Chrome OS a hit or a miss ..????

[asifnaz]

Interesting that the two reviews I've read about Chrome OS (PC World and Engadget), mentioned the hardware reminded them of the black Macbook of a few years back.

I think this could be an interesting development, because it would make the "network computer" finally come to life. In order to succeed, it would need pervasive, fast, Internet connectivity, but that's happening. 4G cellular networks and Internet access on planes are being implemented rather quickly, so you can get an Internet connection almost anywhere, and the network computer (and ChromeOS) begins to make sense in that scenario.

If you throw out the cost and overhead of Windows, along with the headaches to manage it, the "netbook" becomes even more affordable and isn't just a small laptop anymore. You can probably get good performance out of a dual-core Atom processor and Broadcomm HD accelerator chip with ChromeOS. I'm really interested in the security features, and the ability to pass the computer around to others while still protecting your data.

However, IMO, the biggest obstacle to success is whether or not the user truly trusts "cloud computing" and Google. If there's any doubt in the user's mind that their data can be compromised or sold, ChromeOS won't take off.

[racie]

It's really hard to say at this point, though I really admire Google's bravado for putting out a completely cloud-based product. For a netbook, I actually think it's a fantastic idea... after all isn't that what netbooks are mainly for? Using the Internet?

[tjeremiah]

If I was to use such a service, I just wont put any sensitive data on there. I'll leave that for my laptop/desktop where I can control and and store locally.

[Johnsie]

I've used Jolicloud and I really like it because the interface is alot prettier than Ubuntu. If Google can create a nice interface then it could work. I think most power users will continue to opt for Windows on their netbooks though, because it offers them a greater selection of software choice than a Linux distro. Google should add Android compatibility to any OS they create.

[ukripper]

i am waiting to see how UNR will run on that hardware

[Tristam Green]

OP: too early (read: WAY TOO EARLY) to say.

[ki4jgt]

Hit: for it's target audience
Miss: for it's security flaws (Judging from the last build I downloaded, there are plenty)