally believe that Google Chrome is the best browser available, unfortunately not every site is designed to work elegantly in Chrome which may cause havoc for some users.
What happens if I need to access a website that displays the dreaded “IE Only” pop up window? (even if one uses the IE Tab extension?)
While most geeks would simply tinker away in order to “trick” the website, the masses may feel frustrated due to their inability to access a critical financial or government website (note: yes, their are still places that hold to the “IE only” faith).
Netbooks Are Cheaper (And Better?)
Honestly if one wanted the benefits of using Chrome without all of the setbacks of a Chromebook, one could easily purchase a Netbook for $300 instead of paying $500 plus for a Chrome only experience.
While doing so would mean subjecting ones self to a horrible battery life and a longer boot time, it would also allow a user to use iTunes (within reason) as well as alternative browsers just in case Chrome ran into any hurdles.
Is Chromebook A Viable Contender?
Only time will actually tell, although truthfully I do not see Chromebook’s gaining popularity anytime soon as people will view them as (expensive) netbooks with even more limited options.
While I do expect Chromebooks to sell very well within the tech bubble, the general population may forgo a Google blessed laptop in favor of iPad 2 (or even an Andorid tablet) as a secondary device.
Image Credit: Samsung
Originally posted on May 16, 2011 @ 3:04 pm
I want to Buy a Google’s Chromebook because Chrome OS is based on the open-source Chromium OS. Google Chrome operating system that provides a fast, simple, and more secure computing experience.
You are viewing the success of the Chromebook looking from the past vice the future. As you think longer term this concept begins to make more and more sense. I believe most of your issues will be resolved in time, at least partially.
1) Apple’s iPad will have over the air updating enabled in the next major update. 2) As the chrome browser continues to gain in populartiy and IE falls you will find less sites not suited for chrome. I may see one site every 6 months that does not render well in chrome. 3) Finally, the Chromebook is geared toward certain use cases at the moment. As the HTML5 gains traction and cloud computing in general matures the whole Chromebook concept will make much more sense.
Question is how long will Google support it if it is not an immediate success?