SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
$600 Chromebooks are a dangerous development for Microsoft
Among the new hardware launched this week at IFA in Berlin are a couple of premium Chromebooks. Lenovo's $600 Yoga Chromebook brings high-end styling and materials to the Chromebook space, along with well-specced internals and a high quality screen. Dell's $600 Inspiron Chromebook 14 has slightly lower specs but is similarly offering better styling, bigger, better quality screens, and superior specs to the Chromebook space. These systems join a few other premium Chromebooks already out there. HP's Chromebook x2 is a $600 convertible hybrid launched a few months ago, and Samsung has had its Chromebook Plus and Pro systems for more than a year now. And of course, Google's Pixelbook is an astronomically expensive Chrome OS machine. These systems should cause ripples in Redmond.
[...] Lenovo reps told us that its new Chromebook was developed because the company was seeing demand for Chromebooks from users with a bit more disposable income. For example, new college students that had used Chrome OS at high school and families who wanted the robustness Chrome OS offers are looking for machines that are more attractive, use better materials, and are a bit faster and more powerful. The $600 machines fit that role.
And that's why Microsoft should be concerned. This demand shows a few things. Perhaps most significantly of all, it shows that Chrome OS's mix of Web applications, possibly extended with Android applications, is good enough for a growing slice of home and education users. Windows still has the application advantage overall, but the relevance of these applications is diminishing as Web applications continue to improve. A browser and the Web are sufficient to handle the needs of a great many users. No Windows necessary, not even to run the browser. Second, this demand makes clear that exposure to Chrome OS in school is creating sustained interest in, and even commitment to, the platform. High school students are wanting to retain that familiar environment as they move on. The ecosystem they're a part of isn't the Windows ecosystem.
Finally, it also shows that Chrome OS's relatively clean-slate approach (sure, it's Linux underneath, but it's not really being pushed as a way of running traditional Linux software) has advantages that are appealing even to home users. The locked down, highly secure Chrome OS machines require negligible maintenance while being largely immune to most extant malware. And the platform's cloud syncing means that even chores like backups can be largely avoided. Microsoft may be trying to offer the same with Windows, in particular Windows 10 S-Mode, but it's going to take a rather more radical change to Windows to really rival Chrome OS in this regard.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday September 04 2018, @09:12PM (7 children)
If I were considering this, my big fear would be that a Windows device potentially CAN RUN windows applications. Even if it can't, it's still Windows OS.
Another factor is that Microsoft is a monopolist, and for the longest time had charged monopoly prices because they could. They can't now. But they did. There may be people old enough to remember this and just plain don't like Microsoft having felt screwed by them at taxpayer expense. If there weren't the competitors then they would be getting shafted with monopoly pricing again.
Someone somewhat technically informed might realize that much of what Google does is open source.
Chrome built on Chromium.
Chrome OS built on Chromium OS. (built on Linux)
Android built on an open source "android" (built on Linux)
Now while Google controls the proprietary bits, if Google were to become as abusive as Microsoft, it is much easier today for others to rise up and build a competitive platform, creating competitive price pressure. This never was able to happen in the Windoze daze.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Tuesday September 04 2018, @09:29PM (6 children)
I don't like Microsoft. But I don't like Google either. Instead of getting screwed by paying too much for inferior Microsoft software, we're going to all get screwed by a company that bases its business on ruthlessly destroying privacy.
Chrome OS in education will take users into GMail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Drive - all proprietary. You can replace Chrome browser but the real killer feature for Chromebooks and the real problem with using them is the Google cloud, and few schools will have the money or interest to run their own cloud or pay for an alternative. I'm far less upset at the use Chromebooks than I am at the Google cloud. If a school bought Chromebooks but used their own login system, some sort of mass OwnCloud (or even better, the also open source sandstorm.io service software) email, and set the search engine to something like duckduckgo or similar then it would be fine.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday September 04 2018, @09:52PM (4 children)
The primary use of a chromebook in school may be to access software that provides assignments. Quizzes. Tests. Reading material. Courseware.
Not primarily Gmail, Google Docs, etc.
The kid can't get away with an excuse like: Windows 8 my homework!
Here's a new chromebook, log in, and all your hard work (or lack thereof) is there. And the teacher can see it and know what you need help with.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Wednesday September 05 2018, @02:17PM (3 children)
My kids with their Chromebooks are using Google Classroom for most of their school work.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 05 2018, @05:04PM
Interesting. I have never seen it, nor do I know anything about it. But it probably vacuums up information.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 05 2018, @05:05PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Classroom [wikipedia.org]
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 05 2018, @05:07PM
It looks like Google will have a more complete picture of a person's entire life. All the way back to school days, assignments, grades, etc. Still not a complete picture from birth though.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Thursday September 06 2018, @08:08PM
Is it even possible to divert Google apps to another cloud?
-- hendrik