My chromebook finally got here right before the 4th of July weekend (about time!) Like a 16-year old boy seeing his girlfriend naked for the first time, I pretty much jumped on it right away. The only difference is, my play time lasted the entire weekend :)
Enough with the useless, let me just get right into it.
It is very much what you would expect from a "cloud terminal". Fast, clean, right to the point, because there isn't much else. A few things I find very useful.
1. Key shortcuts
The best thing about Chromebook is, you only need to remember one combo: Ctrl + Alt + /
This gives you all the key shortcuts on a map. Yes, a map. A virtual keyboard shows up, and as you press Ctrl, Alt, Shift or any combo of these three, the virtual keyboard highlights all keys associated with them (and of course description of what those shortcuts do).
2. Move files
This may sound insane, but as a terminal to the cloud, the last thing Google wants to do is to encourage you to use the file system. Therefore, it is a little different to manage files stored on your chromebook from what you are used to do.
As the key shortcut map can tell you, press Ctrl + m brings you to the file manager, but this manager only allows you to rename, delete, upload (if applicable) and view (a very limited set of file types).
Therefore, if you want to move files between folders or simply get files from a external storage, such as an USB drive, you need to open a new tab and put the following in the omnibox (URL bar / address bar)
- Move files from external storage:
file:///media
- Move files within Chromebook (File Shelf)
file:///home/chronos/user/Downloads/
In there, it is the good ol' tree / directory view of your file system. You just need to navigate to the file of interest and right click. Ta-da!
3. Some geeky stuff
If you really feel like it, you can of course check out the task manager (Shift + Esc), and test features ("About Chrome OS" -> "More Info" -> Change "Channel" to Beta or Dev -> put "about:flags" in omnibox) at your own risk.
I will add more tricks in the future (if there are some essential ones left to be known)
Now it's the review part.
Compare to laptops:
- Pros
a. Incredibly energy efficient. One charge lasts me all day (that's what sh...)
b. Incredibly fast on start-up and shutdown, <= 8 secs and <= 4 secs, respectively.
c. Internet-optimized keyboard (one button press for back, forward, refresh, full screen, switch windows, brightness, and volume http://goo.gl/5m71i)
d. Light weight (both literally and technically)
e. SD card slot
f. Apps are updated automatically on "the cloud", so no more pop-ups for updates
g. Files are stored on "the cloud", so you don't need to worry about losing files when you dropped chromebook in a keg, and you can access all of them anywhere there is an internet connection and a (modern) browser (yeah, I am talking to you, IE6)
- Cons
a. Although threats are everywhere, cloud is still more dangerous than your hard-drive, so no sensitive content (unless you feel very adventurous and trusting)
b. It is almost (not entirely) useless when there is no internet, because there is no native apps you can run, and only few offline apps (nice work, Scratchpad and Angry Birds)
c. Can't do any technical work, such as professional video / photo editing, coding etc.
d. Not much layout customization (Firefox is doing a much better job on this)
e. The extension and app store needs some improvement (selection wise)
Compare to tablets:
- Pros
a. The screen and keyboard are separate, so you don't need to angle your hands to make your head more comfortable
b. Full keyboard, so you don't need to cramp your hands and give up the most efficient way to type
c. Full internet (not tablet web browser, but full web browser, and support Adobe Flash, unlike some)
d. SD card slot, two USB port, and one video output (WITH cable)
- Cons
a. Similar to the comparison with laptops, no native apps (but most native apps on tablets require internet connection too, and often times features they provide can be done through web apps as well. The lack of these apps makes the whole web experience quicker and smoother as well)
b. Heavier (about 1~2 pounds heavier)
c. Not many games, which is part of the no native / offline apps issue (I am personally not a big gamer, so, not a big deal for me)
d. Similar to the comparison with laptops, the file system cannot do much locally, and the most painful thing is decompression. I tried wobzip but never really made it working.
In general, after three straight days, I find myself surprisingly comfortable with living on the cloud. I did need to adjust and give myself an orientation at first, but now I feel completely comfortable to migrate my entertainment and casual life to the cloud and enjoy all the pros I stated above. That is when I realize how little I do on my MacBook Pro besides opening up a browser. Even among those few things, I realize how little I cannot do or am not willing to do on the cloud.
Bottom line: If you often don't have internet connection where you want to use a portable device (laptop / tablet), don't consider chromebooks. Otherwise, it could be a very good fit for you. You may be surprised to find how boring all portable devices are without internet (remember not wanting to take your laptop out from your bag in the airport with expensive wifi and long layover?).
Happy 4th of July!
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