Filip Novotny When Google introduced the new operating system Chrome OS four years ago, it offered a modern, low-cost alternative to Windows or OS X. "Chromebooks will be devices that you can give to your employees, you can start them up in two seconds and they will be incredibly cheap," said the director at the time by Eric Schmidt. However, after a few years, Google itself denied this statement when it released the luxurious and relatively expensive Chromebook Pixel laptop. On the contrary, he confirmed the unreadability of the new platform in the eyes of customers.
A similar misunderstanding prevailed for a long time in the editorial staff of Jablíčkář, which is why we decided to test two devices from opposite ends of the spectrum: the cheap and portable HP Chromebook 11 and the high-end Google Chromebook Pixel.
Concept
If we wanted to understand the nature of the Chrome OS platform, we could illustratively compare it to the recent development of Apple laptops. It is precisely the Mac manufacturer that in 2008 decided to break away from the past and released the revolutionary MacBook Air in many respects. From the traditional point of view of laptops, this product was significantly truncated - it lacked a DVD drive, most of the standard ports or a large enough storage, so the first reactions to the MacBook Air were somewhat skeptical.
In addition to the mentioned changes, reviewers pointed out, for example, the impossibility of simply replacing the battery without assembly. In a matter of months, however, it became clear that Apple had correctly identified the future trend in the field of portable computers, and the innovations established by the MacBook Air were also reflected in other products, such as the MacBook Pro with Retina display. After all, they also manifested themselves in competing PC manufacturers, who moved from the production of cheap and low-quality netbooks to more luxurious ultrabooks.
Just as Apple saw optical media as a useless relic, its Californian rival Google also realized the inevitable onset of the cloud era. He saw the potential in his extensive arsenal of internet services and took the move online one step further. In addition to DVDs and Blu-rays, he also rejected permanent physical storage inside the computer, and the Chromebook is more of a tool to connect to the world of Google than a powerful computing unit.
First steps
Although Chromebooks are quite a peculiar type of device in terms of their functionality, they are hardly distinguishable from the rest of the range at first glance. Most of them could be classed among Windows (or Linux) netbooks with a clear conscience, and in the case of the higher class, among ultrabooks. Its construction is almost the same, it is a classic type of laptop without hybrid features such as a detachable or rotating display.
OS X users can also feel somewhat at home. Chromebooks do not lack features such as a magnetic flip-down display, a keyboard with separate keys and a function row on top of it, a large multi-touch trackpad or a glossy display surface. For example, the Samsung Series 3 is clearly different from the MacBook Air inspired even in design, so nothing prevents you from taking a closer look at Chromebooks.
The first thing that amazes you when you first open the display is the speed with which Chromebooks are able to start the system. Most of them can do it within five seconds, which competitors Windows and OS X cannot match. Waking up from sleep is then at the level of Macbooks, thanks to the used flash (~SSD) storage.
Already the login screen reveals the specific character of Chrome OS. User accounts here are closely linked to Google services, and login is done using a Gmail e-mail address. This enables completely individual computer settings, data security and stored files. In addition, if the user logs in for the first time on a certain Chromebook, all the necessary data is downloaded from the Internet. A computer with Chrome OS is thus a perfectly portable device that can be quickly customized by anyone.
User interface
Chrome OS has come a long way since its first version and is no longer just a browser window. After logging into your Google account, you will now find yourself on the classic desktop that we know from other computer systems. At the bottom left, we find the main menu, and to the right of it, representatives of popular applications, together with those that are currently running. The opposite corner then belongs to various indicators, such as time, volume, keyboard layout, profile of the current user, number of notifications and so on.
By default, the mentioned menu of popular applications is rather a list of the most widespread online services of Google. These include, in addition to the main component of the system in the form of the Chrome browser, the Gmail email client, Google Drive storage and a trio of office utilities under the name Google Docs. Although it may seem that there are separate desktop applications hidden under each icon, this is not the case. Clicking on them will open a new browser window with the address of the given service. It is basically a proxy for web applications.
However, this does not mean that their use would not be convenient. In particular, the office applications Google Docs are a very good tool, in which case a separate version for Chrome OS would not make sense. After many years of development, the text, spreadsheet and presentation editors from Google are at the top of the competition, and Microsoft and Apple have a lot to catch up on in this regard.
In addition, the power of the most used services such as Google Docs or Drive is perfectly complemented by the browser itself, which can hardly be faulted. We can find in it all the functions that we can know from its other versions, and perhaps there is no need to mention them. In addition, Google used its control over the operating system and incorporated other useful functions into Chrome. One of the nicest ones is the ability to switch between windows by moving three fingers on the trackpad, similar to how you change desktops in OS X. There is also smooth scrolling with inertia, and the ability to zoom in the style of mobile phones should also be added in future updates.
These features make using the web really enjoyable and it's not difficult to find yourself with a dozen windows open after a few minutes. Add to that the fascination of a new, unfamiliar environment, and Chrome OS can seem like an ideal operating system.
however, he is slowly coming to his senses and we begin to discover various problems and shortcomings. Whether you are using your computer as a demanding professional or the most ordinary consumer, it is not easy to get by with just a browser and a handful of pre-installed applications. Sooner or later you will need to open and edit files of various formats, manage them in folders, print them and so on. And this is probably the weakest point of Chrome OS.
It is not only about working with exotic formats from proprietary applications, the problem can already arise if we receive, for example, an archive of the RAR, 7-Zip type or even just an encrypted ZIP by e-mail. Chrome OS cannot deal with them and you will need to use dedicated online services. Of course, these may not be user-friendly, they may contain advertising or hidden fees, and we cannot forget the need to upload files to a web service and then download them again.
A similar solution must also be sought for other actions, such as editing graphic files and photos. Even in this case, it is possible to find web alternatives in the form of online editors. There are already a number of them and for simpler tasks they can be enough for minor adjustments, but we have to say goodbye to any integration into the system.
These shortcomings are solved to some extent by the Google Play store, where today we can also find a number of applications that work purely offline. Among them are, for example, quite successful ones graphic a textual editors, news readers or task lists. However, one such full-fledged service will unfortunately contain dozens of misleading pseudo-applications - links that, apart from an icon in the launch bar, do not offer any additional functions and will not work at all without an Internet connection.
Any work on a Chromebook is thus defined by a special triple schism – frequent switching between official Google applications, the offer from Google Play and online services. Of course, this is not entirely user-friendly from the point of view of working with files that need to be frequently moved and alternately uploaded to different services. If you also use other storage such as Box, Cloud or Dropbox, finding the right file may not be easy at all.
Chrome OS itself makes the situation even more difficult by separating Google Drive from local storage, which clearly did not deserve a full-fledged application. The Files view does not contain even a fraction of the functions that we are used to from classic file managers, and in no case can it even be equal to the web-based Google Drive. The only consolation is that new Chromebook users get 100GB of free online space for two years.
Why Chrome?
A sufficient range of full-fledged applications and clear file management are one of the most important aspects that a good operating system should have in its portfolio. However, if we just learned that Chrome OS requires a lot of compromises and confusing detours, is it even possible to use it meaningfully and recommend it to others?
Definitely not as a universal solution for everyone. But for certain types of users, a Chromebook can be a suitable, even ideal, solution. These are the three use cases:
Undemanding internet user
At the beginning of this text, we mentioned that Chromebooks are similar to cheap netbooks in many ways. This type of laptop has always aimed mainly at the least demanding users who care most about price and portability. In this respect, netbooks didn't fare too badly, but they were often dragged down by low-quality processing, excessive prioritization of price at the expense of performance, and last but not least, inconvenient and overly demanding Windows.
Chromebooks do not share these problems - they offer decent hardware processing, solid performance and, above all, an operating system built purely with the idea of maximum compactness. Unlike netbooks, we don't have to deal with slow Windows, a slowing flood of pre-installed bloatware or a truncated "starter" version of Office.
So undemanding users may find that a Chromebook is perfectly sufficient for their purposes. When it comes to browsing the web, writing e-mails and processing documents, pre-installed Google services are the ideal solution. In the given price range, Chromebooks can be a better choice than a classic PC notebook of the lowest class.
Corporate sphere
As we discovered during our testing, the simplicity of the operating system is not the only advantage of the platform. Chrome OS offers a unique option that, in addition to the least demanding users, will please corporate customers as well. This is a close association with a Google account.
Imagine any medium-sized company, whose employees need to communicate with each other constantly, regularly create reports and presentations, and from time to time also have to travel among their clients. They work in shifts and have a laptop as a purely work tool that they don't need to have with them all the time. A Chromebook is absolutely ideal in this situation.
It is possible to use the built-in Gmail for e-mail communication, and the Hangouts service will help with instant messaging and conference calls. Thanks to Google Docs, the entire work team can collaborate on documents and presentations, and sharing takes place via Google Drive or the previously mentioned communication channels. All this under the heading of a unified account, thanks to which the entire company remains in contact.
In addition, the ability to quickly add, delete and switch user accounts makes the Chromebook completely portable – when someone needs a work computer, they simply choose any currently available piece.
Education
A third area where Chromebooks can be put to good use is education. This area can theoretically benefit from the benefits listed in the previous two sections and several more.
Chrome OS brings great advantages, especially for elementary schools, where Windows is not quite suitable. If the teacher prefers a classic computer over a touch tablet (for example, because of the hardware keyboard), the operating system from Google is suitable due to its security and relative ease of use. The need to rely on web applications is paradoxically an advantage in education, as it is not necessary to monitor the "flooding" of common computers with unwanted software.
Other positive factors are the low price, fast system startup and high portability. As in the case of business, it is thus possible to leave Chromebooks in the classroom, where dozens of students will share them.
The future of the platform
Although we have listed a number of arguments why Chrome OS could be a suitable solution in certain areas, we do not yet find many supporters of this platform in education, business or among ordinary users. In the Czech Republic, this situation is logical due to the fact that Chromebooks are very hard to come by here. But the situation is not at all good abroad either - in the United States it is actively (i.e. online) using a maximum of 0,11% of customers.
It is not only the shortcomings themselves that are to blame, but also the approach taken by Google. For this system to become more popular in the mentioned three spheres or even to think about a trip outside of them, it would need a fundamental change on the part of the California company. At the moment, it seems that Google - similar to many of its other projects - is not paying enough attention to Chromebooks and is unable to grasp it properly. This is especially evident in the marketing, which is very bland.
The official documentation portrays Chrome OS as an "open to all" system, but the austere web presentation doesn't make it any closer, and Google doesn't try to make clear and targeted promotion in other media either. He then complicated all of this by releasing the Chromebook Pixel, which is an absolute denial of the platform that was supposed to be a cheap and affordable alternative to Windows and OS X.
If we were to follow the parallel from the beginning of this text, Apple and Google have a lot in common in the field of portable computers. Both companies try to control hardware and software and are not afraid to break away from conventions that they consider to be outdated or slowly dying. However, we must not forget one fundamental difference: Apple is much more consistent than Google and stands behind all its products one hundred percent. However, in the case of Chromebooks, we cannot estimate whether Google will try to push it to the limelight by all means, or whether it will not be waiting for a compartment with forgotten products headed by Google Wave.
I'm not in the mood to buy a laptop from Google that will tell me in a month that support has ended because nobody actually uses it and it won't fit in their budget anymore. Google is going to hell with this behavior. Well, whatever it is, I won't miss it.
:D oh man, it's an "objective" review again. I understand that some of you are absolutely fanatical Apple fans, but is this how you write a truly objective review? But I would probably want a lot from you, wouldn't I?
And what was not objective? So that you are not one of those pseudo-experts again...
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