On 2013-02-14 14:54, Tim Brocklehurst wrote:
> One question... Do you work for Google?
>
> On Thursday 14 Feb 2013 15:33:58 jlk@??? wrote:
>
>> I see a slightly different future for Linux. The desktop, for many,
>> will disappear. The Chromebook is a V2.0 successor to the Network
>> Computer. It's a computing device. Read you email: Open a browser
>> tab
>> for G-Mail. Edit a document/spread sheet/presentation: Open a
>> browser
>> tab for Google Docs/Sheets/Slides \
>>
>> Chromebooks can do a lot of things, but they can do many things that
>> many end users want to do.
Maybe not now, but I still content: "Watch this space". Give the
technology a chance to mature. The ChromeOS is about the stage of Linux
1.0. Say 2-3 years into development. I agree, it's got a long ways to
go. I will never be right for everyone. But it is just about usable
for many users with limited needs, and even more limited technical
resources and skills. It a web browser appliance. Turn it on a go.
Not far, but enough for many users.
>
> Good grief, how many times have I heard this? "The Cloud", "software
> as a
> service" etc. Yes, it suits a certain need, but it is not the
> all-encompassing
> solution that many people would have you believe.
But please look Chromebooks from the non-techie standpoint. No
security problems, no patches to apply. No upgrades to struggle
through. No backup to worry about. A lot of plus points for the casual
Internet user.
>
> In fact, for a lot of "computing" (CPU/Graphics intensive) tasks (as
> distinct
> from "communication" tasks i.e. e-mail etc.) it actually makes very
> little
> sense, and displays a complete lack of understanding of what a
> "desktop" PC
> can be (and in my case often is) used for.
The big users of very very intensive graphics/cpu usage are considering
'in the cloud'
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2011/02/28/hollywoods-render-farms-move-to-the-cloud/
>
> However, there is good mileage in what we do at the moment, which is
> to use a
> COTS machine (laptop, desktop or whatever) and download the software
> we wish
> to use as a package, which you then install and run. This avoids the
> reliance
> on a potentially iffy internet connection for most of the time.
>
Yes, it a good solution for technically capable people. I'm with you
100% but most computer users are not technically capable. They may be
when our kids grow up. Most will keyboard skills that will put many of
us to shame. and they will have exposure to more a diverse computing
environments than we had.
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