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I totally understand this - but it doesn't mean I like it. I could get through having two podcast apps on my Android (Google Podcasts, Google Play Music) that

I totally understand this - but it doesn't mean I like it. I could get through having two podcast apps on my Android (Google Podcasts, Google Play Music) that give me notifications for my podcasts, with no plans on phasing out one or the other. I could get over having two different music apps - Google Play Music and YouTube Music - because it seemed like there might actually be a plan here - albeit we haven't heard anything in ages. I could get over having two email apps - Inbox and Gmail - because I knew Inbox was just an experiment that was going to be a tease of cool features that may / may not be ported over...therefore I tried not to take the bait. I could get over having a bunch of different messaging apps - I didn't like it, but 95% of my messages are SMS texts anyway, so it didn't impact me. The FINAL straw was falling in love with a PixelBook that I bought during the Black Friday sales, as I moved into a role in an org that was 1) deeply invested in G Suite and 2) allowed me to do all my work from the browser - making the Chrome OS concept finally fit for me. THEN Google closes that part of their hardware division. Now I just have angst over _any_ Google product / service that isn't the core that I use and "know" knock on wood won't go away (Search / Gmail / Chrome). Android wear? Google Home? Hell, I was seriously finally moving to a Pixel 3, as the tight integration with some Chrome OS features on my PixelBook would've been ideal - but I can't even trust that the Pixel phone line will last that much longer.

Wowfunhappy 8y ago
> The FINAL straw was falling in love with a PixelBook that I bought during the Black Friday sales, as I moved into a role in an org that was 1) deeply invested in G Suite and 2) allowed me to do all my work from the browser - making the Chrome OS concept finally fit for me. THEN Google closes that part of their hardware division. The PixelBook isn't going to stop getting security updates any time soon, so if it was a good machine before the division was closed, why is it a less good machine now?
- sooheon 8y ago
  What do you think the half life of most electronics is? Why do you think so many people get anxious about Apple "abandoning" the Mac? A trickle of security updates does not make a well supported and thriving product line.
  - Wowfunhappy 8y ago
    You should be purchasing hardware based on whether the current model looks good, not what model may be next in that product line. The latter is pointless and largely impossible. Chrome OS itself isn't going anywhere.
    - mrmuagi 8y ago
      Not entirely. If the ship is sinking (no future development) it's highly likely things like warranties, support, maintenance, etc -- are also sun setting or degrading in quality -- in a sense that most of the brightest and keen individuals in those departments have routed or been reassigned, leaving lack lustre or not as motivated people behind. I kind of speak from both sides of this, I had some audio hardware I bought but one day they went radio silent (404 site so presumably belly up), so future support was dead along with all their support drivers. Another was an internship I did at a hardware company where there was just maintenance patches being applied to the product, and it was depressing.
    - bad_user 8y ago
      How the product looks is a very superficial criterion. As developers we understand the value of the ecosystem and we want to invest in products that last longer that one or two years. Also I own Apple and Thinkpad laptops that are between 1 and 7 years old and all of them are still working fine. Laptops last longer than smartphones so you want to ensure the platform will be supported for the next 10 years. Can you honestly say that Google will support Chrome OS for the next 10 years? Personally I doubt it.
      - rifung 8y ago
        > Can you honestly say that Google will support Chrome OS for the next 10 years? Personally I doubt it. I work for Chrome OS, opinions are my own. I think yes it will be supported because Google is trying very hard to diversify its revenue streams and Chrome OS actually makes money and is still growing quickly. Note that Chrome OS is an entirely separate PA (product area) from Hardware.
- addicted 8y ago
  What if the machine gets lost or damaged? You've invested in a platform that you now don't have the same kind of access to anymore.
  - steelframe 8y ago
    I just checked eBay and found about 150 Pixelbooks, 17 of which are in "Open Box" (a.k.a., pretty much new) condition. I also found 12 refurbished 120GB Zunes. My brother still drives a perfectly functional Pontiac G8, and he has no trouble finding parts for it when he needs to. You either can either move on to the current-generation technology or buy an old working gadget from someone else. You're never without good options.
datguacdoh 8y ago
You're basing that on pure speculation so be careful what conclusions you're drawing from it. Chromebooks have historically gotten very good support, even though they tended to be relatively underpowered - the pixelbook isn't so I wouldn't expect support to stop anytime soon.
- s3r3nity 8y ago
  I don't know if it counts as speculation when a number of outlets are reporting on 'roadmap cutbacks,' including asking employees in the Pixel group to look for other roles. [1] Is it 100% confirmed? No, but that's part of the brand trust referenced in the original post: where there's smoke, there is probably fire, and it would be beneficial to brand trust if Google provided a longer-term roadmap for these products. Before someone comments "Why doesn't Apple need that type of roadmap?": because Apple has the hardware brand trust that, say, the iPhone isn't going to go away next year simply because the engineers working on it wanted to create an iMessage competitor. [1] https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/03/13/google-hardware-jobs-shifts-goog-pixel-create.html https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/03/13/google-h...
  - glenrivard 8y ago
    Google added 2000 hardware head count with the HTC acquisition. Some roles were moved. Pixel book is not going anywhere and they are adding to the list with the Atlas. It was one organization that speculated incorrectly and others picked up.
- StaticRedux 8y ago
  The entire point of the original article is that Google's constant killing of products makes everyone fear what will be next, bc even seemingly popular products get killed off for little to no reason. The entire point of this article is that Google's own actions are fanning the flames of this speculation.
rifung 8y ago
> The FINAL straw was falling in love with a PixelBook that I bought during the Black Friday sales, as I moved into a role in an org that was 1) deeply invested in G Suite and 2) allowed me to do all my work from the browser - making the Chrome OS concept finally fit for me. THEN Google closes that part of their hardware division. FWIW Chrome OS is a separate PA (product area) than Hardware so Hardware closing whatever division likely has very little impact on the support for your Pixelbook. I am also sad about that though as I really like the Pixelbook =[

Wowfunhappy 8y ago

> The FINAL straw was falling in love with a PixelBook that I bought during the Black Friday sales, as I moved into a role in an org that was 1) deeply invested in G Suite and 2) allowed me to do all my work from the browser - making the Chrome OS concept finally fit for me. THEN Google closes that part of their hardware division. The PixelBook isn't going to stop getting security updates any time soon, so if it was a good machine before the division was closed, why is it a less good machine now?

sooheon 8y ago
What do you think the half life of most electronics is? Why do you think so many people get anxious about Apple "abandoning" the Mac? A trickle of security updates does not make a well supported and thriving product line.
- Wowfunhappy 8y ago
  You should be purchasing hardware based on whether the current model looks good, not what model may be next in that product line. The latter is pointless and largely impossible. Chrome OS itself isn't going anywhere.
  - mrmuagi 8y ago
    Not entirely. If the ship is sinking (no future development) it's highly likely things like warranties, support, maintenance, etc -- are also sun setting or degrading in quality -- in a sense that most of the brightest and keen individuals in those departments have routed or been reassigned, leaving lack lustre or not as motivated people behind. I kind of speak from both sides of this, I had some audio hardware I bought but one day they went radio silent (404 site so presumably belly up), so future support was dead along with all their support drivers. Another was an internship I did at a hardware company where there was just maintenance patches being applied to the product, and it was depressing.
  - bad_user 8y ago
    How the product looks is a very superficial criterion. As developers we understand the value of the ecosystem and we want to invest in products that last longer that one or two years. Also I own Apple and Thinkpad laptops that are between 1 and 7 years old and all of them are still working fine. Laptops last longer than smartphones so you want to ensure the platform will be supported for the next 10 years. Can you honestly say that Google will support Chrome OS for the next 10 years? Personally I doubt it.
    - rifung 8y ago
      > Can you honestly say that Google will support Chrome OS for the next 10 years? Personally I doubt it. I work for Chrome OS, opinions are my own. I think yes it will be supported because Google is trying very hard to diversify its revenue streams and Chrome OS actually makes money and is still growing quickly. Note that Chrome OS is an entirely separate PA (product area) from Hardware.
addicted 8y ago
What if the machine gets lost or damaged? You've invested in a platform that you now don't have the same kind of access to anymore.
- steelframe 8y ago
  I just checked eBay and found about 150 Pixelbooks, 17 of which are in "Open Box" (a.k.a., pretty much new) condition. I also found 12 refurbished 120GB Zunes. My brother still drives a perfectly functional Pontiac G8, and he has no trouble finding parts for it when he needs to. You either can either move on to the current-generation technology or buy an old working gadget from someone else. You're never without good options.

datguacdoh 8y ago

You're basing that on pure speculation so be careful what conclusions you're drawing from it. Chromebooks have historically gotten very good support, even though they tended to be relatively underpowered - the pixelbook isn't so I wouldn't expect support to stop anytime soon.

s3r3nity 8y ago
I don't know if it counts as speculation when a number of outlets are reporting on 'roadmap cutbacks,' including asking employees in the Pixel group to look for other roles. [1] Is it 100% confirmed? No, but that's part of the brand trust referenced in the original post: where there's smoke, there is probably fire, and it would be beneficial to brand trust if Google provided a longer-term roadmap for these products. Before someone comments "Why doesn't Apple need that type of roadmap?": because Apple has the hardware brand trust that, say, the iPhone isn't going to go away next year simply because the engineers working on it wanted to create an iMessage competitor. [1] https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/03/13/google-hardware-jobs-shifts-goog-pixel-create.html https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/03/13/google-h...
- glenrivard 8y ago
  Google added 2000 hardware head count with the HTC acquisition. Some roles were moved. Pixel book is not going anywhere and they are adding to the list with the Atlas. It was one organization that speculated incorrectly and others picked up.
StaticRedux 8y ago
The entire point of the original article is that Google's constant killing of products makes everyone fear what will be next, bc even seemingly popular products get killed off for little to no reason. The entire point of this article is that Google's own actions are fanning the flames of this speculation.

rifung 8y ago

> The FINAL straw was falling in love with a PixelBook that I bought during the Black Friday sales, as I moved into a role in an org that was 1) deeply invested in G Suite and 2) allowed me to do all my work from the browser - making the Chrome OS concept finally fit for me. THEN Google closes that part of their hardware division. FWIW Chrome OS is a separate PA (product area) than Hardware so Hardware closing whatever division likely has very little impact on the support for your Pixelbook. I am also sad about that though as I really like the Pixelbook =[