Google Chrome OS Smartbooks to Hit this Month?
Do you trust the cloud?
It's been a while since we last heard anything about Chrome OS, Google's lightweight OS based on the open source Chromium OS. However, the rumor mill chugged into action yesterday as reports emerged that vendors will start showing off Chrome OS smartbooks later this month.
It's been nearly a year since Google lifted the curtain on Chrome OS. However, we've seen little of the operating system since then, and over the last few months, discussion about it has quieted down considerably. Bringing the OS back on stage is a Digitimes report that suggests we'll see vendors announcing "smartbooks" running the OS at the end of this month as well as a Google-branded notebook from the search giant itself.
Citing sources from component players, Digitimes reports that Google's Chrome notebook is expected to be manufactured by Inventec with initial shipments to reach 60,000-70,000 units. Google's own Chrome notebook is said to feature an ARM-based platform and will not be selling through retail channels. Google is expected to launch its notebook first, with Acer and HP launching theirs at the beginning of December.
Does the idea of Chrome OS interest you in the slightest or are you still wary of an OS that is largely web-based and relies on cloud storage? Let us know!
Source: Digitimes

no.
I'll take my local HDD, with my OS and data on my person.
I'm not interested in storing all my stuff in someone elses house and then needing their permission to access it.
Netbooks on their way out? Tablets cannot and will not take the place of a netbook. For starters, you can't input text fast enough with a tablet, making office work or even basic emailing nigh impossible on a tablet. Second, tablets are more expensive. Third, netbooks tend to run an OS that allows you to do useful things (Windows or one of many Linux distributions). The same thing can't be said of iOS or Android, which, no matter how great they are (especially Android) aren't suited to true work.
I think we will see a division of the market: people who want to get work done will buy a netbook, people who want a nice toy will get a tablet.
So question is, is Chrome OS really relevant?
no.
I'll take my local HDD, with my OS and data on my person.
I'm not interested in storing all my stuff in someone elses house and then needing their permission to access it.
Netbooks on their way out? Tablets cannot and will not take the place of a netbook. For starters, you can't input text fast enough with a tablet, making office work or even basic emailing nigh impossible on a tablet. Second, tablets are more expensive. Third, netbooks tend to run an OS that allows you to do useful things (Windows or one of many Linux distributions). The same thing can't be said of iOS or Android, which, no matter how great they are (especially Android) aren't suited to true work.
I think we will see a division of the market: people who want to get work done will buy a netbook, people who want a nice toy will get a tablet.
Finally netbooks will get a truly power efficient CPU rather than Atom. And if Chrome OS is written to be truly minimalist, it could be faster on an ARM than Windows is on x86...
While I certainly agree on the division, I feel there is a strong difference between a netbook and a notebook. My notebook I can get serious work done on, the keyboard is large enough and the screen resolution is high enough, my Acer Aspire one is good enough for email, surfing and basics, pretty much what a table is good for (which I probably will not buy unless there is some sort of real keyboard option).
What is the difference if you are emailing those same documents or storing them in your google account. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE, especially if you are already using gmail to host your e-mails!!!
Storing your documents in google docs keeps everything on a secure server, so you don't have to worry about your hard drive crashing and losing everything.
If more people understood how their data is handled, they might not be so paranoid about using cloud computing.
What is the difference if you are emailing those same documents or storing them in your google account. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE, especially if you are already using gmail to host your e-mails!!!
Storing your documents in google docs keeps everything on a secure server, so you don't have to worry about your hard drive crashing and losing everything.
If more people understood how their data is handled, they might not be so paranoid about using cloud computing.
You already have your stuff on someone's server. Your e-mail provider has any files or confidential information you've e-mailed or received.
Are you going to stop using e-mail? I think not!!
I have been gradually moving towards Linux, but with a pay component in the newest Ubuntu... who knows what the future will hold.
I had an HDD corrupt files on me, but it was a 15 year old HDD that I dropped a few times, but even so full reformat and used it for a few years more before i finally got rid of it
Twice. Both within the last 4 years, and not just a few corrupt packets or anything, they were totally unusable.
Consider yourself extremely lucky. There are always exceptions. I repair computers for a living and have seen more failed hard drives than I care to count. I've even had hard drives that I've purchased that were defective and failed within the first month of use.
I personally think cloud computing is a good thing, because you have redundancy, less system resources required, and you can access your files from any computer with internet access.
If you already use e-mail to send confidential information or files, then security is a moot point, because if a resourceful hacker wanted your information... they would find ways to access it.
I'm keenly aware of how cloud computing works, and I have to say it has its uses like e-mail, but for the rest of my personal data: photos, videos, games, homework, budget etc. They have no business holding that data.
My point in my post was if they decided they could cut me off from my data, or since it is stored on their servers they will have the ultimate decision in editing it, distributing it, and encrypting it. It is a very closed system I want no part of.
I'm more interest in the ARM-based netbooks...
I hear its gonna have Nvidia's Tegra 2, 2GB RAM, 64GB solid state storage, and 10.1 inch screen.
...Then combine it with an open source distro based on the Chromium OS project.
=> http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os
=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA5RQv9mBoY
(Chrome OS is based on it. Only difference is the "additional bits" and support Google provides with Chrome OS.)
As for cloud? I'm not really interested in that. I'm already using Linux on an x86 based PC. I just want to tinker with an ARM-based solution.
What do you have to pay for? Ubuntu One storage over 2GB? I guess that's normal, after all cloud storage is very expensive on their side. Or are you referring to the one (1!) paid piece of software in their software center? While I certainly see no reason to offer closed source, non free software in the software center, the cloud storage is perfectly justifiable.
Very few people need to do more than checking and replying to their emails, browsing the web and do some minor word processing like writing a letter or adding some quick numbers to a report while they are on the move. That's not something that requires a serious notebook, is it? A tablet can do the browsing and emailing, though it can't do that nearly fast enough without a physical keyboard, but word processing is out of the question...
A notebook is of course better, but I wouldn't want to use anything over 13" on the train...