05-16-2011, 11:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Ed Bott's Five Reasons Why Google's New Chromebook Isn't a Windows Killer
"At Google's I/O conference this week, the audience erupted into cheers when they heard the news that they were getting a free notebook powered by the Chrome OS. It's too bad that the audience was filled with developers instead of the IT pros who Google is counting on to actually buy these things. Something tells me that the latter audience would have been sitting on their hands for most of the session, and they wouldn't have been swayed by that Oprah moment." 
Ed Bott comes out guns-a-blazin' against Google's Chromebook - and he has some very legitimate points. If you're an enterprise, the last thing you want is a product that gets updated immediately before you have a chance to test what impact the upgrade has on the tools your employees use. The pricing is also a big question mark - $28 a month over three years is $1008. For a consumer, that makes no sense. For a business...it depends if they can save other costs around software licensing (anti-virus, Microsoft Office), hardware replacements, and IT labour re-imaging systems that get borked. The thin-client computing dream has been around for a long time, just like the tablet dream has, but as we've seen with raging success of the iPad, when the technology reaches a certain inflection point, things can take off. Is thin-client computing at that stage now? I guess we'll see!
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05-17-2011, 04:04 AM
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Executive Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,471
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Ed Bott doesn't like something that isn't manufactured or in some way connected to Redmond?
Stunning.
Also added to the same list of stunning:
Water is wet.
Ice is cold.
Fire is hot.
Rocks are hard.
I have to say Ed Bott is one of the most untrustworthy sources of anything. He's about as useless as Rob Enderle.
His criticisms here are so meaningless that they're laughable. Chromebooks fit the use case for so many people that it's idiotic to argue they're worthless; people just have to try one and most of the time it'll fit them.
Remember the iPhone? Bott wasn't keen on it and said no one would buy the original because it didn't have Flash and apps. He even told people to buy the extended warranty because it would be riddled with hardware issues. He also argued that soft keyboards would mark the iPhone's demise. Yeah, that happened, Ed. Not only did Apple do well with a soft keyboard, but every single manufacturer did the same thing. Way to go!
(He revised the Flash comment eventually, and by eventually I mean in 2010; 3 years later).
FAIL.
He didn't like the iPad either, but he did praise its use of apps over MS's basically unused Tablet PC platform. If I remember correctly he pointed out on Twit that it would be a flop and Apple would do well to learn from Microsoft's failing in the space.
To date, there are millions of iPads out there and every company is knocking them off trying to be the next "us too" tablet provider.
FAIL.
He's been saying for YEARS that some big outbreak of Apple malware is going to happen. YEARS. Every year, it's "next year" and "soon." Every once in awhile when he's up against a deadline and needs a linkbaiting story, he writes about Apple's lax security and future of being as riddled with malware as Windows machines. To date, there are ZERO exploits out there, save for a few that require a user to download an app, install it, run it, and ignore the OSX password prompt, and the "downloaded application warning." Frankly, if you're that determined to get malware on your own system, what OS will stop you?
FAIL.
I know Windows folks love Ed Bott, and that's fine, but that man hasn't been right about pretty much anything in years. He's Rob Enderle with better credentials, and he linkbaits people into reposting his tripe. He's the Daniel Erran Dilger of the Windows world. Or maybe the John Gruber of the Windows World, only slightly (and I do mean slightly) less detestable.
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Current Apple Stuff: 24" iMac, iPhone 4, AppleTV (original), 4gb Shuffle, 64gb iPad 2.
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05-17-2011, 08:43 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent Ferrari
Ed Bott...
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Sweet Mother-of-All-Diatribes Vinny! I haven't seen you get that excited in a long time.  Regardless of Ed Bott's track record of predictions, I think he has some valid points. Google faces a significant challenge in taking on Microsoft.
Here's another point of view on the same subject:
http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.co...k-windows.html
I hope you don't hate Michael Mace as much as Ed Bott and give it a read with an open mind. 
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05-17-2011, 08:51 PM
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Executive Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,471
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I hate Ed Bott for two reasons...
1. He's an unabashed Microsoft fanboy who won't admit he's an unabashed Microsoft fanboy. At least folks like Dilger and Gruber wear their biases on their sleeves.
2. He, like most tech pundits, thinks "what would I do with this? Oh, nothing? Then it's useless!" If I gave a Chromebook to my father, he would never need anything else. In some ways it's even more computer than he needs. Same goes for my in-laws. Same for my nephew. Hell, 9 times out of 10, same for me! Google is trying something new and I really wish people wouldn't take a dump on it before it's in people's hands.
Also, as to his track record of predictions, I just have to wonder: how many times can you be wrong before people say "wait, this guy has no idea what he's talking about," or, more appropriately for Bott, "Is this a bad product? Or is it a bad product because it wasn't churned out of a back office in Redmond?"
Bott, Dilger, Gruber, and Thurrott are all in that camp just on different sides and that's why I can't stand any of them.
And I have no problems with Michael Mace. Just sayin.
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Current Apple Stuff: 24" iMac, iPhone 4, AppleTV (original), 4gb Shuffle, 64gb iPad 2.
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05-17-2011, 09:02 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent Ferrari
And I have no problems with Michael Mace. Just sayin.
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Well then I hope you read his article and we can have an interesting discussion about the topic rather than individuals. 
I personally think that tablets like the iPad, Android tablets, etc. have a better chance of being able to eventually challenge the traditional desktop operating systems. Hell, I'm sitting here in a public library with my iPad 2 and a Bluetooth keyboard typing this message. If you'd asked me even a year ago if I felt like the technology would be ready for me to do this, I'd have said no.
The difference between my setup here and a Chromebook? I'm using the browser for some things - yes - but I have the power of real apps, local storage, local processing power, etc. The premise of the Chromebook relies on fast, always-available bandwidth, and that's still not a reality, even after 10+ years of the tech industry acting like it is. Yes, I know Google has some offline mode solutions, but I'll believe it when I see it.
I get that some people live in a brower 95% of the time and the Chromebook might be perfect for them, but just like voice recognition programs, it's that other 5% that can cause a lot of frustration and cause people to stop using something.
Personally I'd *love* for you to get one of these for one of your relatives and report back on how it goes. I find this stuff fascinating!
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05-17-2011, 09:22 PM
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Executive Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,471
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
The difference between my setup here and a Chromebook? I'm using the browser for some things - yes - but I have the power of real apps, local storage, local processing power, etc. The premise of the Chromebook relies on fast, always-available bandwidth, and that's still not a reality, even after 10+ years of the tech industry acting like it is. Yes, I know Google has some offline mode solutions, but I'll believe it when I see it.
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I've seen the demos and it works pretty well from what I've seen. Is it perfect? No, but I don't think, aside from some special cases, we're in the wheelhouse of their usecases.
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I get that some people live in a brower 95% of the time and the Chromebook might be perfect for them, but just like voice recognition programs, it's that other 5% that can cause a lot of frustration and cause people to stop using something.
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Except that the 5% probably isn't a frustration for a lot of people.
For example, most people don't edit videos they upload to Youtube; they just dump 'em and up 'em. In Youtube, you can now edit them (in a basic fashion) so even if you did want to trim the front and back and add a title, you could. Photos? easy enough to share. If I think about my use cases, video editing and photo editing, at this point, are the only things I do on my computer that aren't in a browser. I could probably not only get by on a Chromebook; it would probably save me hours of aggravation. Hell, my Dm1z, which you know how much I love, is pretty much a Chromebook running windows for me.
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Personally I'd *love* for you to get one of these for one of your relatives and report back on how it goes. I find this stuff fascinating!
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I think I need to.
I was thinking of something else.
Suppose you wanted to get every Thoughts Media writer a chromebook. Yes it's spendy, but it's your hardware, and it's centrally managed AND it includes hardware replacements. Not a bad deal, no?
And that's just one idea.
Look, it's not for everyone, but I think as people's perceptions of what a computer needs to do change, the Chromebook is paving new ground. It may fail, but it'll start something. Just the way Tablet PCs flopped and now everyone owns a tablet. It just takes time :-)
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Current Apple Stuff: 24" iMac, iPhone 4, AppleTV (original), 4gb Shuffle, 64gb iPad 2.
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05-17-2011, 09:38 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 639
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Really, you have to look no further than Bott's #1 issue to know that this just plain can't work. Even if you're not on a 3-year cycle, this is > $300 per year. For a web browser. I'm sorry, but this whole concept was dead from day one. Or at least day two. And not because "overcoming the Microsoft juggernaut" is impossible, but because this is the wrong tool and the wrong model. Release an Android-based notebook with cheap, tablet-targetted hardware (scaled up in size to make it even cheaper) for $250-$300 and you might have some potential to (eventually) unseat Microsoft in many use cases. THIS is (as Vinny chanted regarding a person and not a product) FAIL.
His #2 issue is bunk. Microsoft does auto-update. Apple does auto-update. The point only holds water in enterprises, and then only assuming that Google is stupid enough to force it. 3 and 4 are "duh" points, but again related to using the wrong tool. 5 is again only a valid point for enterprises, but IS valid--security is FAR more than viruses. Mace's article is good, but the laser focus on Docs' shortcomings almost drains it's credibility a bit.
Vinny, there is no doubt that this could work for 80% of the folks out there 90% to 95% of the time. But that's the rub. The other 5% to 10% of the time you WILL need more. I got my Mother-in-law an iPad the last time she needed a new PC. And a keyboard and the photo connector and the iLife apps and everything else I could think of that she might need to truly replace her PC. Surely if anyone could get by with a lower powered PC, SHE could. And she does. 90% of the time. But she has to revert to using her 5 year old Gateway laptop when it's time for her to write a document or edit photos or create a photo slideshow or burn a photo disc or, well, you get the picture. She still needs the PC. Which means that it is a PC (or Mac) companion, not replacement. And this is an iOS device with FAR more capability than these Chromebooks (not to mention more portable and less awkward to use for everything but document creation).
Oh, and my soapbox, regarding "instant-on," does nobody use sleep mode for cripes sake?!? My Win 7 PC and my MacBook resume in 2-3 seconds from a state that consumes miliwatts of power. And viruses are yesterday's problem. Win 7 + Microsoft Security Essentials has removed this issue from every parent and in-law computer I maintain. Let's get past these and deal with today's issues.
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05-31-2011, 07:07 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 202
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In general, I can't say that I really agree with Ed, especially on his second point regarding automatic updates. His example uses Chrome itself, not Chrome OS! That isn't even applicable!
I received a CR-48 from Google in December, and since I had just purchased my own netbook, I figured that the CR-48 could go to my wife. Before our marriage, she was at her parent's home (we aren't very far out of high school) using Macs. The CR-48 has been a perfect fit for her. I can say that it has been 100 percent reliable, update after update. I haven't had a single tab crash, much less anything worse.
Windows on the other hand has a terribly annoying update process. Ever turned on your computer to get something done, and ended up waiting 10 minutes for updates to install at boot? Not on the CR-48.
Also, GOOGLE TESTS EVERYTHING THROUGHLY BEFORE YOU GET IT. C'mon people! It's Google!
Also, the connectivity issue is bogus. I'm a college student working at a pizza place, and I have an Android phone with no data plan. That's right, no data plan. I've got WiFi everywhere I go. If your corporate building doesn't have enough AP's to blanket your whole building, you need to fire your IT staff and start over.
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Joel Crane
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