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It makes sense if you think of what the purpose of Chrome OS is. The point is not to make inexpensive hardware to run any OS on. The point is not to create a

It makes sense if you think of what the purpose of Chrome OS is. The point is not to make inexpensive hardware to run any OS on. The point is not to create a new general-purpose open OS that people can build on. The point is to get people to put there stuff in the Google Cloud to become bigger Google customers. Period. That's why they make it difficult to dual boot and allow all your files to be wiped with a single key. That's also why anything you do on the Chromebook before you login to Google for the first time isn't saved. The point is to make everything on the laptop appear impermanent and to get you to think of the cloud as the place your digital stuff is actually stored.

tankenmate 12y ago
The issue at hand isn't the purpose, it never was. It is how it limits the purpose of the user, even after Google benefited greatly from said users (everyone who uses open source software contributes to it, small or large; using, coding, documenting etc). "Hi! Mind helping us for a bit? Thanks for helping us. Now, how about you stop doing that stuff that is useful to you and start doing some stuff that is useful to us?" Not a very good narrative.
- philwelch 12y ago
  If you don't want a laptop that does what the Chromebook is designed to do, then don't buy a Chromebook. What's the big deal?
  - EpicEng 12y ago
    I doubt the parent will, for the very reasons s/he expressed. Should we not discuss things we don't like?
moonchrome 12y ago
I'm actually wondering why would people spend money on a chromebook - the hardware is crap and the price isn't that great. If I was looking for a cheap portable web browsing device I'd get something like : http://www.onda-tablet.com/onda-v975w-quad-core-win-8-tablet-9-7-inch-retina-screen-ram-2gb-wifi-32gb.html http://www.onda-tablet.com/onda-v975w-quad-core-win-8-tablet... - that's a 10 inch Windows 8.1 tablet with 2048*1536 resolution, quad core atom and 2 GB ram for 220$. Throw in 20$ and you can find a USB case with keyboard. Portable, better performance, better screen, can be used as a "internet machine" with Win 8.
- Touche 12y ago
  > I'm actually wondering why would people spend money on a chromebook - the hardware is crap and the price isn't that great. Battery life. Most Chromebooks get good to great battery life and in my opinion good battery life is a requirement on any laptop; no matter how cheap. My experience with low-end Windows laptops is that the battery life is usually atrocious. 2-3 hours on my last one. If I want to be plugged in all the time I'll buy a desktop.
- jadeddrag 12y ago
  But is it locked to Win 8? Can you easily install ubuntu on it, or is all the hardware drivers closed source?
  - checkm33 12y ago
    No, it's not locked. But you can't install Ubuntu there (at least not easily). Google for "32-bit UEFI" if you need any more details about the sorry state of affairs with booting Linux on latest crop of Atom Bay Trail hardware. The only out-of-the-box working distro for it is "fedlet" - some obscure fedora 21-alpha fork.
    - hollerith 12y ago
      >Google for "32-bit UEFI" if you need any more details about the sorry state of affairs with booting Linux on latest crop of Atom Bay Trail hardware. There is at least one product with a Bay Trail CPU in it that runs Linux: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=19836 http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=19836. Unlike most Atom CPUs, the graphics driver for Linux on Bay Trail CPUs is completely open (like it is on Intel Core CPUs), which I guess makes it doubly sad that some manufacturers of products with Bay Trail CPUs in them are screwing up with the boot loader.
- untog 12y ago
  If you think that tablet is going to have the build quality of a Chromebook then you've obviously never spent much time with cheap iPad knockoffs before.
- 12y ago

tankenmate 12y ago

The issue at hand isn't the purpose, it never was. It is how it limits the purpose of the user, even after Google benefited greatly from said users (everyone who uses open source software contributes to it, small or large; using, coding, documenting etc). "Hi! Mind helping us for a bit? Thanks for helping us. Now, how about you stop doing that stuff that is useful to you and start doing some stuff that is useful to us?" Not a very good narrative.

philwelch 12y ago
If you don't want a laptop that does what the Chromebook is designed to do, then don't buy a Chromebook. What's the big deal?
- EpicEng 12y ago
  I doubt the parent will, for the very reasons s/he expressed. Should we not discuss things we don't like?

moonchrome 12y ago

I'm actually wondering why would people spend money on a chromebook - the hardware is crap and the price isn't that great. If I was looking for a cheap portable web browsing device I'd get something like : http://www.onda-tablet.com/onda-v975w-quad-core-win-8-tablet-9-7-inch-retina-screen-ram-2gb-wifi-32gb.html http://www.onda-tablet.com/onda-v975w-quad-core-win-8-tablet... - that's a 10 inch Windows 8.1 tablet with 2048*1536 resolution, quad core atom and 2 GB ram for 220$. Throw in 20$ and you can find a USB case with keyboard. Portable, better performance, better screen, can be used as a "internet machine" with Win 8.

Touche 12y ago
> I'm actually wondering why would people spend money on a chromebook - the hardware is crap and the price isn't that great. Battery life. Most Chromebooks get good to great battery life and in my opinion good battery life is a requirement on any laptop; no matter how cheap. My experience with low-end Windows laptops is that the battery life is usually atrocious. 2-3 hours on my last one. If I want to be plugged in all the time I'll buy a desktop.
jadeddrag 12y ago
But is it locked to Win 8? Can you easily install ubuntu on it, or is all the hardware drivers closed source?
- checkm33 12y ago
  No, it's not locked. But you can't install Ubuntu there (at least not easily). Google for "32-bit UEFI" if you need any more details about the sorry state of affairs with booting Linux on latest crop of Atom Bay Trail hardware. The only out-of-the-box working distro for it is "fedlet" - some obscure fedora 21-alpha fork.
  - hollerith 12y ago
    >Google for "32-bit UEFI" if you need any more details about the sorry state of affairs with booting Linux on latest crop of Atom Bay Trail hardware. There is at least one product with a Bay Trail CPU in it that runs Linux: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=19836 http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=19836. Unlike most Atom CPUs, the graphics driver for Linux on Bay Trail CPUs is completely open (like it is on Intel Core CPUs), which I guess makes it doubly sad that some manufacturers of products with Bay Trail CPUs in them are screwing up with the boot loader.
untog 12y ago
If you think that tablet is going to have the build quality of a Chromebook then you've obviously never spent much time with cheap iPad knockoffs before.
12y ago