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So a couple companies came out with chromebooks, they're in the 500$ range, they basically run just the browser.
Nice idea in concept, however, with a very very small time investment you can build one yourself with an old laptop or even a new laptop, with better features, better options, and for cheaper.
Heres a bit of insight into what google is doing. With android, they took a linux kernel, then build an app store and interface around it. With the chromebooks, they've actually done sort of the opposite. They took a linux kernel, then they're building up software as a service options (sas) for people with chrome to use from the chrome app store.
This is a great benefit to linux users. They've basically given a huge amount of sas options to people who choose to run linux.
To test out a theory, over the weekend I repaired an old laptop, its like a 300 dollar toshiba with a celeron processor and 3 gigs of ram, wasn't up to date when I bought it. It does have 2 gigs more ram than a chromebook, and a processor that runs at 2.2 ghz instead of a 1.6ghz atom.
I took a single disk 32 bit ubuntu install of 11.04, ran it, and thats it. Did the automatic update ubuntu does, and right there if you stopped and did no further customization, you have firefox, libreoffice, and a ton of other apps preinstalled and running with no modification. You visit google, 1 time, and you can download chrome, and you have at that point a chromebook. All the software auto-updates. Virus free. Faster than a mac or pc.
My total expense in building the thing was 60 bucks because I had to repair a power outlet on the laptop and buy a new charger because my wife lost it.
You can build a brand new one, with similar battery life and features to a chromebook by picking up a trash netbook at a overstock merchandise store, or tigerdirect, or ebay, downloading the 32 bit install of ubuntu (there are other options but I believe it is the easiest I've seen), and installing it.
The computer will feel about 300% faster than it did running windows. My old 2.16ghz celeron makes my wifes core2 duo laptop look really bad in terms of speed. It boots up faster, it does website stuff faster, it never crashes, and with a few added pieces of software, its downright amazing the extra things you can make it do.
I have 4 active desktops, a bottom row dock, a left row dock, but they all stay out of sight until moused over.
Point being, before you go drop 500$ on a chromebook to buy a name, why not get an old laptop from a pawn shop, or an old netbook, and do the same thing for half the price.
Here is better than the same specs as a new chromebook from the highest end linux laptop manufacturer, for 385.00. And this is as top of the line as it gets. Add a 6 cell battery and you're still under 500 bucks.
Starling NetBook - Ubuntu Linux Laptop - 10 inch - System76
Nice idea in concept, however, with a very very small time investment you can build one yourself with an old laptop or even a new laptop, with better features, better options, and for cheaper.
Heres a bit of insight into what google is doing. With android, they took a linux kernel, then build an app store and interface around it. With the chromebooks, they've actually done sort of the opposite. They took a linux kernel, then they're building up software as a service options (sas) for people with chrome to use from the chrome app store.
This is a great benefit to linux users. They've basically given a huge amount of sas options to people who choose to run linux.
To test out a theory, over the weekend I repaired an old laptop, its like a 300 dollar toshiba with a celeron processor and 3 gigs of ram, wasn't up to date when I bought it. It does have 2 gigs more ram than a chromebook, and a processor that runs at 2.2 ghz instead of a 1.6ghz atom.
I took a single disk 32 bit ubuntu install of 11.04, ran it, and thats it. Did the automatic update ubuntu does, and right there if you stopped and did no further customization, you have firefox, libreoffice, and a ton of other apps preinstalled and running with no modification. You visit google, 1 time, and you can download chrome, and you have at that point a chromebook. All the software auto-updates. Virus free. Faster than a mac or pc.
My total expense in building the thing was 60 bucks because I had to repair a power outlet on the laptop and buy a new charger because my wife lost it.
You can build a brand new one, with similar battery life and features to a chromebook by picking up a trash netbook at a overstock merchandise store, or tigerdirect, or ebay, downloading the 32 bit install of ubuntu (there are other options but I believe it is the easiest I've seen), and installing it.
The computer will feel about 300% faster than it did running windows. My old 2.16ghz celeron makes my wifes core2 duo laptop look really bad in terms of speed. It boots up faster, it does website stuff faster, it never crashes, and with a few added pieces of software, its downright amazing the extra things you can make it do.
I have 4 active desktops, a bottom row dock, a left row dock, but they all stay out of sight until moused over.
Point being, before you go drop 500$ on a chromebook to buy a name, why not get an old laptop from a pawn shop, or an old netbook, and do the same thing for half the price.
Here is better than the same specs as a new chromebook from the highest end linux laptop manufacturer, for 385.00. And this is as top of the line as it gets. Add a 6 cell battery and you're still under 500 bucks.
Starling NetBook - Ubuntu Linux Laptop - 10 inch - System76
