What Will The Expanding World of ChromeOS Mean For Windows? 263
Nerval's Lobster writes "Hewlett-Packard is the latest PC manufacturer to jump into the Chromebook game, whipping the curtain back from a 14-inch device loaded with Google's Chrome OS. Powered by a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, and touting roughly 4.25 hours of battery life, the HP Pavilion Chromebook follows in the footsteps of other Chromebooks released by Acer and Samsung over the past few months. While these manufacturers continue to produce devices loaded with Windows, the growth of Chrome OS could spark some worry among Microsoft executives, who have become used to their hardware partners operating as Windows-only shops. But is Chrome OS a true threat to Windows, or just a way for manufacturers to gain some additional leverage in negotiating with Microsoft over licensing fees and other matters?"
Of course it's a threat! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Windows 8 (Score:5, Interesting)
MS aren't doing themselves any favours. If Windows 8, Windows Mobile, Surface and the planned changes to Small Business Server are anything to go by, it appears their new hobby is committing economic suicide. That's a pretty big threat to Windows and I know a lot of Windows server administrators who are starting to get nervous.
Re:The Year of the Linux Desktop arrives? (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't get why they're pushing ChromeOS (I mean I do but it's fail).
We want a fucking Android Desktop flavor.
Linux hardware support + big company with lots of OEM friends and lots of capital to put towards ironing out issues + a popular platform everyone knows and trusts = death to windows.
Re:Windows? (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd otherwise have agreed with you, but I'm starting to see change. A guy I know who works for the US government (probably the organization you'd expect to leap on board new tech trends *last*) reports his new CIO is aggressively investigating Google products, google hosted email, and so on.
If that's true, there's hope. Face it: Microsoft was a real innovator in the early 90s. Maybe even the late 90s. And for a while there, Microsoft software was useful in ways other software was not.
That age ended long ago, and increasingly Microsoft finds itself struggling to catch up. They have no mojo with the "young" generation, and since Windows/Office has produced no software worth writing home about. Google now has enough brand name recognition even the most easily scared/reticent CIOs can suggest Google products without fear of getting "the blank stare."
Good times for everyone. Bad times for Ballmer (who should've gotten his ass thrown out the Microsoft door - or is it a window - many, many years ago). That guy is sinking the Microsoft ship.
Re:Evolutionary Niche (Score:5, Interesting)
Chromebooks are going to be a big hit in education. I work in schools and am testing a Samsung right now. The battery life on it is rated at 6 hours, which will get you through a school day with no charging. Add to that, many school districts are taking advantage of Google's free Apps for education domains, which gives you the same version of Google Apps that businesses are paying for.
For as low as $250 on some models you get a device that does 95% of what students need to do with it, lasts all day without charging, has a screen big enough to satisfy most kids and has a full keyboard.
What's not to like?
Good riddance to instability (Score:3, Interesting)
People just want something that works and requires little to no maintenance to maintain stability. That's why Android phones and tablets have been very successful globally. On the other hand, just performed a clean install of Windows 8 Pro and while it's noticeably less laggy than Vista it still brings the headache of instability.
Re:Windows? (Score:2, Interesting)
Yes, my company laptop uses Windows 7. But I did not pay for it. I use Outlook because it hooks into their email system that combines scheduling and tele-conferencing.
Everything else is open source because I have that choice. My development work is all on Unix.
Microsoft isn't going anywhere
Everyday, I am hearing of more and more people using an iPad or and Andoid tablet as their daily working machine. Sure, they still have that Windows desktop, but many days, it isn't even turned on. How much longer will the wallets of that 'office environment' be willing to shell out for an unused system?
So in a few years, can I quote you about MS?
Re:The Year of the Linux Desktop arrives? (Score:4, Interesting)
I have it running on my dell mini 10v and android on the laptop is amazing.
And fast. Fast, fast, really fast.
I'm running the AndroVM flavor in VirtualBox, and, hey, I like my phone (a little bit) but damn, JellyBean boots in a couple seconds on my laptop.
Re:Evolutionary Niche (Score:5, Interesting)
you'd have thought they could've done better than a Celeron and 4.25 hours of battery life
Look at the newest Samsung one, then: ARM processor and 6-8 hours battery life. I have one and it's a great little piece of equipment. ... and the 10" form factor was terrible. Screen too small for keeping at arm's length, and don't even get me started on the reduced-size keyboards.