Microsoft could lose billions in sales to Chromebook


Recommended Posts

Why would anyone rent a browser ? RENT ... BROWSER ... What exactly are the benefits over installing Chrome (or any other HTML5 compliant browser for that matter) on existing machines ?

You haven't read the articles.

?The Google Chrome notebooks are almost effortless to manage. Staging, imaging, updating, and repairing software problems are almost non-existent issues at this point. Replacement is as simple as handing out a new device with no IT involvement necessary.?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a feeling that the chromebooks are going to have the same fallout that netbooks first had when they were released. People are going to see a pricetag rather than features and they are going to buy it, take it home for a few minutes and return it because it does not have whatever feature they were expecting or even a CDrom drive.

I'm with you on this. From time to time customers come to my shop with their netbooks asking what can be done to improve their performance and I then tell them the main differences with a normal notebook/laptop and besides upgrading the RAM and making sure Windows is running as expected without any unnecessary stuff, nothing more can be done.

People will get attracted by price tags with no regard of what their really needs are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You haven't read the articles.

?The Google Chrome notebooks are almost effortless to manage. Staging, imaging, updating, and repairing software problems are almost non-existent issues at this point. Replacement is as simple as handing out a new device with no IT involvement necessary.?

Staging, imaging, updating, and repairing software problems are almost non-existent issues at this point as well for normal laptops, assuming the networks and machines are managed by competent sysadmins. I don't see how that would be worth the humongous productivity loss by only being able to run web apps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the future are tablets, they will the one that replace your desktop and laptop. I am not talking now, but you will see in a few more years. Everything of most of the thing will be cloud based and this will make easier to even work with your smartphone.

:laugh:

Tablets are the future...good one. I thought you were serious for a moment there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't believe how short sighted some of the comments are on here. It looks like I am in the vast minority when I admit that I am actually excited about a cloud based OS like Chrome OS.

At the OP: Don't worry, your post hasn't fallen on deaf ears completely. I can see a clear business case. Google is the only company that is ahead of the game in this respect. Most of the other comments here relate to their opinions on a cloud based OS AT THIS MOMENT... imagine what it will be like in five years time. Google is trying to bring something new to the table to offer an attractive alternative to Microsoft's services which, let's face it, have had a monopoly in the market for many years. I praise Google for trying something BOLD. I'm not even especially bothered whether it's actually competitive with Microsoft's core services yet.

As for everyday consumers like me, would I buy a "Chromebook"? Probably not... but I do buy the "concept". It's not competitive on price yet and I don't need one. Like most people on here, I have a good PC (running Win7 of course ;)). But if these were a bit cheaper.. next time my mum or someone says "oh my laptop is running slow - I think I need a new one" - I'd definitely be looking these up on Amazon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The future is certainly towards the cloud, but at the moment there is no way that most companies would trust their data to Google, or anyone else! If you think about it, what Google is trying to achieve is pretty much scary. I wonder what their real motives are.

I am pretty open to anything that has to do with the Internet. I use Dropbox, MobileMe and two Exchange Accounts. I have lots of data on the cloud, but somehow when I compare Google to all other companies, I just don't like the way their business works. Everybody else is selling us something that we can buy. Google gives us lots of things and wants in return our life so that they can sell more advertisements.

Having a big dependendency on such a cloud service means that there is a lot of trust, and especially here in Germany I don't see any companies even thinking about going completely on the cloud with Google.

Google's proposition isn't bad. No updates, no viruses, everything will somehow take care of it self. On the other hand imagine happening something to Google, maybe a hacker attack. How many businesses would be comprimised. Being dependent to anyone like that is a big risk and that won't change as long as there are no safety measures that guarantee no such problems. Using Microsoft products in the enterprise or Unix Servers cannot be compared to using a cloud offering for everything.

Apart from the organizational and political issues, there are a lot of technical problems that would need to be solved. You know, all these companies Google is targetting didn't just start now using technology. They existed before. There are millions of custom applications, business processes and special configurations that Chrome OS cannot even think that exist. Maybe in 50 years we will be more mature for something like that. I just don't see it happening now. Microsoft is having a different approach. They are using the hybrid modell, which I find much better, because it combines the best of both worlds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But if these were a bit cheaper.. next time my mum or someone says "oh my laptop is running slow - I think I need a new one" - I'd definitely be looking these up on Amazon.

ChromeOS "solves" this problem by locking down the computer. If you don't give your mom the admin password, you wouldn't be having this problem either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ChromeOS "solves" this problem by locking down the computer. If you don't give your mom the admin password, you wouldn't be having this problem either.

Well the real issue is company junkware that you get with every laptop.

Also, backups. Most non techie people don't do it. If all there stuff is on the cloud it's one less thing for them (or me!) not to deal with :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the real issue is company junkware that you get with every laptop.

That's a blanket statement, and not necessarily a true one. Besides, uninstalling them is trivial.

Also, backups. Most non techie people don't do it. If all there stuff is on the cloud it's one less thing for them (or me!) not to deal with :p

Why do you need a Chromebook before you can use cloud services, if that's what you want?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In all seriousness, after the latest spree of hacks against major companies, and the fact that they are becoming more and more common, I don't think I would trust my important files with one of them, and would much rather them be physically stored on my hard drive. I'm sure a lot of the general public would agree.

Also with the price point, it's just not right. These are in the exact same segment as the more developed Windows netbook segment now. If these had come about around 2007/8 when the netbook was just taking off, then it would have had much more of a chance, but now it'll be more challenging to get a place in the market when for a similar price, or cheaper, you can get a Windows netbook with every feature you expect from a standard size PC, but in a small form factor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i find a chromebook useful if its priced below 200dollars , above that i can get a netbook with the cripple but more featured windows 7 starter, plus its almost the same spec...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't believe how short sighted some of the comments are on here. It looks like I am in the vast minority when I admit that I am actually excited about a cloud based OS like Chrome OS.

At the OP: Don't worry, your post hasn't fallen on deaf ears completely.

It's most likely not his opinion, he's just posting it because that's what alexalex does, post random news topics to get a reaction, feel free to browse his started topics to see what I mean.

At any rate, we can get as excited as we want, but there's two problems:

1. Google is a web service company first and foremost. The closest they have to a successful operating system is Android, and even that is arguable.

2. Big name businesses (who don't use cloud storage) will find it hard to trust Google with their data.

And those aren't even taking into account all the program migration (HUGE), computer reeducation for end users, IT re-training to education those end users, mass-deployment, compatibility testing, and system security (ability to lock out features/programs to end users).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Staging, imaging, updating, and repairing software problems are almost non-existent issues at this point as well for normal laptops, assuming the networks and machines are managed by competent sysadmins. I don't see how that would be worth the humongous productivity loss by only being able to run web apps.

Everything will be web app'ed. Even now there are many enterprise applications that are run on internal webs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything will be web app'ed. Even now there are many enterprise applications that are run on internal webs.

Which ones, exactly?

Even if Google Docs didn't have all those compatibility issues with Office file formats, they're still nothing but toys compared to locally-installed office suites, even OOo. There's the dealbreaker right there. Things may change, but right now the thought that a computer with nothing but a browser installed can be used for any serious work is a joke at best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does this run Photoshop? Visual Studio? Any of the in-house tools businesses use? Seems like no. So who does that target, really? We still need Windows PCs to use most productivity software.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's most likely not his opinion, he's just posting it because that's what alexalex does, post random news topics to get a reaction, feel free to browse his started topics to see what I mean.

At any rate, we can get as excited as we want, but there's two problems:

1. Google is a web service company first and foremost. The closest they have to a successful operating system is Android, and even that is arguable.

2. Big name businesses (who don't use cloud storage) will find it hard to trust Google with their data.

And those aren't even taking into account all the program migration (HUGE), computer reeducation for end users, IT re-training to education those end users, mass-deployment, compatibility testing, and system security (ability to lock out features/programs to end users).

Actually, Google is an advertising company first and foremost. Everything else they do is designed to suck in data to help make money from advertising.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not everyone needs powerfull computers, for the average user a netbook or tablet is enough.

In a few years most of the access to the internet will be done by smartphones, tablets, netbooks or other lightweight devices.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think Chrome Books are going to be successful, given the price of Samsung/Acer's options. They are ridiculously overpriced. I can certainly see ChromeOS take a chunk of Linux's market share, as well as Mac and Windows to a certain extent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an aside, targeting Microsoft's cash cows, Windows and Office, is a smart move by Google. Lets see how long MS can keep throwing billions away on bing and WM7 without any income :D

Microsoft is diversifying, and soon will have Skype to lose money on too. :woot:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the future are tablets, they will the one that replace your desktop and laptop. I am not talking now, but you will see in a few more years. Everything of most of the thing will be cloud based and this will make easier to even work with your smartphone.

Maybe for home use. For business, no.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.