Chromebooks - good idea or no?

[Jimbo]

Paul Carvel wrote:

Television to brainwash us all and the internet to eliminate any last resistance

.
I recently detailed my frustrating travails with my PC system freezing when using the internet. Which set me wondering if using a different computer for web use, separate from my workstation, might be a sensible option. Those eager guys at google must have read my thoughts because they're just about to launch a couple of netbooks with their new OS installed to do just that.

Wondered if the teccies on here had any opinions about this yet? Good idea - or too many eggs in google's ever-expanding basket?
http://www.google.com/chromebook/#features

I have no affiliation with google. As if ... !

Jim

[e-richard]

Here is an interesting perspective on the Chromebook.

The reason I say interesting is that all the negative points made in that article are exactly why you should buy it for the purposes that you describe as a second computer.

Now, I am a self confessed Google fan. I use Chrome as my browser of choice cos its fast, slim and neat. I use gmail as my email interface of choice, and for business purposes, I like sharing docs with google-docs.

With this experience behind me, I would suggest that you do NOT buy a Chrome book - yet! Google has a nasty habit of releasing too early. It will take a year to iron out all the glitches before its ready for consumers - as opposed to early-adopter geeks.

But, finally, I'd suggest you review your original premise of two separate computers. I must confess I don't understand why you experienced the problems that you described earlier, I cannot help feeling that they should be repairable, but only you can decide if the (in)convenience of having separate computers for apparently separate tasks is workable. After all, would you recommend that I ditch my DSLR with zoom lens, which is quite bulky and replace it with three simpler cameras each with their own fixed length lenses ?

[Jimbo]

Interesting stuff, Richard, thank you.

... would you recommend that I ditch my DSLR with zoom lens, which is quite bulky and replace it with three simpler cameras each with their own fixed length lenses ?

Actually, that's not as silly as it sounds! It's become received wisdom that a fully-armed digital SLR with massive zooms, endless programmes and starship megapixels is essential for the serious photographer. The technical aspects of photography have never been easier but I can't detect any increase in the quality of the work. Many of the world's greatest photographs, which echo down the ages, were produced with (what is now considered) the simplest of equipment. Henri Cartier-Bresson (who every photographer wanted to be when I started out) only ever shot on a small 35mm Leica with a 50mm lens.

This retro-style camera has caused much excitement recently in the professional world.
http://tinyurl.com/4fbpc4l

Jim

[vrooje]

Jimbo, I don't blame you at all for wanting to separate browsing from work, to the extent that's possible for you.

If I were shopping for myself, I'd probably end up with an iPad after seriously considering the Chromebook, mainly for the reasons cited by Richard and the PC World article, and because I currently split my worship time roughly equally at the altars of Google and Apple.

I haven't checked the thread on your technical web issues recently -- has that been resolved? What was the issue? I ask because it seemed at the time like there was a decent chance it would turn out not to be web-related at all. If your primary motive in buying another computer is avoiding this problem again, and the problem turned/turns out to be a bad hard drive, the new gadget won't help you with that.

Still, it's not a terrible idea to have a light and portable machine with only basic functionality to serve as a backup should your primary workstation fail for any reason. If that's all you want it for, I'd advise picking the lowest-price gadget that is good enough to last you a couple of years -- and it sounds like that's a netbook at the moment.

But is that all you want it for? In your case, I might actually recommend the iPad because of the gee-whiz effect it could have when you use it to show potential clients a slick slideshow of your portfolio. If you occasionally have a use for that, it could translate into a signed contract and extra income for you. But even if that specific example doesn't apply, it's worth asking the question: what else can you use a secondary gadget for that might make it worth a few extra Euros?

[Jimbo]

If I were shopping for myself, I'd probably end up with an iPad after seriously considering the Chromebook, mainly for the reasons cited by Richard and the PC World

Until recently, I firmly and rigidly believed that I could only have a powerful computer, located in an conventional office, that would do everything - picture editing, emailing, FTP'ing, web accessing - and that portable toy-like iPads - and other such devices - were designed only for frivolous and non-professional uses. So, thank goodness for problems. Without trying to solve them in new ways, I'd still be living in a dank limestone cave (so prevalent around here!), with hungry bears and wolves as playmates.

Thanks, Brooke, for your helpful input.

Jim

[la vache!]

Jimbo,
One of my guests who stayed recently was a pro photographer and he had an iPad with him. He found it really useful for displaying the photos he took. I don't think they are such a frivoulous purchase as I did when they originally came out. Also, there are probably plently of second hand ones available now the iPad 2 is out as all the Apple geeks will want the new version.

[Jimbo]

LV, yes. I know that some photographers are now using lightweight iPads and the like when visiting new clients and touting for work rather than humping around the traditional monster 'book' full of sumptuous prints.

Wondered if the new iPad 2 is a significant advance on the previous model? There do seem to be plenty of refurbished and guaranteed examples of the original model on the market (although not particularly cheap).

Jim

[la vache!]

Wondered if the new iPad 2 is a significant advance on the previous model? There do seem to be plenty of refurbished and guaranteed examples of the original model on the market (although not particularly cheap).

Jim

The guest I was chatting to said there weren't any significant differences apart from it being thinner, lighter and a slightly longer battery life (which was already pretty long with the original iPad).

[Gwion]

You get more bang for your buck with a laptop.
Chromebooks are too expensive. IPads are too expensive.

(This is my mantra. Dam you apple and your aluminium sleekness. Can you tell that I really really want an IPad.)

[marcus]

More or less relevant to how chromebooks work was a good quote in Time magazine this week:

The best thing about cloud computing is that word: cloud. Telling consumers their data is in the cloud is like telling a kid his dog has gone to doggie heaven. There is no doggie heaven, and your data isn't in a cloud. It's in a windowless, fortress-like data center somewhere in the rural U.S.

Read more

[Hells Bells]

BBc breakfast on Sunday were not impressed.