Chrome OS Help

In anticipation of everyone getting new Chromebooks over the next couple of weeks, Google has made their Chrome OS page public.  Previously, this page was reached by those of us with CzR-48's by pressing the Help item in the wrench menu.  The page has changed a little bit to reflect the new name Chromebook instead of CR-48 and a few additions.

Check it out here:
Chrome OS Help

Samsung Chromebook: Hands-On Visual Tour -- InformationWeek

The first look at the new Samsung Chromebook.  Pretty sweet looking piece of tech.  I still think they're a little overpriced though.  I though Chrome OS based netbooks would come in at about the $200 price mark.  While the Samsung entry is pretty sleek (can you say Mac-book like?), I don't think the higher price($500) is justified.

We'll see what the market will support.  In the mean time, head over here to take a look at the pretty pictures:

Samsung Chromebook: Hands-On Visual Tour -- InformationWeek

Top 10 reasons Chromebook will forever change corporate laptop use | Enterprise Features

With just over 1 week to go until the general availability of the Chromebook (Acer and Samsung versions) running Chrome OS, there is this article to peruse listing the Top 10 reasons that the Chromebook is a great idea for corporate use.

Top 10 reasons Chromebook will forever change corporate laptop use | Enterprise Features

Company Backing the Chrome OS Model

A story from a company which has embraced the Chromebook to get work done.  Hear how they have determined that Google Apps give them everything they need to run their business:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt579RU7Ot0&feature=player_embedded

Chrome OS 12 — AKA: The Shipping Version — Hits Beta

Chrome OS version 0.12.433.38, which is essentially the version that is expected to become the stable channel version, recently was promoted to the Beta channel.  Read this article at TechCrunch to see their opinion:


Chrome OS 12 — AKA: The Shipping Version — Hits Beta

Next-gen Chrome OS build hits Google's Cr-48 notebooks - Computerworld Blogs

As I've mentioned before, I'm on the development channel which has had the changes mentioned in this Computerworld Blog, but this article is a nice synopsis of what was rolled onto the Beta channel over the weekend.  Getting very close to a stable channel release, I would think.

Next-gen Chrome OS build hits Google's Cr-48 notebooks - Computerworld Blogs

Why Chromebooks do have a role in your enterprise - JavaWorld

Now that the Chrome OS pilot program has been in existence for about 6 months, news of Chromebook releases from Samsung and Acer were announced at Google I/O 2011, and the technical press has been filled with reviews and opinions about the necessity of such machines.  As readers of my blog know, I'm a big fan of Chrome OS and my CR-48.  I have 2 laptops, a netbook, a MacBook and my CR-48 in the house, in addition to 2 desktop machines, and I use my CR-48 almost exclusively.  I think that the ability to use this machine as much as I do is a testament to the fact that most people use the internet primarily, and other, non-internet functions are secondary.  There are those who claim that the Chromebook becomes a paper weight as soon as you loose internet connectivity, but by the time these machines hit the market, I believe that Google will have the off-line capabilities ready to go, or very nearly so.  And what this means is that you can continue to work on your documents and email until you reconnect to the net, at which time the work you have done syncs to the cloud.  Read the following article from JavaWorld to get their take on the Chromebooks fit in the enterprise.

Why Chromebooks do have a role in your enterprise - JavaWorld

New Development Channel Update Fixes Some Problems

Image by lewong2000 via FlickrThere was a new Development Channel release at the end of last week (3/17) which for me has fixed a couple of glaring problems.  The previous release had the annoying habit of continually restarting every time I would bring it out of sleep mode.  It had something to do with reconnecting to the wireless network in my house, which is a problem that has persisted since I got my cr-48.  I would need to disconnect and reconnect my wireless in order to get any data.  And then the release came that would make my cr-48 crash completely while trying to reconnect to the wireless.  So, I'm happy to report that this release doesn't crash my cr-48 on wake-from-sleep, and even successfully reconnects to the wireless occasionally.  This is something that still needs some work, but it appears to be getting close to completion.

Another problem is that the location aware features of the cr-48 crash the cr-48.  If you try to use any extensions or apps that are location aware, the crash occurs.  Some examples are the full-page web app from the weather underground, and Twitter if you try to use location stamping on your tweets.  This problem has been around for the last two releases on the dev channel, so hopefully a fix is forth-coming.

Overall, the CR-48 experience is getting better and better.  I have noticed an increase in the speed and responsiveness of the system, with quick redraws on loading of web pages.  Flash-heavy pages still seem a little choppy, and scrolling with the track pad while loading one of these pages is jerky at best.  Scrolling with the down arrow key is much better.  Speaking of flash, the newer dev channel releases include to different flash engines: one called pepper and the "regular one."  In order for most flash pages to work, the pepper flash needs to be disabled.

Cloud printing still works well for me, but the about:flags print preview page is still broken.  Luckily for me, most of what I print is pdf, so I can already see what the printed output will look like.

The last couple of dev channel releases have also seen the addition of a widget in the status bar that looks like a little square.  Much has been asked and answered on many blogs as to the purpose of this widget.  It is, in fact, a window changer that becomes active when you have multiple windows open.  It somewhat mimics the task of the "next-window" button in the top row of the keyboard, but unlike that button, it will not display crosh shell windows when used.  So if you have a crosh window open, you still need to use the "next-window" button to see it.

Oh, one more thing:  the slideshow url still doesn't work, so you need to use the trusty file:/// url to see any screenshots or image files that you may have.  It will be nice when this is fixed; a lot of users are complaining that screenshots don't work, when in fact it is the slideshow functionality that is broken.

As alway, anxiously awaiting the next update to see what goodies it brings!

Related articles

• New Chrome OS update finally fixes the Cr-48's touchpad issues (engadget.com)
• Location-aware technology will be big trend for mobile advertising (creativedepartment.com)
• Google Chrome Dev channel update brings new logo to Linux (omgubuntu.co.uk)

My Thoughts on the CR-48 Hardware

Image by toprankonlinemarketing via Flickr

I thought I'd get the hardware specific post out of the way first, since this beta test project is not really a test of the hardware but of the software.  I'm sure that Google worked hard with their supplier to produce a minimal machine that would provide just enough functionality to be compatible with the operating system without incurring unreasonable cost.  If you were going to send out 60,000 free notebooks and destroy a dozen or so more for the sake of demoing the way cloud computing keeps your data safe, you'd probably want to keep the cost down too.

Well, there's been a lot written already about the CR-48 hardware specs and people's feelings about that hardware.  Google's Chrome OS notebook computer is a rather nondescript black notebook, weighing in at about 3.5 lbs.  It feels great in the hand with its slick rubberized surface which discourages most fingerprints.

For connections, there's a video out, a USB port and an SD card slot.  Add one headphone jack and there you have it.  Just enough to make if functional, but not a lot which is understandable given the nature of this machine.

Opening up the notebook causes it to immediately boot up, a process which takes about 12 - 15 seconds.  After initial user set-up and wireless or Verizon connections made, you're ready to go.  The display is bright and the viewing angle is quite good, although blacks tend to flare a bit when the angle increases.

I love the keyboard.  If you haven't heard, the keyboard has a few interesting changes.  The caps-lock key has disappeared and in its place you'll find a search key, which opens a new tab in your browser (which is the entire user interface in the Chrome OS).  The function keys have all been replaced with keys that provide functionalities like going forward and back in your browser, switching windows, muting or adjusting the volume and screen brightness.  The keys are chiclet style with great tactile feedback.  As a touch-typist, I found that I could type very easily and the absense of the caps-lock key didn't effect me at all.

The trackpad has been probably the most criticized part of this notebook.  I'm not sure I understand the problems people are having; I think it's more a case of getting used to the way the thing works.  Swiping with your finger moves the cursor.  Two finger swiping from top-to-bottom scrolls the window.  You can configure the touchpad to use tap-to-click, or you can physically depress the whole touchpad to click.  That is pretty cool.  Right clicking is achieved by using a two-finger click.  I think the most problematic part of the touchpad is the two-finger scroll, but I found a tip in another blog that works well for me.  Placing your thumb in the lower left corner of the touchpad and then using your index finger to swipe up and down on the touchpad will also activate the scrolling like the two-finger swipe.

Sound from the speakers is acceptable, and the built in webcam and microphone work as expected.  Finding web apps or extensions that utilize the webcam is a little hard, but more on that later.

Being that this is a cloud-based operating system, there is really no need for a hard disk, so there is none.  There is 16GB of on-board memory which should be sufficient for a slew of pictures or media files.  Just need a way to get to them (and more on this later).

WiFi works well; I had no problem connecting to several networks.  I've heard that WPA2 security doesn't work, but I haven't tried that out.  If someone could clarify that for me, I'd appreciate it.  The 3G connectivity to Verizon wireless (courtesy of the free 100MB data plan that Google arranged for the pilot program) also works very well.

The construction feels solid, with the hinge being firm with no looseness or wiggle.  All lines are clean and parts match up well.

So, to summarize, I like the hardware.  Once I got over the scrolling issue, I find I have nothing to complain about.  If something should come up, I'll post it here.
If you were lucky enough to get a CR-48, let me know if you agree with my assessments.  Everyone else: Since you won't be able to buy this exact product this might not mean much to you, but having an understanding of the hardware will make any further posts more understandable if there is a hardware aspect to the issue I'm discussing.

Next, we'll look into what Chrome OS is, and how it's trying to change the way we view computing.

Related articles

• Google Cr-48 Chrome OS notebook review (slashgear.com)
• Here's The Cr-48, The First Chrome OS Laptop You Can Never BUy [Cr48] (gizmodo.com)