It’s been a year since the first Chromebooks shipped. While one might argue that it hasn’t been that long since then, and that Google has yet to release the devices’ official sales figures, we wondered whether a time might come when we could utter the word “Chromebook” in the presence of a not-so-tech-savvy consumer and not be looked at like we’re speaking in Klingon. We talked to a handful of tech analysts, as well as a consumer tech expert, to find out what exactly is a Chromebook and if it’ll ever gain traction with the general public.
Chromebook 101
You can think of a Chromebook as Internet-dependent laptop that starts up super fast (roughly 7 seconds, or a fraction of the time it takes to boot an old Windows computer). They’re relatively lightweight and powered by Google’s Chrome operating system. The device’s name gives you a clue of what kind of OS it uses, and the only app natively stored that runs on the device is a browser. Everything else is composed of Web apps (email, photos, documents), or apps that run while you’re connected to a network. Of course, this means there’s very little you can do on the Chromebook without Internet access. The high point about everything being saved on the Web is that you’ll have access to it from any computer. Plus, if your Chromebook ever bites the dust, you won’t have to worry about losing all your apps, documents, and settings.
The Chromebox, the Chromebook’s desktop computer counterpart, also requires an Internet connection to work. Clearly, a desktop computer is more likely to be connected to the Internet at all times than its mobile Chromebook cousin.
Hindered by the need for Internet access
Most Chromebooks can connect to the Internet via both Wi-Fi and 3G, but until there’s 24/7 worldwide Internet connection with zero downtime, the fact that the Chromebook needs to be connected to fully function remains a real hindrance to its more widespread use. Unlike smartphones and tablets with apps that you can use well enough without Internet access, most of the apps on Chrome OS become useless in the absence of a connection. “I don’t see [Chromebooks conquering 50 percent or so of the desktop and laptop market] within the next five years,” said Gartner Distinguished Analyst, Ken Dulaney. “Networks are not high speed everywhere and [are] sometimes non-existent.”
You can still use a Chromebook in the absence of an Internet connection as long as you download offline versions of Web apps, such as Gmail Offline. The offline Web apps selection, however, is pretty limited, and at this point in time, not robust enough for you to ditch your main computer for a Chromebook.
Lowered prices might not help
The first Chromebooks were priced in the $300 to $400 range. Considering there are many similarly priced Windows laptops that aren’t limited by Internet access, this sounds quite expensive. In October this year, Google released a $249 Samsung Chromebook powered by an ARM chip instead of the usual Intel processor that lives inside other Chromebook models. According to Ross Rubin, Principal Analyst at Reticle Research, “the adoption of ARM has numerous benefits, and that’s why that processor architecture has been embraced by Apple and Microsoft as well as Google for its platforms.” Rubin said other benefits include “longer battery life, slimmer form factors, and lower prices.”
The use of ARM processors, however, doesn’t impress ABI Research Sr. Practice Director, Jeff Orr. “The addition of Intel-based Chromebooks alongside the ARM-powered Chromebooks available now will not inherently make the user experience better,” he said. “Since Chromebooks require Internet connectivity for basic operation, the performance of Web connectivity will really be the determining factor.”
More recently, Google announced an Acer Chromebook, which, in spite of being powered by an Intel processor instead of ARM, costs only $199. While already very reasonably priced, it still failed to win the hearts of our interviewees. “[The] starting price of $200 is a boon for the budget-minded, but I tell folks to keep their expectations low along with that price,” said consumer tech expert, Jenn Jolly. Aside from pointing out the obvious limitations of Chromebooks, Jolly adds that the lowest-priced Chromebook she has handled “feels very plastic, the screen is low-quality, and the sound is subpar.” The more expensive Chromebooks, she says, are better, but their prices make them hard to sell.
Chromebook as a second computing device
With all the limitations mentioned, it’s hard to imagine people choosing a Chromebook as their primary computing device. ”I would consider getting an inexpensive Chromebook as a secondary device to throw in my gym bag, or use while I’m on the road,” Jolly told us. But ultimately, she considers the $200 Google Nexus 7 and the similarly priced Amazon Kindle HD better gadgets overall.
What can Google do?
What can Google do to entice more people to spend their hard-earned money on a Chromebook instead of on a tablet or on a full-featured laptop? Rubin believes that for this class of devices to become more popular, “more Web apps, richer Web apps, and better offline functionality” are needed.
We agree. How about you? Now that you know what a Chromebook is, what feature will make you want to snatch one up?
I agree with Lation Jensen – The article left out some major points (more and more great web apps coming available, the extend of ubiquitous internet access, details of the built in 3g option, more and more offline capability). I’ll add to this by saying the article also has an awful lot one-sided quotes – some of which are ludicrous, ie, “…she considers the $200 Google Nexus 7 and the similarly priced Amazon Kindle HD better gadgets overall”. The Kindle? are you kidding. Hey, its great for reading books (I have one), but in terms of other content consumption or (insert laughter here) content creation, there is no comparison. The Chromebook is immeasurably superior. I have the Samsung Series 5 550 – and I love it. With the exception of my 9-5, I have abandoned MS for Chrome OS – and I have no reservations. I even often supplement my Windows work machine with my chromebook because its so much faster at booting, can read my exchange email in Gmail before it is delivered to outlook, adds another screen, and can use Google drive to quickly view docs of any kind (including MS Office). From Google Docs, to gmail, to other productivity applications such as Gantter, Springpad, Aviary, and numerous other great web apps (more and more of which are in fact becoming functional offline due to html5) there is very little need for Windows or Apple OS. With the price point decreasing and as Lation mentions, the ever improving OS , I’m quite sure the author and all the quoted sources here have very little practical experience to base their opinions on.
I totally agree with you fogdog. This article is very misleading and I’m glad I didn’t read it before I bought a Chromebook for my mother. The “expert” lost all credibility with me when she compared a laptop with a tablet. My mother is a grandmother and plays games, emails and browses. She wants no part of any tablet without a real “keyboard” (she used to be an executive secretary). Me? I never have to get a call saying “the computer crashed, help”, “I think I have a virus, help”, “it says I have to update, help”, “the computer got stolen and I didn’t backup, help” . “your chromebook got broken, stolen, eaten mom? Here’s $200″
The thing is, I already got a Chromebook! Have not found myself in a disappointment yet. I don’t see why more people havn’t already snatched em up. The article left out some major points, such as the fact that it’s always automatically up-to-date and cannot get any type of malware or virus in anyway whatsoever unlike every other OS.
It can get viruses, Just because no one has made a virus that works on a chrome book does not mean it cannot get a virus.
You know they said iPhones and Macs could not get viruses, And what happened?
Back to the Cromebook, What kind of Specs does it have?
@MRHACKER95 : Chrome OS is built from the ground up with security in mind, and all data on the SSD is encrypted. As with any computer, it’s only as secure as its user, but overall, a Chromebook is the most secure device currently available to the public.
http://dev.chromium.org/Home/chromium-security
And what is that supposed to mean? Nothing is impossible, Security was meant to be cracked, and Sooner or later it will.
The ‘experts’ are increasingly out of touch, and getting more and more misleading in their prejudice against Chromebooks.
When they first arrived, I thought they were overpriced, would suffer from lack of wifi availability, and a lack of usuable software – not to mention widespread ignorance and suspicion of ‘the cloud’.
But – unnoticed by the ‘experts’, things have moved on.
Wifi availability really is not a problem any more – millions of tablet users will attest to that.
Price isn’t a problem any more – the new Chromebooks compare favourably with tables, and offer much more in usability. A tablet is great to consume movies, books, etc, but very limited for work, creation of any kind.
The software issue is still there, but rapidly improving. Once I can get decent FTP and HTML editing, I’ll be home free.
Tablets are great for many things, but not enough for some of us; but a tablet + Chromebook means no more need of weighty laptops, and for many of us, little or no need for a desktop.
I’d like to see a sales graph; but my suspicion is that Chromebook is coming of age. If the ‘experts’ hadn’t invested so much hype into Ultrabooks, perhaps they’d be more supportive.
The new Samsung ARM Chromebook and the Acer C7 have been pretty much sold out since their introduction. At this time (December 7), Chromebooks occupy 3 of the top 10 spots (1, 7, and 8) on Amazon’s betsellers list.
I own both a Chromebook and a Nexus 7 tablet, and there is simply no comparison in functionality. The Nexus, like all tablets to date, is an adult toy, good for certain types of consumption and little else. Its greatest asset is that I can slip it in a pocket. The Chromebook, on the other hand, has become — by far — the most used computer in my household, and travels with me everywhere. The two devices complement each other, and are cheap enough to own one of each, but if I had to choose, the Nexus would lose.
its cheap and it does internet thing and ohh its got a keyboard .. wat else … i will take not more than 0.5 seconds to say “NOTHING” !!!!!!
well u get a cheap device to do internet thing .. but to just carry a big device with me like to gym or when on road … hell no .. why do i own a smartphone anyways ????. Absolutely not useful
Its got a keyboard .. so what ????? i can get a bluetooth keyboard for less than 20 bucks for any latest tablet or phone. … Selling point number 2 .. failed !!!
web apps vs tablet apps …. really ??? no point here
u would still need another device called ..yeah .. “THE ACTUAL LAPTOP” to do most of the things .. so why dont i just get a laptop which is as big as this (if size is wat really matters to people) .. say get a ultrabook which actually does 500000 times better job than this.
and it boots less than 10 secs … seriously !!! … how many times would u shut down a device in a day or say in a week ????? me zero times. 95% of the users just lock their devices and unlocking device takes less than 10 secs …. another selling point fail from google.
I absolutely see no use in this so called “Laptop” from google. Dont even know why r they wasting time on this.
Only thing that could make this device appealing is to get on real android OS on this .. make ur android optimized so that it runs on chromebook as well (as they combined the tablet and phone OS in Ice cream sandwitch) … give the users get more functionality … 249 for only a browser ….i would not buy it or rather would not use it even if i got it free !!!!
What feature? It’s a got a keyboard, with a cursor! I just ordered one, and the reason is because I want to do email and other on-the-web typing while I’m sitting in my family room. I don’t want to lug around my Windows laptop for that, and editing on an iPad I find to be a terrific pain-in-the-neck. So the Chromebook looks to be the best solution. I’ll find out, lol.
Really glad I found this product review of the Chromebook! I was almost going to get one, but thought I would check out what others’ experience of it was like. There are a few posts in various forums and blogs that talk about it being cheap, but too dependent on internet connection.
I guess its aimed at a particular market in that respect, but thanks Mariella, you’ve saved me some cash, and not just by your post, but the comments that have come with it have convinced me to hold on for a little longer.
The new Samsung ARM Chromebook and the Acer C7 have been pretty much sold out since their introduction. At this time (December 7), Chromebooks occupy 3 of the top 10 spots (1, 7, and 8) on Amazon’s betsellers list.
I own both a Chromebook and a Nexus 7 tablet, and there is simply no comparison in functionality. The Nexus, like all tablets to date, is an adult toy, good for certain types of consumption and little else. Its greatest asset is that I can slip it in a pocket. The Chromebook, on the other hand, has become — by far — the most used computer in my household, and travels with me everywhere. The two devices complement each other, and are cheap enough to own one of each, but if I had to choose, the Nexus would lose.
My Asus Transformer TF101 with keyboard has MORE functionality than a Chromebook, cost less, and has more apps. And, I can go to a regular tablet in a second. I just can’t see buying a Chromebook.
do u need two devices really ???? and u must be owning a smartphone too and a laptop too … OMG thats just too many man too many
No smart phone because I’m too cheap to sign up for a data plan. I have a $20 Tracfone that costs me $100 a year. The Chromebook IS my laptop. I also have a 7-year old desktop iMac, which mostly gets used as a print server.
The Chromebook (3G model, which came with 24 months of data in the price) + Nexus cost me $550.