Day 3: Google Docs and ChromeOS

Today I experimented with my ChromeOS notebook to see if I could find any hidden features in it. I haven't really had an formal instructions from Google as to what type of feedback they want, nor have they completely outlined all of the features that of ChromeOS. I guess since it's still under development they can't really outline all of these things. Things like bluetooth and the SD card reader on the side of the laptop will probably come into play in future software updates.

The main thing I was hoping to find was a way to view ChromeOS's file system. I briefly looked around the Internet, and it does not seem that there is a way to "hack" ChromeOS to see the underlying file system. To my dismay, Chrome is not another Windows Explorer. After several failed attempts of typing in various directories, I gave up. I did hear, however, that ChromeOS runs off of a Linux kernal, so it's only a matter of time before someone figures out how to "hack" it. I did figure out a trick though. You can view parts of the ChromeOS file system by visiting a site that allows you to upload or download things. For example, I was able to visit Google Docs and download a PDF. I was then greeted with a little pop-up window that showed one folder - "Screen Shots". I was actually able to save the PDF and then view it later in the Downloads page of Chrome. But so far that's as close as I've gotten to seeing any resemblance of a file system.

Another thing I got to play with today was the battery life. I have not been keeping the screen at full brightness, so I've been getting pretty good battery life. Google claims that a warning will pop up when your battery level gets too low, but currently I am at 3%(19 minutes) and no warning (the battery icon did turn red though). Nevermind, there it is. Apparently I have less than 15 mins left. Time to fumble for the power cord.

I also noticed today that the time to go from sleep to awake is very fast. Before, when I needed to check something on the Internet, I would have to pull out my MacBook, open the lid, wait for Chrome to load, and then surf the web. But with the Cr-48, I can go from sleep to surf in less than 30 seconds. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but Cr-48 really does make it easy to get on the web.

I've heard some complaints in the blogosphere that Flash runs a little slow. I'll have to watch a video or two on Hulu tonight to test that out, but so far I haven't noticed any issues.

That's all for now. Tomorrow I plan to show it to the guys at work and get their take on it. Who knows, maybe I'll be the envy of the office.

Day 2 with Cr-48

Today was my first real day using the Chrome netbook. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I like it. Every time I say this my friends always offer to take it off my hands for me. I mean, who wouldn't want a free laptop? Here's a few of the pros/cons that I've noticed during my first day with the laptop. Note that I've basically spent the whole day typing notes in Google Docs on it, so I haven't really had a chance to play with the Web Apps yet.

Pro: Keyboard

Google has really re-designed the keyboard and added/removed several keys. It makes sense, this being a web browsing netbook, that the function keys are replaced by web browser specific keys like Forward/Backwards, Reload, Full Screen, and Switch Tab. Most people will notice that the Caps Lock key is missing. However, if you look closely at the Shift key, you'll notice a little spot for a tiny LED light. Does this mean future updates will allow for a key combo to bring back the ever-loved CAPS LOCK? Personally, I never used Caps, but to some people it's a big deal.

Pro: Battery Life

I only had to plug in the laptop once while using it today - and even then it had 2.5 hours of battery life left. The only reason I plugged it in was that I had to go somewhere and figured it couldn't hurt to charge it up for when I came back later. The real test will be to see how long it lasts while streaming video.

Pro: Lightweight

I thought that the Cr-48 was pretty lightweight. However, when I showed my friends, they seemed to think that it should be lighter. And honestly, I'm not sure why the netbook feels as heavy as it does considering it has fewer parts than any "normal" netbook. The exterior shell seems to be made of some type of metal or plastic and is part of the reason for the extra weight. But overall I can't tell the difference in my backpack when carrying this or my MacBook.

Con: Processor

The little 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor seems to lag at times. I noticed that after I booted up the laptop from a cold start it was having trouble keeping up with my clicks. I guess this is to be expected, but Google did boast about the quick sleep/wake-up time. But I am sure in future revisions that processor speed will increase, hopefully not at the expense of the battery life.

Pro: Size

The laptop is so small that it can fit comfortably in my lap. Now, I'm not a big person, so my small hands fit fine on the keyboard. For those of you who have larger fingers, it might take some getting used to. The netbook isn't that heavy either, but it's not terribly light. For a piece of hardware that just surfs the web, I think Google could have made it a lot lighter. Since this is by no means a final product, I am sure that hardware improvements will be forthcoming.

Con: Backlight

I'm not sure if it was the fact that I had been staring at a computer screen all day or if my eyes are going berzerk, but the backlight seemed to flicker from bright to dim. Also, call me a Mac user, but it would be nice if there were a visual that popped up when you changed the brightness so you know when you've hit max.

Pro: It's Different

Google has definitely come up with a very different product. I wasn't sure what to expect when I booted up their netbook for the first time, and I was definitely surprised. I think it will take a while before cloud computing really takes off. The average user, although they may spend most of their time on the web, still needs a computer that has the capability to run programs and save documents. But Google has always been one for innovative products, and this definitely fits that category. The idea of having a laptop that only runs a web browser may seem radical now, but wait a year or two and see how it catches on.

Con: Power Cord

Being a Mac user I am used to the cool power cord that my MacBook has. There's nothing wrong with the cord - it's just a little bulkier than what I'm used to carrying around. But then again, why would you need to carry the cord with you. The 10 hour battery life should be more than enough to get you through the day.

Pro: CloudPrint

I was skeptical of this at first. I had read some reviews about this and some people had lots of trouble setting up their computers to work with this. Once I realized that this is not yet supported on Linux or Mac, I was able to quickly get it working. Luckily I have a PC at work that I was able to test on. You just simply download the 10.0 Beta Version of Chrome (http://www.google.com/cloudprint), go to Options->Under the Hood, enable CloudPrint and voila! In less than 5 minutes I was able to configure Cloud Print and print out my notes that I had been typing in Google Docs. All in all, I must say it was pretty neat.

So overall this has been a good first day with the Chrome netbook. I don't have that much to complain about, and I definitely think that I am giving it a workout. Next I'm going to spend some time playing around with the Web apps and see if they're all Google hypes them up to be.

Surprise Package!

Yesterday my Friday afternoon went from boring to interesting pretty quickly. I thought I was going to spend the afternoon chilling out and watching some TV after my exam, but that changed pretty quickly. Around 4:30PM, the UPS guy rang my doorbell. I wasn't expecting any packages, yet the box had my name on it. What could it be, I wondered?

Out of curiosity I opened the box, wondering if I had ordered something off Amazon and just not remembered. To my surprise I opened the box to find what looked like the boxes that laptops come in. It was then that I remembered that I had signed up for the Google ChromeOS notebook program. A few seconds later I tore open the inner box and there it was - my very own ChromeOS notebook.

I immediately ran upstairs to unpack the box and see what it was like. And, of course, I needed to update my Facebook status to let all of my friends know that I was the proud new owner of a ChromeOS notebook. Who doesn't like to make their friends feel a little jealous?

I popped in the battery, flipped open the lid and was greeted by the Google Chrome logo. The setup process was simple and quick. As many of you probably know or have heard from other bloggers, you simply sign in with your Google Account and everything from "the cloud" is pulled down for you to use.

I only had time to spend a half hour or so playing around with it, and I still have mixed feelings about Cr-48. When I first got the notebook I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I guess I was expecting an operating system in the sense of Linux or Mac OSX, not simply a web browser. Sometimes you feel "claustrophobic" without the ability to switch to a desktop, as one blogger put it. But I guess it just takes time to get used to.

I'll try to post some more once I get a chance to really use the notebook. I think it can have some potential benefits, but it definitely won't replace my MacBook or iMac anytime soon.