We have a copy of the Google Chromebook. It is the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook. The first thing is that there is no desktop. It is browser-top. It uses Chrome web browser and of course the OS is Chrome. This is nothing but a thin client or zero client where they make you to emulate your screen while your data is resident in a server somewhere. A Google staffer who has one gave it to us last night to play with. We will buy one from Amazon tomorrow when it officially releases.
It has all the usual features in a typical notebook- the display, the battery, Atom processor and 2GB Memory with SSD of 16GB.
According to Google, Chromebooks are built and optimized for the web, where you already spend most of your computing time. So you get a faster, simpler and more secure experience without all the headaches of ordinary computers.
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To us, this is a notebook without the usual hard drive. They want you to migrate from the standalone PC to something that is connected in a cloud with all storage services in the cloud.
True, Chrome books up in 8 seconds. It ramps up to the web either through Wi-Fi or 3G. The cool stuff is that the images look sharp. All data is in the cloud. No HDD. You need to get use to this monster because all those My Computer are history. We like the 12.1 inch LCD. It looks very nice. Setting it at 1280 by 800, the stuff comes out cleanly and nice.
We are working on a full post which will be up this weekend when we can spend more time with Chromebook. We are getting one. Time was not enough to get all the facts, but the coolest part of this machine is that it is up in 8 seconds. That is the innovation.
The major weakness we have seen in Chromebook is the fact that developing nations could suffer. Most of the applications need Internet connection. Maybe Google has to figure out a way to make them tank when not online.
No judgement and over the weekend we will compare Chromebook with PC. Check Tekedia over the weekend and you will see Tekedia Chromebook in action.