10 Things you Can (and Can’t) Do with the Google PC

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Thinking about picking up a Google PC when they come out? NetworkWorld has a list of ten things you can (and can’t) do with a Google PC.

You can: Get online fast. Open up the notebook and within 12 or 13 seconds you'll get to the password screen. Type in your password, hit "enter," and you'll be in the Chrome browser after another 15 seconds, and the computer will automatically connect to a wireless network. This is fast, compared to my Windows 7 ThinkPad.
Click to expand...
 
Wait, that's fast? My plain old Lenovo X200T (with an IDE drive, not an SSD) restores from sleep to desktop/apps in far less than 30 seconds.
 
Arainach, it's fast. If one person is too impatient to wait the 20 seconds it takes, they need to go find another field that requires nothing to do with computers.
 
Wait, 30 seconds to get online is fast? My Thinkpad takes about 39 to get to Chrome (with wireless connected by the time that's up), and at least 15 of that is spent in the BIOS. Get rid of that, and it'd be PDQ. Resuming from suspend is about 3 seconds; you can start typing your password before it has a chance to turn the display backlight on. Plus, mine has a caps lock key!

In short, not impressed. Call me when they do something Ubuntu doesn't do out-of-the-box.
 
Seems very limited, can only open a few file formats, can't watch HD streams, Can only tether to android phones

So, what is the point of this netbook? If you don't use google docs, then there isn't a whole lot you can do on it besides surf the internet
 
Arainach said:
Wait, that's fast? My plain old Lenovo X200T (with an IDE drive, not an SSD) restores from sleep to desktop/apps in far less than 30 seconds.
Click to expand...

If you read the article then you'll realize its not from sleep... The below is the next sentence in that paragraph.

The Chrome OS prototype is also blazingly fast when it comes to exiting sleep mode.
Click to expand...
 
I have a feeling that this is going to be a huge failure.

I honestly can see who would use this over a windows (or even a straight linux) laptop. These things make the ipad look like a super computer :D
 
k1pp3r said:
Seems very limited, can only open a few file formats, can't watch HD streams, Can only tether to android phones

So, what is the point of this netbook? If you don't use google docs, then there isn't a whole lot you can do on it besides surf the internet
Click to expand...

The point is to tie you to a Google-centric world, as opposed to a MS-based world.
Hence the Android only-tethering, inability to work offline, etc.

Not saying it's for everyone, but it's a logical follow-up to Google apps and Google cloud storage.
In that context, it's essentially a thin client for Google's infrastructure.

If you are an organization who has gone to Google Apps for your office suite needs and gmail for your email provision, something like this is a real viable alternative to Dell, Lenovo, etc.

The sandbox aspect is also real attractive in that same context.

The end result for a lot of small educational or non-profit organizations is very low infrastructure costs.
This can be the deciding factor as to whether or not that organization continues to exist.
 
Sounds like a netbook that can only do 1/3 of the tasks of a netbook. I see netbooks for $200, so this is gonna be $70 right?
 
I actually find this interesting. Basically it is a laptop that can not get screwed up. You can install stupid apps to mess it up, you can not delete anything, you can not get viruses. Everything is done online. You can hit all the social networks, watch your YouTube videos, play your online games, get your G-mail, do you searches, run Google maps. This is 99% of what kids do. If it lets you import pictures and videos for Picasa and something like Open Office and maybe a simple drawing program and calculator, then you are set.
 
You Can: Browse the Web (except Flash media).

You can't: Do anything else you would expect to be able to do with a computer.

Fuck cloud computing.
 
Linux fans think windows is too restrictive windows fans think mac is too limited.

Google decided to take both those ideas and make a very restrictive and limited netbook! ofc it's pretty secure but i can get a windows machine pretty secure if i prevent the user from doing 80% of what they want.
 
I like it!

I'm torn between this and a Zacate based Windows Netbook next year. I think I may just go for ChromeOS (especially if it comes with hardware as pure and elegant as google's prototype).
 
You can: Print. The new Google Cloud Print will let you print wirelessly from your Chrome OS device, provided that you have previously set up the service through the Chrome browser on your Windows machine. Google says Mac and Linux support is coming soon.
Click to expand...

HALLELUJAH! I CAN PRINT!

YAY!
 
What are they thinking? It's like the netbook version of a console except no good games.
 
I dont think you can install windows on them (google pc i mean lol) from videos I've seen it does not look like there were any bios prompts on anything to setup a usb boot drive or anything.
 
Ham is gross! Best sandwich is these chicken nugget style things... Only eat ham if theres some kind of apocalypse and everythign else edible (soil, grass hair) is eaten up.

scutzi128 said:
I dont think you can install windows on them (google pc i mean lol) from videos I've seen it does not look like there were any bios prompts on anything to setup a usb boot drive or anything.
Click to expand...

Usualy on most OEM systems you need to hit a key (del, f11, f10 usually one of the f keys) then it goes to the bios. Then change boot priority, stick in the USB stick and off you go.
 
scutzi128 said:
I dont think you can install windows on them (google pc i mean lol) from videos I've seen it does not look like there were any bios prompts on anything to setup a usb boot drive or anything.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it will be "rooted" and then you can do whatever you want with it. I'm sure there isn't a whole lot of storage on it though.
 
Am I going to have to be the first to ask if it will blend?
BlendTecPic.jpg
 
I personally see it taking off. When it gets a proper media player/viewer, with improved flash performance, it satisfies most of the needs of a netbook. It can't get viruses or get botched up beyond repair, doesn't need to waste battery with an antivirus, and remains numbingly simple to use. These "web apps" will in short order become bonified apps with google's planned native code from browser implementation.
It's like an app store netbook done right. Apple is lagging behind just like the pre Microsft monopoly days. They innovate an interesting concept on a specific platform, and another company comes and perfects it.
 
I like it. This current internal version is obviously not even fit for early adopters, but it's showing the way.
Windows is just overkill for a netbook, all applications, games and OS utilities for netbooks should be web-based now.
This will push developers to write web apps that will transcend every operating system. Even with sync'd offline documents, the computer would really not need much storage space, just a few SSD chips integrated to the netbook motherboard, which would be great to have on desktop mobos too by the way.
But I suppose it will rarely go offline, even less as years go by and WiFi/3G/other become prevalent.

I'd like to see how I can play my own media files, like @serbiaNem said. I use my netbook 75% for web browsing, chat or Google Docs, the rest of the time playing music or movies.
Chrome OS is probably a great way to give a second life to old XP netbooks like mine, even better if it can be installed in dual boot so testers have a fallback solution.

A GPS chip should be mandatory, you could use it to direct you on Google maps or skype while driving. Audi's new A6 has a GPS system that will automatically shift into lower gear as you close by a bend. There's tons of geo-based apps that could be written for netbooks, not just smartphones, like a tab to show you constantly where you are and what's around. Imagine all the petrol we would save if we could drive directly to exotic and rare items such as S&M or male hookers? ^-^ We haven't seen the full potential of such apps yet, my bet is that companies involved in this kind of software will be the ones to watch and invest into, Windows and Office dinosaurs are doomed and even their offsprings are not viable.
 
I see this working in high school and college environment. Already in alot of highschools they are encouraging kids to use google docs if they do not have msoffice. Also, the majority of the features this OS lacks is things that students should not be doing at school anyway.
A school near me loaned their entire highschool ipads. I see all their students one of these as being 100x better, because they can do research and type papers on it, as well as use email and just about everything else the student would need from a school supplied computer.
It would save the schools so much on software licenses. And yes they would still have the photoshop and more advanced computer labs for specialty programs.
 
as a google (and Linux) fanboy I have to agree with the general sentiment in this thread.... I really don't see these things being all that useful... especially when you can get a netbook for around $200 that does so much more...

Chrome OS really is a slap in the face of people like me that simply wanted google to put out a grown up, Windowed Android, with mouse and keyboard support for the general PC market

that woulda fucking rocked....
 
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