4 ms·

You're right in that Google isn't working in your best interest, they're working towards the interest of all of their users. While touch isn't ideal for your us

by jjcm 14y ago

You're right in that Google isn't working in your best interest, they're working towards the interest of all of their users. While touch isn't ideal for your use cases, it may be for some. Touch is a pretty bad modality for content creation, but it's very good for casual use/content consumption. You seem to be heavily putting down this laptop because it's touch enabled. It's simply another feature, at the end of the day this is still a laptop. It's not a negative to have it be there - it barely increases the cost of materials/construction. Was it a pretty boring/generic ad? Sure. Does it present anything that we haven't seen before? No, not really. But at the end of the day, it's cool to see Google pursuing new hardware ventures. The nexus line is absolutely fantastic, I would love to see that level of quality in a laptop, even if the laptop is only a netbook.

samstave 14y ago
Sure, I recognize that they aren't necessarily looking at my specific use case with this; what I am also saying is that I believe the depth of the use case scenario pool for touch screen laptops to be fairly shallow. Further, as a chromebook owner, I also am putting down the overall concept from a freedom of capability standpoint. While I am not putting down the engineering, aesthetics, and great job they did in crewing the chrome book, I think it is a mistake in thinking that a node on a point cloud is going to provide you the experience you have with a laptop. You may say "well that's obvious" So, assume that you agree with that, then, where are we heading with this: we still need a phone, a laptop/desktop, potentially another true tablet. So we are fragmenting the depth of information interaction and creation between all these devices. There are solid use cases for each class of device - but if we look at this device-scape further we realize we are building walls around particular behaviors. One might say: this is perfect for a teen user, kids, casual consumption at home. We already have devices that fit that need, so this just may further deepen the divide. One should start to think of google and Facebook and others along the lines of a television channel. (It's a weak analogy, but hear me out): Basically, we only have so much time per day to spend our attention. We are dividing that attention up between not only multiple services, but also multiple devices. We wind up with devices that we spend a bunch of time on that can be seen as more built for consumption than production. Honestly, if this box were focused on education then it would be much better. Rather than show me clicking a cgi jellyfish - show me a device that will create an instant adhoc classroom with many students. Click on a menu of topics, and show me classes hosted by teachers in that area, and connect me with the other students interested in that topic which are close to me, close to my age etc. If you're going to create a point cloud of devices - then think of all the things that could potentially tie those points into groups and provide an experience around that.
- joshred 14y ago
  I have a chromebook, a laptop and a desktop. I go to the Chromebook when I need something light and portable. The laptop is collecting dust.
  - samstave 14y ago
    Exactly, we divide our attention between so many devices. I have a work laptop 1, 2, 3, chromebook, android phone, iPhone, desktop 1,2, Mac mini, Mac book pro, and iPad. Most of these get some use during the week, but clearly I don't need this many devices. So which device combo is the right one? (Oh, and I have several large HP DL servers, but they are all powered off)
    - Achshar 14y ago
      >I have a work laptop 1, 2, 3, chromebook, android phone, iPhone, desktop 1,2, Mac mini, Mac book pro, and iPad. Your dev devices don't count. Only stuff that counts is the one that you use regularly.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
Narkov 14y ago
'You're right in that Google isn't working in your best interest, they're working towards the interest of all of their users.' ..where of course "their users" are actually their advertisers and not mom and pop.
- fpgeek 14y ago
  This oversimplification isn't useful and is getting old. If mom and pop don't use the new products Google comes up with, the advertisers will spend less money and/or eventually leave. The incentives are not so nearly misaligned as you suggest.
  - Narkov 14y ago
    Nope - everything comes back to advertisers (well, actually, money). If Google could make more money by not offering services do you think they would? Of course they would.
    - niels_olson 14y ago
      I have friends who have not taken jobs at google. I'm pretty sure their issue is allocating scarce engineers, not servers.

by jjcm 14y ago

samstave 14y ago

Sure, I recognize that they aren't necessarily looking at my specific use case with this; what I am also saying is that I believe the depth of the use case scenario pool for touch screen laptops to be fairly shallow. Further, as a chromebook owner, I also am putting down the overall concept from a freedom of capability standpoint. While I am not putting down the engineering, aesthetics, and great job they did in crewing the chrome book, I think it is a mistake in thinking that a node on a point cloud is going to provide you the experience you have with a laptop. You may say "well that's obvious" So, assume that you agree with that, then, where are we heading with this: we still need a phone, a laptop/desktop, potentially another true tablet. So we are fragmenting the depth of information interaction and creation between all these devices. There are solid use cases for each class of device - but if we look at this device-scape further we realize we are building walls around particular behaviors. One might say: this is perfect for a teen user, kids, casual consumption at home. We already have devices that fit that need, so this just may further deepen the divide. One should start to think of google and Facebook and others along the lines of a television channel. (It's a weak analogy, but hear me out): Basically, we only have so much time per day to spend our attention. We are dividing that attention up between not only multiple services, but also multiple devices. We wind up with devices that we spend a bunch of time on that can be seen as more built for consumption than production. Honestly, if this box were focused on education then it would be much better. Rather than show me clicking a cgi jellyfish - show me a device that will create an instant adhoc classroom with many students. Click on a menu of topics, and show me classes hosted by teachers in that area, and connect me with the other students interested in that topic which are close to me, close to my age etc. If you're going to create a point cloud of devices - then think of all the things that could potentially tie those points into groups and provide an experience around that.

joshred 14y ago
I have a chromebook, a laptop and a desktop. I go to the Chromebook when I need something light and portable. The laptop is collecting dust.
- samstave 14y ago
  Exactly, we divide our attention between so many devices. I have a work laptop 1, 2, 3, chromebook, android phone, iPhone, desktop 1,2, Mac mini, Mac book pro, and iPad. Most of these get some use during the week, but clearly I don't need this many devices. So which device combo is the right one? (Oh, and I have several large HP DL servers, but they are all powered off)
  - Achshar 14y ago
    >I have a work laptop 1, 2, 3, chromebook, android phone, iPhone, desktop 1,2, Mac mini, Mac book pro, and iPad. Your dev devices don't count. Only stuff that counts is the one that you use regularly.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

Narkov 14y ago

'You're right in that Google isn't working in your best interest, they're working towards the interest of all of their users.' ..where of course "their users" are actually their advertisers and not mom and pop.

fpgeek 14y ago
This oversimplification isn't useful and is getting old. If mom and pop don't use the new products Google comes up with, the advertisers will spend less money and/or eventually leave. The incentives are not so nearly misaligned as you suggest.
- Narkov 14y ago
  Nope - everything comes back to advertisers (well, actually, money). If Google could make more money by not offering services do you think they would? Of course they would.
  - niels_olson 14y ago
    I have friends who have not taken jobs at google. I'm pretty sure their issue is allocating scarce engineers, not servers.