This article sounds like someone who hasn't actually even used a chrome os device. The utility of the chrome book vanishes dramatically when you aren't on the web the notebook is useless.
As the guy in charge of the NYT web app said at a Google I/O session a few days ago "These are the worst web apps you'll ever see. Think about that.", implying that even the webapps that impress the most right now, are the worst we'll ever see and we should see much better ones in the near future.
This is just the beginning. Six or 12 months from now we should see a lot more web apps that use offline cache and be completely usable offline.
I love how you just need to "download" the Angry Birds web app in Chrome, and later you can play it directly just like you would play a native game on a PC, offline.
I don't understand how someone can count that as a downside, realistically.
That's like saying your browser doesn't do much if you're not connected to the net, or your fireplace doesn't work without wood. Of course it doesn't, why would it? Google's not misleading anyone about what a Chromebook can and can't do, you know going in that they're pretty much just web browsers.
And, to be fair, the things even come with 100MB of cell-network access each month for free (on the not-just-wifi versions anyway).
I am surprised to find a lot resistance to the idea of chromebooks on HN. They are not chasing the market. They are creating in a space that the market is only currently lukewarm. They are creating and letting the market move to them.
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This article sounds like someone who hasn't actually even used a chrome os device. The utility of the chrome book vanishes dramatically when you aren't on the web the notebook is useless.
As the guy in charge of the NYT web app said at a Google I/O session a few days ago "These are the worst web apps you'll ever see. Think about that.", implying that even the webapps that impress the most right now, are the worst we'll ever see and we should see much better ones in the near future.
This is just the beginning. Six or 12 months from now we should see a lot more web apps that use offline cache and be completely usable offline.
I love how you just need to "download" the Angry Birds web app in Chrome, and later you can play it directly just like you would play a native game on a PC, offline.
well as the device exists now, you cannot even finish booting/logging in without internet access.
Untrue. I have a cr48, and after you've done the initial setup it is possible to boot and log into your Google account before the wifi kicks in.
Yes you can; you only need internet for the initial setup.
I don't understand how someone can count that as a downside, realistically.
That's like saying your browser doesn't do much if you're not connected to the net, or your fireplace doesn't work without wood. Of course it doesn't, why would it? Google's not misleading anyone about what a Chromebook can and can't do, you know going in that they're pretty much just web browsers.
And, to be fair, the things even come with 100MB of cell-network access each month for free (on the not-just-wifi versions anyway).
I am surprised to find a lot resistance to the idea of chromebooks on HN. They are not chasing the market. They are creating in a space that the market is only currently lukewarm. They are creating and letting the market move to them.
And what (computing) use is an iPhone or WebOS without network? Calculator?
At least I can use an iPhone or a WebOS as a notepad.
Google removed offline support from google docs last year, but they are bringing it back now.