Beta vs. Development Channel

I've seen some posts since the last update about users of the new Google Chrome CR-48 notebook computer wanting to return to the Beta channel because the latest update broke a number of things that people like to use a lot.
So, let's recap what the Beta and Development channels are and some facts about them. When you select the wrench icon in the tool bar you are presented with a menu of choices.  One of those choices is "About Google Chrome."  Selecting this will bring up the settings window with an open dialog with some information about the installed versions of Chrome OS and Chrome browser.  There is a link to "More info..." which will change the view to a presentation where there is more information about a number of things, such as WebKit version and javascript engine version.  There is also a dropdown here where you can select the Beta channel or the Development channel.
If you select the Development channel, you will be given a warning about the development channel being where things are newest and therefore more susceptible to breakage. If you then press the "Check for update" button, your CR-48 will find the newer version in the development channel and begin the download/update process.  When this is completed (which can take a while since some updates are large) you will be notified that the CR-48 is restarting, and when it does, you now have the latest development build installed.
Now here is where you might decide that you are not real happy with the development build because something no longer works.  Well, there is some good news!  Almost...
You can switch back to the Beta channel by going through the same steps listed above. The almost is mentioned because you won't actually revert to an older version of the OS. You will only get a new version of  the OS when the version in the Beta channel is newer than what is currently installed on your CR-48.  So, you will be stuck with what you have until the bugs are ironed out and a new build is completed and tested and moved into the beta channel.
So, is there no hope if you are completely disgusted with the current build?  No, not really, but you have to be prepared to do more work.  Look in the Google Chrome forums for instructions on how to revert the CR-48 to the factory build.  It will involve downloading an image onto a USB drive and burning that image into the CR-48's memory.  I haven't tried that, and while the instructions are step-by-step, I don't know if it's something a non-techie individual might be tempted to do.

So, if you like cutting edge builds and want to be the first to try out new features, go ahead and grab the update from the development channel. Just be aware that there may be some bumps along this road and be prepared to accept them.

Let me know if you have questions!

Related articles

• Switching to the Dev Channel in Chrome OS (thechromesource.com)
• Where Can I Download The Different Google Chrome Builds? (ghacks.net)
• "Stable, Beta Channel Updates" and related posts (googlechromereleases.blogspot.com)

My Google CR-48 Chrome OS Experience to Date

Image by lewong2000 via FlickrOkay.  I gave you a link to a quick overview of what Chrome OS is and how and why it was developed.  You can install the Chrome OS on a desktop machine, a notebook or a netbook computer.  But the purpose of this blog is to talk about my experience with the Google CR-48 notebook since I was lucky enough to be selected for the Pilot Program and received a CR-48 to use an evaluate the Chrome OS as a platform.

So today a little about Chrome OS on the CR-48.  Since the OS is very small, boot time is very short.  From a completely powered down state to ready to use is a scant 14 seconds or less.  The user interface, which is in essence the Chrome browser, is sleek and fast.  Support for Flash is included and the OS handles almost all file types flawlessly.  The browser-like interface is tab-oriented, and as you may have read in the Chrome OS comic, each tab is a separate process so that anything that happens in one tab is isolated from the rest of the interface.  This is great for security and safety.

Since the basic premise of the Chrome OS is that everything should live in the cloud, it's important, actually necessary to have an internet connection when using the CR-48.  WiFi is the preferred method, and Google has also arranged a 100MB/mo. contract for each CR-48 with Verizon Wireless.  So you have no reason not to be connected so that you can use your notebook computer.

The interface has a wrench icon in the toolbar area which is used to do such things as open a new tab or a new window, or an incognito window (no history, cookies, etc., making you unknown.  It's also the way the OS does the "guest" user login.), or editing functions like copy/cut/paste.  You'll also find the tools entry where you manage extensions and browsing data, open the javascript console or the task manager.  There are entries for history and download managers, and an options entry.  The options entry is where you can configure some very basic settings for the OS, like home page, wireless and cellular connections, languages, timezones, users and more.  There is just enough here to customize the interface to your liking, but not so much that it is cumbersome or confusing.

The user interface itself seems very snappy, using the latest version of WebKit and a highly optimized javascript engine, and pages draw quickly and accurately.  A little further down the road, I'll provide some links to interesting speed tests and demonstrations that highlight the speed of the engine.

Once you get the CR-48 up and running and configured to your liking, it's time to add extensions and Web Apps to provide the functionalities that you are most likely to use.  In upcoming articles I will journal my experiences with some of these extensions and web apps, explaining why I chose them, what I think of them, and whether or not they have made it into my list of currently installed apps/extensions.

Thanks for reading.  Please leave comments if you see something you like or dislike, and share with your friends who may have a bad case of CR-48 envy.

Related articles

• Google CR-48 Mini Review (chris.pirillo.com)
• Here's The Cr-48, The First Chrome OS Laptop You Can Never BUy [Cr48] (gizmodo.com)
• Chrome OS notebook CR-48 (marketing.fm)
• Cr-48 Shipments to Resume, Applications for Pilot Still Open (thechromesource.com)