Google Just Took a Huge Shot at Windows and Mac in New Chromebook Ad

Remember Scroogle? Well, Google just released a very similar ad for Chromebooks. The company is taking shot at Windows and Mac devices, mainly Windows, on its new one-minute long ad.

The ad shows a bunch of infamous Windows and Mac problems, like the different system errors, problems with anti-virus, software updates, and BSODs that users get on Windows. Google then shows off some of the modern Chromebook features, recommending users to get a new Chromebook. It focuses on Chromebook’s benefits (according to Google) like automatic updates, less lag, all-day battery, quicker startup times, and faster loading.

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https://youtu.be/2xryaZF1Z4w

The ad pretty much highlights why Chromebooks can be better than most Windows and Mac devices for some users. Especially now that Chromebooks support Android apps, they are much more of a compelling alternative to Windows laptops for people who don’t need to do a lot of power and professional features. If I was a regular customer looking for a new laptop, this ad would most certainly make me want to get a Chromebook, or at least consider looking into one. It’s honestly pretty good.

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  • Martin Pelletier

    Premium Member
    30 July, 2018 - 6:04 pm

    <p>Lol, that's epic.</p>

  • madthinus

    Premium Member
    30 July, 2018 - 6:08 pm

    <p>Houston, we have a problem. The biggest problem with this add is that it is mostly true. Chromebooks limitations as getting fewer and fewer fast. </p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      30 July, 2018 - 9:24 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296938">In reply to madthinus:</a></em></blockquote><p>Linux apps might go into the next few stable releases of ChromeOS.</p>

    • plettza

      31 July, 2018 - 11:24 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296938">In reply to madthinus:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Yeah, because people still see Windows 95-era BSODs.</p>

  • BoItmanLives

    30 July, 2018 - 6:16 pm

    <p>Boom! Headshot</p><p><br></p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 8:14 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296939">In reply to BoItmanLives:</a></em></blockquote><p>The headshot was to Google. Surface Go is going to take our their only real market, K-5. Its all over but the crying for Chromebooks. It did not deserve better though – far too gimped to be a decent solution when someone can get Windows 10 for the same cost. </p>

      • nicholas_kathrein

        30 July, 2018 - 9:34 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297016">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Not going to happen. If you think Surface Go changes anything please explain to me what it changes. Lets go over the costs for the complete unit with keyboard and protective case. How's the device management? Not as good as Googles. </p>

        • VancouverNinja

          Premium Member
          31 July, 2018 - 1:54 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297100">In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</a></em></blockquote><p>That's easy. Educational pricing. Schools will be buying these things at prices that work for them from MS. Keep your eyes on Chromebook educational market share over the coming 12 months. They have already stalled and will be getting hit very hard by MSs effort with the Go in the Channel. Google needed to do much more with Chromebook to try and unseat Windows/MS and they blew it. Microsoft's strategic execution over the last several years has been flawless while Google has been all over the map. They are constantly reacting while MS has been leading.</p>

      • Jorge Garcia

        31 July, 2018 - 1:57 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297016">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Surface Go is a fine piece of hardware for an OS that fewer and fewer people wish to voluntarily use. Like Jay Leno's very, very nice steam-powered car….very nice, but the more-practical internal combustion engine automobile was just around the corner to seal its fate.</p>

        • VancouverNinja

          Premium Member
          31 July, 2018 - 11:54 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297224">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Nice try. Users love Windows 10 and they choose it every single day. But what they could care less about is an oddball OS like Chrome – its simply goofy.</p>

          • hrlngrv

            Premium Member
            31 July, 2018 - 6:51 pm

            <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#297511&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to VancouverNinja:</em></a></p><p>Damn few normal people choose Windows PCs to use Windows. They choose it because of all the software available which runs under Windows. I figure only some (not all) developers actually have strong feelings about OSes one way or the other. Everyone else just wants to use applications. Analogy: most people fly on planes to reach desired destinations, not because they enjoy plane travel, though some airlines may be less bad than others.</p>

            • skane2600

              01 August, 2018 - 1:32 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297964">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>Your comment seems to be a truism.</p>

              • VancouverNinja

                Premium Member
                02 August, 2018 - 3:30 am

                <blockquote><a href="#298217"><em>In reply to skane2600</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Nice!</p>

  • ajwr

    30 July, 2018 - 6:21 pm

    <p>It has been an experience that has got progressively better over the last 18 months. I would honestly be able to recommend it as an option to people I know.</p>

    • Jorge Garcia

      30 July, 2018 - 9:43 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296941">In reply to ajwr:</a></em></blockquote><p>Absolutely. It is now officially the most flexible PC experience available. Even as a "Windows" guy, I would recommend -nothing else- to anybody who was crazy enough to ask me what to buy. If the Chrome browser cannot handle your task, then an add-on/extension might…and if not, then the Play Store will CERTAINLY have an app that covers your task…and if even the Play Store doesn't have what you need, well the entire Linux library is becoming available now on certain models. So really only Pro's need full-boat OS's now…and even certain PRO Apps will eventually get on ChromeOS as well. I don't personally like ChromeOS much, but it's the easy horse to bet on.</p>

  • F4IL

    30 July, 2018 - 6:21 pm

    <p>This is quickly becoming a reality.</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 8:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296942">In reply to F4IL:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah a real failure.</p>

  • North of 49th

    Premium Member
    30 July, 2018 - 6:22 pm

    <p>As an informal poll, for those using a mainstream modern laptop that are running a public release of either Mac or Windows OS, when is the last time you saw errors or BSOD or issues with the manufacturer's AV package similar to what is in the video? I have a 6 year old ThinkPad on Windows 10 and a Surface Pro and I don't remember the last time I had this kind of issue.</p>

    • madthinus

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 6:54 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>The problem is perception and people have long memories. It does not matter if it is true or not, like all fake news it taps into our desire to believe it. It was the same with “I am a pc” ad, it is what made them so powerful. The problem this time is that their is not much to couter agaist this.</p>

      • AnOldAmigaUser

        Premium Member
        30 July, 2018 - 9:33 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#296950">In reply to madthinus:</a></em></blockquote><p>But the privacy issues…</p><p><br></p><p>Of course, the average user has no idea what information they are handing over, nor do they care particularly. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.</p>

    • eric_rasmussen

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 7:12 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>This morning. :)</p><p><br></p><p>It wasn't with AV but it was just as bad. Windows Update detected that a newer Realtek sound driver was available and tried to update it. The update failed, then failed to roll back, then I got the sad face error and a reboot. Upon rebooting, my sound device no longer works.</p><p><br></p><p>Windows Update was relentless, so I disabled its ability to update third party software and drivers. If a normal person encountered this issue, they would probably return the laptop.</p>

    • KingNerdTheThird

      30 July, 2018 - 7:38 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>The lasttime I had any of these problems has to have been before Windows 8 when I switched to only devices sold through the Microsoft Store. I haven't seen the window dragging error since XP (although I skipped Vista).</p>

    • anchovylover

      30 July, 2018 - 8:01 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree, it's still a good though.</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 8:11 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>Our whole company is on Windows 10. Rock solid and secure. </p>

    • Martin Pelletier

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 9:19 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>After updating from 1709 to 1803? Got nice BSODs afterwards. Had to do a manual reset. </p>

      • wright_is

        Premium Member
        31 July, 2018 - 3:18 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297059">In reply to MartinusV2:</a></em></blockquote><p>I/we have updated over 100 devices to 1803 and we have not had any problems thus far. That is both at home and at my previous and current employers.</p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      30 July, 2018 - 9:23 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>I had a blue screen of death not to long ago. I also am the IT Manager so it's not like I don't know what I'm doing.</p>

    • chris.bridgland

      Premium Member
      31 July, 2018 - 1:32 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>I have had to take Trend Micro Anti Virus off my brand new Surface Laptop that I got around 2 months ago as I was getting a BSOD every day!! Sometimes multiple times a day.</p><p><br></p><p>Since I've taken Trend off, the BSOD has disappeared.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      31 July, 2018 - 3:13 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p>I've not seen those sort of messages on my iMac or various ThinkPads, Sony Vaios, HP Spectre x360, Fujitsu Lifebooks and various other devices.</p>

    • plettza

      31 July, 2018 - 11:23 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296943">In reply to North of 49th:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>One bluescreen on my older EliteBook 8580p with WIndows 10 1709 a few days ago, but overall, on my 6+ plus PCs I have, I could probably count the total of all the BSODs with Windows 10 on one hand at least since Anniversary Update.</p>

  • jrickel96

    30 July, 2018 - 6:24 pm

    <p>And meanwhile Chrome OS marketshare for the Desktop went from 1.22% to 0.78% from May to June.</p><p><br></p><p>No one uses Chromebooks. Remove US schools and it's microscopic usage.</p>

    • Jorge Garcia

      30 July, 2018 - 7:22 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296944">In reply to jrickel96:</a></em></blockquote><p>Give it time. It's going to be a generational thing. If Google's ChromeOS doesn't take over, Google's Fuchsia will. It's as inevitable as the housing bubble deflation that will slowly unfold over the next 2-4 years.</p>

      • VancouverNinja

        Premium Member
        30 July, 2018 - 7:57 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#296956">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>It is over for Chromebooks. They had almost 8 years to do anything and now their marketshare is slipping from 1% to below. Google is pathetic when it comes to Chromebooks – they must have really believed they could sell such a limited OS. If one believes they can beat the incumbent they had better bring the goods and not just match the offerings but better them. Chrome OS has never come close to matching Windows. Game Over!</p>

        • Jorge Garcia

          30 July, 2018 - 9:22 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#296987">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Chromebooks are barely NOW entering public consciousness. Google has done a poor job spreading the word up to now, but they have ramped it up quite a bit recenly and will continue to do so. School-age kids know about them of course, and they really love them, from what I've seen at my Nephew's elementary school, at least. Those kids will be going to the "computer" store in 10 years with their own money, and I assure you that most of them will NOT be buying into old-fashioned Operating Systems. It will be iOS and Fuchsia. Also remember, the Android-on-Chrome thing is relatively new and not even fully rolled out yet, and that is the REAL game-changer that will increase market share rapidly in the coming years.</p>

          • jrickel96

            31 July, 2018 - 12:19 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297065">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>They've been around for YEARS and have never seen any real growth. Half their user base goes away when school is out of session in the US. </p><p><br></p><p>I talk to a lot of early 20s kids. Chromebooks are a joke to them. They used them when they were in high school and then moved on. Kids are not using them away from school.</p><p><br></p><p>You have no clue on this. All major industries work on Windows, not Chrome or iOS. Other things are used, but the HEAVY LIFTING is done on Windows. I work in Control Rooms, I work designing games, I work with graphics designers, I work with lawyers, I work with doctors and nurses. NONE of them use Chromebooks or even iOS for any of their major works.</p><p><br></p><p>FACT: The highest paid jobs require using a Windows machine, not Android. Android is DEAD in places like government, medicine, and law. Security is so poor they won't TOUCH those devices. It's Windows for desktop and iOS for mobile.</p><p><br></p><p>I assure you that those kids will be buying computers in ten years because they will want to make money and the older generation WILL NOT CHANGE to accommodate the younger that has yet to establish itself.</p><p><br></p><p>These same dire predictions happened when I was in school. Apples were the norm at schools. We were told that all the kids used Apples and would NEVER buy PCs. Guess what happened?</p><p><br></p><p>Android has no impact on productivity. Why would running apps configured for a mobile phone with a touchscreen be a great experience on a Chromebook? That's not a gamechanger. It'll be as much of a gamechanger as running phone apps on Android tablets has been – none at all. Few devs will add any Chromebook specific features for them and they will be clunky and not work well on a desktop. </p><p><br></p><p>I work with a lot of high money companies in pro and college sports dealing with them and their sponsors. 80-85% of all those people run iOS for mobile. Over 90% do their heavy work on PCs. Android is a major dud for these high money places. It is the OS for people that are cheap and want to pay bargain basement prices.</p><p><br></p><p>Android's phone market is collapsing. The average price of an Android phone is about to fall below $200. Very few Android phones can handle ARCore and more advanced features because the hardware is terrible. OEMs may drop like flies with Android over the next few years. </p><p><br></p><p>Chromebook is pretty much dead. The colleges don't touch it. All those kids using Chromebooks in K-12 have to adapt to PCs when they go to community and four year colleges. Notice how you've never seen any articles about Chromebooks making any headway at universities. Universities are letting school systems know they are doing students a disservice by using Chromebooks because they are not preparing them properly.</p><p><br></p><p>Chromebook will wane at schools within two years and be gone. And do not be surprised if Android gets hit with a major setback in the next six months. There's something on the horizon that is likely to weaken the market position of it.</p>

            • Jorge Garcia

              31 July, 2018 - 1:53 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297189">In reply to jrickel96:</a></em></blockquote><p>While I consider most of what you say to be factual, I don't think it affects my stance very much as you're looking at 20 year-olds, and I'm looking more at 10 year-olds. Sure, those who want to work in certain high paying industries will need to learn how to use Mac/Windows for the next decade at least, but Google is not going to let that be the paradigm FOREVER. Eventually, Google will hit a critical mass with their android-compatible fuchsia OS (not the legacy insecure Android itself) and you will see large business migrating to an all-google environment, if for no other reason than that their younger-than-millennial workforce is too lazy to handle real Windows, or just painfully unfamiliar with it. Of course, Windows is SO entrenched in the workplace that its presence will be felt strongly for decades to come, but I just don't see very many young people reaching into their own pockets to buy a "personal" laptop that runs an overly-complicated and temperamental OS. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">That is my bet based on what I am witnessing daily, you bet on what you want.</span></p>

              • jrickel96

                31 July, 2018 - 11:47 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297222">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>When I was 10 it was Apple computers in all the classrooms. There was not a single PC in any of my schools. That's why Macs have 90% of the computing market today….</p><p><br></p><p>Businesses have major qualms about Google for security. I know of several large businesses that moved to G-Suite and regret it deeply. They are already planning on moving back to Office when their contract is over. </p><p><br></p><p>Google is a dead end company. They are a horrible failure. They do one things REALLY well and have never been able to expand beyond that. The consumer IS their product and their business products are so poor that NO ONE would pay full price. They are subsidized deeply by their ad business. Google gathers data with these products and that is what gives business the jitters. None of them know exactly everything Google captures.</p><p><br></p><p>Google also retains the rights to use ANYTHING you store with them for free for their own purposes without any protections. They can't give it to others, but they could conceivably decide to show proprietary information in a slide for their own self promotion without any consultation with the true owner. Company lawyers warn about Google's ToS even for large corporate clients due to loopholes in the agreement and Google's ability to arbitrarily change their ToS even for corporate clients under contract.</p><p><br></p><p>I also love how you generalize the younger generation. We know nothing about them and you pigeon hole them.</p><p><br></p><p>Again, it will the Gen-X people that will make decisions up top for the next 10+ years. They are not going to accommodate the younger portions of the workforce by changing their whole company for them. While Creative Cloud may be coming to iPad, I know Adobe has no intention of bringing it to Android. I've talked to them and they basically called Google's OS offerings something unflattering. </p><p><br></p><p>You people will buy laptops because they will need them to work and they will find they can do more with them than their phones. We've already seen that with people at 20. They went through high school with smartphones using Snapchat, Instagram FB, and more. Also know a few 16 year olds that are siblings of the 20 year olds. They expect to buy computers when they go to college.</p><p><br></p><p>Thing is that all those kids adapt to tech VERY easily. On early 20s person I hired never did a lot of Windows work in the past and picked up everything SUPER fast. I've found that's normal.</p><p><br></p><p>BTW, the kids don't love Google. They just don't have any other choice. Anti-trust in Europe and privacy laws may create a weakness with them over the next several years that will allow a proper attack on them with competition.</p><p><br></p><p>Google will be a shadow of its current self in 5 years. You can quote me on that. It'll still be number 1 in search, but its ad revenue will decline and all of its other services will increase in cost and users will leave due to less subsidies from the ad business. They'll still be big, but I would not be surprised to see their revenues cut in half over that period. Preliminary GPDR opt in rates aren't good for them and there is some evidence they are violating the EU laws and could be hit with massive lawsuits and more record anti-trust fines. And if the wrong group comes into power in the US for them it could be rough for them here too.</p><p><br></p><p>There are a lot of BIG players in business that are talking beneath the surface about their issues with Google and there is a lot of lobbying under the surface for the US Gov't to do something about Google. Won't happen in the current climate, but would not be surprised if things turn drastically after 2020.</p>

                • Jorge Garcia

                  31 July, 2018 - 7:44 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297509">In reply to jrickel96:</a></em></blockquote><p>COST COST COST. I also used Apples in grade school…but when it was time to buy a PC for the home…almost everyone I knew learned how to use Windows PC's…simply because they were CHEAPER and, for that same reason, the software library was growing much faster than Apple's library. So that situation is not at all analogous to today's…Google's ecosystem is already "free" so it is really hard to imagine someone else coming by and out-free free.</p>

                • jrickel96

                  01 August, 2018 - 11:19 am

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298026">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Cost cost cost. By that metric the iPhone shouldn't have 50% of the US smartphone space. </p><p><br></p><p>Google's ecosystem won't be as free for much longer. You can't count on that. Privacy laws will impact their bottom line as non-targeted ads sell for less than 1/3 the price as targeted, so if they cannot get opt ins then their revenues will decline. This will lead to charges for Google services or increased charges in some cases (G-Suite price increases and increases to Drive storage are expected in the next year or so). Google's $5 per seat license will not be able to continue indefinitely on the business side. </p><p><br></p><p>The ad subsidies will catch up with Google, so this stuff won't be "free" forever. </p><p><br></p><p>You would think retailers would stock more or see upward trends on the Chromebooks. They don't. I work with Best Buy Business a lot and talk to my guy in Minneapolis when I have big orders I need sent. I ask him about company trends because he has retail metric access. Chromebooks don't move the needle for them at all. You would think if the kids are embracing them or looking for the cheapest thing that there would be SOME upward trend. There's not.</p><p><br></p><p>FYI, Best Buy's Chromebook education orders for next year have also seen a significant drop based on what I was told. Apple and Windows both saw large upticks this year. So the writing may be on the wall for ChromeOS. If the education market collapses for ChromeOS then it is over for that platform. </p><p><br></p><p>And Google's back end is struggling. I know some HUGE clients that have left Google Cloud Console and are transitioning away from G-Suite. Would not be surprised to see their Enterprise numbers shrink over the next year. They've made headway, but contracts are expiring and many companies are not thrilled. Google's offerings are nice for entry level start ups, but they struggle to scale up.</p><p><br></p><p>I stand by my prediction. Google will be a shell of its current self in five years. It will still be big, but it will be diminished. </p>

            • Jorge Garcia

              31 July, 2018 - 2:03 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297189">In reply to jrickel96:</a></em></blockquote><p>Google is well aware of Android's flawed nature and of its impending doom…which is why they are planting the seeds for its successor. The advantage that fuchsia will have is that it will be backwards-compatible with the Google Play store…an advantage that only Apple can match, but they are only a niche player worldwide, so not really a competitor.</p>

          • VancouverNinja

            Premium Member
            31 July, 2018 - 1:45 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297065">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>No they have been in stores for years. No one wants them over a Windows 10 machine today – its totally laughable. DOA (that stands for Dead On Arrival fyi). Google missed their Window of opportunity. Now comes Surface Go to suck up market share in the K-5 educational market in the US (its only chanel in the entire world), then the cheaper OEM versions of the Go, the final wave is Microsofts attack on Android next year. Have fun fist pumping your 1% marketshare Windows killer. Too funny!</p>

        • fgdsfgd

          31 July, 2018 - 8:11 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#296987">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>The Windows phone team @ Microsoft used to say continuously to people when they would say their product is garbage – "It's a marathon, not a s print!". </p><p><br></p><p>Now WP was garbage and we all know how it turned out but maybe Chromebooks will be different?</p>

          • VancouverNinja

            Premium Member
            31 July, 2018 - 11:52 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297363">In reply to fgdsfgd:</a></em></blockquote><p>Too little too late. Windows phone had around 14% marketshare in Europe and 3-5% in north America after years. Chromebooks is less than 1% after 8 years. Windows is too strong to see any mass exodus now. Plus Googles main channel for sales is education and that is coming under severe pressure. Consumers actually like windows, and it is a better user experience than a Chromebook. Chromebooks have no reason to exist today.</p>

            • curtisspendlove

              31 July, 2018 - 1:21 pm

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297510">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Consumers actually like windows, and it is a better user experience than a Chromebook. Chromebooks have no reason to exist today.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Uhm… Heh. I’m curious where in the world consumers like Windows. </p><p><br></p><p>I’ve heard plenty of people say they love their phones and tablets. Ive heard a lot of people (myself included) say they love their Macs. Ive rarely heard anyone other than people running large IT organizations and people on this site and Windows Central say they love Windows. </p>

              • hrlngrv

                Premium Member
                31 July, 2018 - 2:16 pm

                <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#297652&quot; target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><em>In reply to curtisspendlove:</em></a></p><p>Rhetoric. Though for some here it's as unloved as Chrome OS.</p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  31 July, 2018 - 10:32 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297702">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Rhetoric. Though for some here it's as unloved as Chrome OS.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Touche. I don’t really get extreme raving fan emotions to the exclusion of all else.</p><p><br></p><p>I certainly don’t hate Windows. But I don’t love it either. Sometimes it is the path of least resistance for a given task. All tools have their uses. </p>

              • VancouverNinja

                Premium Member
                31 July, 2018 - 4:52 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297652">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>Is that a serious comment? I never hear people say they do not like Windows. Yet when they need a new computer and they could buy an Apple PC or a Chromebook yet they purchase, by a factor of 9 – 1, Windows 10 PCs. They do have the option <em>not</em> to buy a Windows 10 PC if they did not like Windows. I think we are best to make assumptions based on data as opposed to bias or emotions. </p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  31 July, 2018 - 9:52 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297872">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>I never hear people say they do not like Windows.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Interesting. I hear it all the time. Though the term is often “hate”. (And no, they are not Mac users. Most of them hate the Mac even worse.)</p><p><br></p><p><em>They do have the option&nbsp;not&nbsp;to buy a Windows 10 PC if they did not like Windows. </em></p><p><br></p><p>They do. But most people buy based off recommendations from someone they trust. It is highly likely that person is just going to say “you’re better off sucking it up and just buying the Windows machine”. I’ve talked to many salesmen who have no idea what they are talking about, pushing the “latest/greatest” Windows PC. (In fact, I often hear this lament from recent PC purchasers as well.)</p><p><br></p><p>I find that an unconvincing data point. </p><p><br></p><p><em>I think we are best to make assumptions based on data as opposed to bias or emotions.</em></p><p><br></p><p>I don’t want to break out the dictionary again, but I’m pretty sure “assumption” meets the spiritual, if not literal, definition of saying something based on bias or emotion. </p><p><br></p><p>I’m not sure what data points you’d use anyway. There used to be a proliferation of “Windows customer satisfaction” stories, from Microsoft and third parties, back in the 2000’s. But I don’t see much after about 2011.</p><p><br></p><p>The few I have seen are pretty small sample sizes. And they give “majority” being “favorable” or “very favorable”. Majority is usually defined at around 60%. I don’t think 60% is killing it. I’d say that is barely hanging on. </p>

              • VancouverNinja

                Premium Member
                02 August, 2018 - 3:28 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297652">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>Tons of people love Windows. No product is perfect and the system with the most users will always have % that have an issue with something. In the case of Windows the past clearly does not equal the present. Windows 10 has delivered, and it is the best Windows put out by Microsoft ever. People getting on the current version are enjoying it. I have also had plenty of people say they completely prefer Windows to Mac – that has been forever. These same people would not give a second look at a Chromebook and their level of PC use goes from consumption to hard core use. I am surprised how you can try and claim people don't like the leading consumer and business OS at all – a bridge too far. P.S. the world is upside down now – Apple used to have the best OS and the best hardware and now both of these badges of honor go to Microsoft and I am still surprised how they seem to have effortlessly accomplished this – strange times.</p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  02 August, 2018 - 3:47 am

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298647">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>I am surprised how you can try and claim people don't like the leading consumer and business OS at all</em></p><p><br></p><p>I don’t claim it…I actually hear it. Frequently. I’m often surprised when I hear it from people I’d never had suspected (or who had been pretty die hard Microsoft fans in previous times). </p><p><br></p><p>Just because something “leads a market” doesn’t mean that it is good, or that people love it. </p><p><br></p><p>I continue to be surprised at how vehemently you suggest Microsoft is beloved and is preparing for some massive “comeback” in the consumer space. </p><p><br></p><p>Even this very website is starting to have some articles and posts that suggest Microsoft might not be the beloved juggernaught it used to be. </p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      31 July, 2018 - 2:14 pm

      <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#296944&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to jrickel96:</em></a></p><blockquote>. . . Chrome OS marketshare for the Desktop went from 1.22% to 0.78% from May to June. . .</blockquote><p>An interesting proxy for the share of Chrome OS devices used in schools. Given that primary and secondary schools in most countries end their academic years between late May and the end of June, the drop in Chrome OS usage (you seem to be using StatCounter figures) would be expected as a seasonal effect. However, this indicates either than school usage of Chrome OS devices is roughly 1 in 4, or even after the academic year ends, many school children keep using their Chromebooks.</p>

      • jrickel96

        31 July, 2018 - 3:15 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297701">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>I used the friendlier number. NetMarketShare says 0.30%</p><p><br></p><p>Regardless of usage, these numbers indicate a very small number of people using Chromebooks. </p><p><br></p><p>If we use the NetMarketshare numbers then there are roughly 5-6 million users of ChromeOS worldwide. That would compare to the 3-4 million people still using Windows Phone. </p><p><br></p><p>For Statcounter there would have been roughly 20 million ChromeOS users globally in May compared to 12 million users in June. Many US schools in the North continue into June. The July Statcounter numbers have ChromeOS down to 0.5%. That means they went from roughly 20 million users in May to 8 million in July. Statcounter would indicate there are still about 12 million Windows Phone users.</p><p><br></p><p>The fall off from May is interesting in Statcounter, though not there in NMS where .3% doesn't budge much over time. I figure the truth is somewhere in between.</p><p><br></p><p>But I do find the Chromebook coverage here to be silly. We've been told Windows Phone is dead (and it is) but ChromeOS isn't really doing much better and has shown no evidence of any growth outside of K-12 in the US – and both Apple and Microsoft are retrenching, so it will be interesting if Chromebooks can maintain their share in schools or not. Several years ago it was the iPads that were the danger and they were superseded. </p><p><br></p><p>If Chromebooks are still as dominant in schools in two years then there's a discussion there, but there's been no evidence of growth in business or college. No traction at all. </p>

        • hrlngrv

          Premium Member
          31 July, 2018 - 3:56 pm

          <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#297771&quot; target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><em>In reply to jrickel96:</em></a></p><blockquote>. . . <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Many US schools in the North continue into June. . .</span></blockquote><p>Perhaps, but not so much in the West these days. Point remains that school usage begins to drop in mid-May due to school years ending, and monthly numbers are for entire months, so a drop in Chrome OS usage between May and June is as expected as an uptick in Chrome OS usage between August and September. In any case, never wise to identify trends based on 2 data points.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

          • jrickel96

            01 August, 2018 - 11:22 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297806">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>The NE especially goes late. NYC Schools get out around June 25. That's a huge school district that goes through most of June.</p>

  • Lateef Alabi-Oki

    30 July, 2018 - 6:40 pm

    <p>The ad hits home because it's true. </p><p><br></p><p>Simplicity, security, and speed have long been hallmarks of Chrome OS and Chromebooks. Especially if you invest in one with high quality hardware like the Pixelbook.</p>

    • skane2600

      30 July, 2018 - 7:40 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296946">In reply to mystilleef:</a></em></blockquote><p>"Simplicity, security, and speed have long been hallmarks of Chrome OS and Chromebooks."</p><p><br></p><p>&nbsp;The same can be said of my four-function calculator, but sometimes users need more.</p>

      • anchovylover

        30 July, 2018 - 8:07 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#296963">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>Absolutely, however for the average home user Chrome OS is fine. I would add though that here in Australia the better Chromebooks are hard to find and expensive. You can actually purchase a reasonable entry level W10 laptop for about the same price as a Chromebook.</p>

        • VancouverNinja

          Premium Member
          30 July, 2018 - 8:17 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#296995">In reply to anchovylover:</a></em></blockquote><p>No it is not. Less software, less choice. Windows 10 is very easy to use and offers far more flexibility and security than any other OS. Why would someone buy a Chromebook for the same price as a system that can do more? Makes no sense.</p>

          • curtisspendlove

            30 July, 2018 - 9:21 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297019">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Why would someone buy a Chromebook for the same price as a system that can do more? Makes no sense.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Because they don’t *need* more, and/or they don’t like windows. I know it isn’t common acceptable knowledge on this site, but most people are indifferent (at best) with Microsoft / Windows nowadays. </p><p><br></p><p>Who cares about the whole ecosystem of Windows apps when Chrome works fine on a Chromebook?</p><p><br></p><p>— Average Person —</p><p><br></p><p>What apps do I need?</p><p><br></p><p>Facebook</p><p>Instagram </p><p>Bank</p><p>Chrome (most probably just want “the web”)</p><p>iTunes (maybe?)</p><p><br></p><p>(maybe)</p><p>Twitter</p><p><br></p><p>Few people actually need iTunes these days. And it bites even worse on Windows than it does on macOS. </p><p><br></p><p>Oh, what’s this Google Music thing? Wait…woah, I can download a Spotify app on the Chromebook? Sweet it looks just like on my Galaxy phone. </p><p><br></p><p>Seriously folks, most people just don’t need that much in 2018. And very few of them need a Mac or Windows laptop. </p>

            • VancouverNinja

              Premium Member
              31 July, 2018 - 1:31 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297064">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>Well then.the last thing I would recommend is a crappy OS like Chrome. Windows 10 is a superior interface that is kid simple, easily does all you list. and has the best browser to do it in. Chromebooks are a bad value for a basic user vs a Windows 10 option. Geez wake up.</p>

              • fgdsfgd

                31 July, 2018 - 8:08 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297214">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>lol, your love for Windows and Microsoft is crazy. You really get that much pleasure from using Windows?</p>

                • VancouverNinja

                  Premium Member
                  31 July, 2018 - 4:45 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297328">In reply to fgdsfgd:</a></em></blockquote><p>Here's the story; I highly disliked Windows and Microsoft in the 90's. Was ambivalent towards them in the 2000's and became a supporter of Apple. Then since the mid to late 2000's I got very disillusioned with Apple/iOS and their extreme goughing of us all – the nickle and diming has/had gotten out of control in my opinion. </p><p><br></p><p>Google is all about one thing only that underpins every single thing they do – gathering customers data and using it for advertising. Under Satya Nadella I have watched a totally new Microsoft emerge – best in Category devices beating out Apple's offerings (impressive and hard to argue against), Windows 10 has turned out to be great – it works. If we have a brand new team member, new in the workforce, they are up and running instantly no issues at all; for more seasoned users Windows 10 does it all. </p><p><br></p><p>Office365 is the greatest offering for a productivity suite ever and I go back to Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and Corel draw days. We have Adobe Creative Suite, Office365 as our key productivity subscriptions and when you compare what you get from Office365 compared to Creative Suite Microsoft looks like a discount software house – the value is crazy good for what we get as a company. I like what they are trying to do with cross platform software as it makes sense for all of us. Apple has separate OSs for almost every device and that is insanity. It was bad enough in the 90's with multiple device OSs to support – now there is even more. It needs to stop and we need software, be it PWA's or UWPs, that we buy once and can use across all of our chosen devices. Currently Microsoft is trying to make that happen. </p><p><br></p><p>So now throw Chromebooks into the mix…it is a solution no one needs. What I will give Chromebooks credit for is getting Microsoft to build better more competitive solutions that make Chromebooks unnecessary – kind of a paradox really. We do not need yet another OS. If Windows 10 had not worked out as good as it has, and continually improving, then maybe Chromebooks could have had a chance but Microsoft closed the Window on them by being strategically disciplined and delivering the best OS for everyone who wants to use a PC.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

              • curtisspendlove

                31 July, 2018 - 9:40 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297214">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Well then.the last thing I would recommend is a crappy OS like Chrome. Windows 10 is a superior interface that is kid simple, easily does all you list. and has the best browser to do it in. Chromebooks are a bad value for a basic user vs a Windows 10 option. Geez wake up.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Completely awake, thanks. </p><p><br></p><p>”superior interface” is an opinion. </p><p><br></p><p>Chrome OS is also “kid simple”. </p><p><br></p><p>Which is the best browser to do the activities I listed? (You might want to really think through this answer before you answer truthfully.) ?</p><p><br></p><p>I’d definitely prefer a Chrome OS environment running Android and Linux apps to a Windows environment running a combination of Win32 / store / PWAs. </p><p><br></p><p>I think a metric crap-ton of other people would agree, in a side by side comparison. </p>

                • VancouverNinja

                  Premium Member
                  02 August, 2018 - 3:20 am

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298126">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>Edge by a country mile. It has a better user interface, it is faster, and there is something weird about the rendering engine in Chrome. When it takes on large graphically intensive site it renders weird – not as good as Edge. I have played with Chrome Canary and I have no idea what Google is thinking when they can see how much better designed Edge is – they must have access to the insider builds no? So again for the average user Edge kills Chrome for ease of use as a browser – just a nicer experience.</p><p><br></p><p>As for a Chrome OS vs Windows 10 I strongly disagree that a "metric crap ton of people" would prefer it as this has already been strongly rejected buy consumers and businesses for Windows 10. Chrome OS just does not compare to how nicely designed Windows 10 has become. Chrome is just skinny and nascient like a Lada to a Tesla Model S (where the Model S in this example can be had for the same price as the Lada!). </p>

          • Jorge Garcia

            30 July, 2018 - 9:26 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297019">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Windows is only easy to use for us, because we grew up using C: prompts, right-clicks and double-clicks. Try explaining the reason why you have to double-click on something to a child who can run rings around you and me on a Chromebook, and they will just think you are a backward cave man. It's just how it is.</p>

            • VancouverNinja

              Premium Member
              31 July, 2018 - 1:34 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297069">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Love it. You can do the same basic things without having to right click anything. You are just highlighting the extras some.people may enjoy taking advantage of. Recommending a chromebook to some one over a similar priced Windows 10 system is akin to malpractice. </p>

            • skane2600

              31 July, 2018 - 2:03 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297069">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, Chromebooks are different. To run a program on a Chromebook you … oh wait, you don't run programs on Chromebooks. </p><p><br></p><p>But seriously, you can choose to open programs with a single click on Windows 10 if you want.</p>

          • nicholas_kathrein

            30 July, 2018 - 9:31 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297019">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Same reason not everyone has a truck or a van. You don't need it and when you do you have ways to get the job done the few times you do need it.</p>

          • Rick Foux

            30 July, 2018 - 9:56 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297019">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Because I got tired of doing the maintenance for my parents on their Windows machines. Being that they aren't the most tech-savvy people in the world, they'd usually call me about once a month (sometimes more) with an issue they needed me to fix. Some I could diagnose over the phone, but some required me to make an in-person visit just so they could browse Facebook normally or video chat with my brother again. </p><p><br></p><p>Two years ago I bought my Dad a Chromebox for Christmas. Other than the initial setup, he's not had a SINGLE issue.</p>

            • VancouverNinja

              Premium Member
              31 July, 2018 - 1:37 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297117">In reply to RawkFox:</a></em></blockquote><p>Had you upgraded them to Windows 10? Or did you keep them on an old outdated version? Also they could not browse Facebook properly….sure.</p>

            • Jorge Garcia

              31 July, 2018 - 3:02 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297117">In reply to RawkFox:</a></em></blockquote><p>^^^^^ This is the hard truth and the reality that a lot of these Windows curmudgeons refuse to accept. Normal people CANNOT use Windows without getting themselves into trouble after a few days, or even minutes. Chromebooks are designed for that majority of humans, and not us (the tiny minority that is always called upon to help solve other people's Windows issues).</p>

              • VancouverNinja

                Premium Member
                31 July, 2018 - 4:27 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297245">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Wow – spinning BS now are we? Windows 10 is a piece of cake to use. Chromebooks are paperweights currently and limit the ability of the user to do more as they expand their uses of a PC. It is a lame duck OS thus the reason it is a dead plaform. </p>

          • skane2600

            31 July, 2018 - 12:36 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297019">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don't know if I'd make the security claim, but certainly even Windows 7 is more versatile than a Chromebook. Limiting functionality to web apps was an explicit choice Google made when designing it although they've walked-back that concept a bit when they started allowing newer Chromebooks to run Android apps.</p>

            • Jorge Garcia

              31 July, 2018 - 2:39 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297192">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>…Web Apps, powerful Chrome Extensions, Android Apps AND Linux Apps like LibreOffice are all supported now on higher-end models…lower end models soon. So sorry, but ChromeOS is indeed more versatile than Windows.</p>

              • skane2600

                31 July, 2018 - 3:42 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297232">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>So Linux apps like LibreOffice can be installed on a Chromebook "out of the box" without enabling developer mode or using any other esoteric method?</p>

                • Jorge Garcia

                  31 July, 2018 - 7:38 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297789">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>Eventually, yes. That is Google's goal, of that I am certain.</p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  02 August, 2018 - 3:09 am

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297789">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>So Linux apps like LibreOffice can be installed on a Chromebook "out of the box" without enabling developer mode or using any other esoteric method?</em></p><p><br></p><p>It is currently behind developer mode and a chrome flag. But that simply enables a standard UI switch in settings. </p><p><br></p><p>So so I can only assume when it goes into stable it will be a simple switch that anyone can enable on supported devices. </p><p><br></p><p>developer.android.com/topic/arc/studio</p>

        • skane2600

          31 July, 2018 - 12:31 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#296995">In reply to anchovylover:</a></em></blockquote><p>In general, low-cost Chromebooks are no less expensive than low-cost Windows PCs. Not surprising since they are designed from the same pool of hardware components.</p>

      • nicholas_kathrein

        30 July, 2018 - 9:30 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#296963">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p><strong>But most don't!</strong></p>

  • rosyna

    30 July, 2018 - 6:44 pm

    <p>What does Chrome OS look like when it kernel panics?</p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      30 July, 2018 - 9:30 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296947">In reply to rosyna:</a></em></blockquote><p>I've never seen Chrome OS crash. </p>

    • skane2600

      31 July, 2018 - 12:28 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296947">In reply to rosyna:</a></em></blockquote><p>Nothing happens to the Chromebook, but a Google server crashes, cuz it's all web based :)</p>

  • HellcatM

    30 July, 2018 - 6:52 pm

    <p>Looks like Google took a page form apple and their apple vs PC ads. Over exaggerate issues that only happen to a handful of people who do dumb things like download crap they never heard of and hope the masses believe. It kind of worked for apple, not as well as they hoped.</p><p><br></p><p>Like apple they also insinuate in the ad that you can't get a virus which we now no is not true. Chromebooks are used by few people yet, at some point if they really catch on just like any OS it will get virus' and other issues. Google has a window (no pun intended) now, but its really a sleazy thing to do…something I'd expect from apple but I would have hoped Google would have decided not to do. I guess not.</p>

    • Jorge Garcia

      30 July, 2018 - 7:20 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296949">In reply to HellcatM:</a></em></blockquote><p>All those things are accurate from the layman's perspective in 2018. Mobile has set an expectation for how PC reliability should be, and there is no going back for most people. (Most people, but not me, as I will need a full OS for years to come).</p>

      • skane2600

        30 July, 2018 - 7:24 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#296955">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Because smartphones are super-reliable?</p>

        • anchovylover

          30 July, 2018 - 8:03 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#296957">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>The high end ones generally are.</p>

        • Jorge Garcia

          30 July, 2018 - 9:17 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#296957">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>I have tons of very cheap Android phones in a drawer (retired, but in perfect shape)…and while they do run out of RAM frequently (due to being so cheap and poorly spec'd), they are in fact super reliable in my experience.</p>

          • skane2600

            30 July, 2018 - 11:24 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297058">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>If were talking exclusively about HW, PCs are very reliable too. Of course we're really talking about the same set of potential HW although mobile options are fewer due to limitations on size, weight and power that PCs (and to a large degree laptops) don't have. </p>

            • Jorge Garcia

              31 July, 2018 - 2:30 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297158">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not talking exclusively about hardware. I can turn on any member from my menagerie of cheap android phones and they will begin performing my desired tasks within one minute. Conversely, when I dust off an old PC and power it up I must brace for a pulsating blue screen and an onslaught of updating percentages and admonitions not to turn my PC off. PEOPLE RAISED ON MOBILE ARE NEVER GOING TO BE OK WITH THAT KIND OF COMPUTING.</p>

              • skane2600

                31 July, 2018 - 3:37 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297231">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>That's not the way Windows updates work. An old computer lying idle isn't going to start installing updates as part of the boot process. Of course, most Android phones have solved this "problem" by never updating.</p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  31 July, 2018 - 8:01 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297774">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>An old computer lying idle isn't going to start installing updates as part of the boot process.</em></p><p><br></p><p>This is absolutely true. Windows Update will wait until you are in the middle of work or have just started a gaming session before rebooting to install the updates. </p>

                • skane2600

                  01 August, 2018 - 1:26 am

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298053">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not a fan of Windows update process either but he was comparing boot times between Android phones and PCs as if updates had something to do with it. My mistake was engaging him about Android phones as if they were relevant to a discussion of the comparison of Chromebooks and Windows PCs. </p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  01 August, 2018 - 2:29 am

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298216">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>I know. It was a cheap shot over the bow. I find myself hilarious. ;)</p><p><br></p><p>Honestly I feel Windows update has gotten significantly better over the years. </p>

    • curtisspendlove

      30 July, 2018 - 9:12 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296949">In reply to HellcatM:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Over exaggerate issues that only happen to a handful of people who do dumb things like download crap they never heard of and hope the masses believe.</em></p><p><br></p><p>However, the majority of people with traditional computers actually do “dumb” things (due to naïveté, not stupidity). So I’m guessing that this resonates with a *lot* of people. </p><p><br></p><p>This is actually a pretty brilliant move, regardless of what you think about the marketing style. </p><p><br></p><p>Over the the years I have fixed multitudes of computer issues, not “handfull’s”. </p>

  • skane2600

    30 July, 2018 - 7:31 pm

    <p>They really need to get the printer problem fixed. Unless your printer explicitly supports Google Cloud Print, you can forget about printing (and yes, I tried all the Google suggested work-arounds and they didn't work.). I had to return my Chromebook (twice for the same model it turned out) so it's not an issue for me anymore. I don't know if I will try again with a different make/model – only if I calculated a new cloud-ready printer into the final cost of the device. </p>

    • CompUser

      30 July, 2018 - 8:30 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296958">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>My wife had the same problem that she couldn't print from her Chrombook unless it was set up for cloud printing. I found the HP Print from Chrome App at the Google Play Store, installed it, and she is able to print wirelessly to our local network printer just like with a PC. Problem solved. No cloud printing required.</p>

      • skane2600

        30 July, 2018 - 11:14 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297050">In reply to CompUser:</a></em></blockquote><p>Hopefully that will work for all HP printer owners, but of course, there are many other printer brands. Of course, not all Chromebooks can run Android apps.</p><p><br></p><p>In any case, wouldn't it make more sense to have a printer "driver" available from the Chrome Web Store which is the more natural place to get support for the Chromebook? Is this a kind of phony "purity" with respect to installing stuff? You can install things through the Play Store that you can't through the Web Store even though at a low level they're really the same things?</p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      30 July, 2018 - 9:29 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296958">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>I've just done away with any printer which doesn't do it. Mostly the printers which have it cost only a few $$ more and I can even print stuff out anywhere I am to my home printer. It's better if you ask me.</p>

      • skane2600

        30 July, 2018 - 11:16 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297071">In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</a></em></blockquote><p>Having to buy a new printer no matter how inexpensive, isn't really a good selling point for any computer. Of course, it also undercuts both the "simplicity" argument and the "good enough for regular folks" argument. </p>

    • Jorge Garcia

      30 July, 2018 - 9:30 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296958">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>I bought a HP printer about 6 years ago…the HP ePrint Android app has worked flawlessly every time. The UWP App, OTOH, is the one that lets me down from time to time. I can only assume that other printer manufacturers make viable Android Apps as well.</p>

    • longhorn

      30 July, 2018 - 10:14 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296958">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>Here is something to ponder. Why doesn't Google include CUPS which comes with all Linux distros and is good enough for macOS too, which gives native printer support out of the box. Every HP printer is plug and play for example.</p><p><br></p><p>Are you telling me Google wants your print jobs to go through their data centers?</p><p><br></p>

      • skane2600

        30 July, 2018 - 11:19 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297119">In reply to longhorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>I tried the CUPS approach (I don't recall if this were an official Google thing or came from an alternative source) but it didn't work either. </p>

  • will

    Premium Member
    30 July, 2018 - 7:34 pm

    <p>Hurry, lets all run and install Windows 10 in S mode!</p>

  • dcdevito

    30 July, 2018 - 7:42 pm

    <p>I love Chromebooks and can't wait to use one exclusively, but I've never gotten any such issue on Windows 10. </p>

  • Tamichan

    Premium Member
    30 July, 2018 - 7:51 pm

    <p>Just a small sample. My brother-in-law bought Chrome books for my teenaged nieces. The girls hate the Chromebooks. Both girls are saving for either a Surface or a Mac. Both girls complain that the Chromebooks do not perform as well as their old (at least 5yrs old) Windows laptops. </p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 8:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296978">In reply to Tamichan:</a></em></blockquote><p>I just played with the latest at Best Buy – one word HORRID. Just a useless OS compared to Windows. This ad might have had some impact 3 years ago but Windows 10 is just a way better OS with way more options from dirt cheap to premium offerings. I predict that most OEMs, if not all, will stop producing after this year. The current marketshare is below 1% now – how can anyone profit off of that? Keep in mind most of that market share is in K-5; it is almost a bizarre joke at this point.</p><p><br></p>

      • hrlngrv

        Premium Member
        30 July, 2018 - 9:01 pm

        <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#296997&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to VancouverNinja:</em></a></p><p>Thus the opinion of a dedicated pickup truck owner to the latest in scooters.</p><p>No, you can't haul a few tons of hay or fertilizer with a scooter. Then again, try parking a pickup truck along 1 meter of sidewalk.</p>

        • VancouverNinja

          Premium Member
          31 July, 2018 - 1:18 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297053">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>That's a poor analogy. You just get less for the same amount as a windows 10 system. So if a user simply wants to browse Windows is the better OS. There is Zero upside with a ChromeBook. This is why no one in stores pushes them. Chromebooks only benefit Google and no one else.</p>

          • wright_is

            Premium Member
            31 July, 2018 - 3:12 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297200">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>That is the problem outside of the USA. Over here, the Chromebooks are very poorly priced.</p><p>Either a Celeron Chromebook with 4GB RAM and 16GB eMMC or a Windows laptop with Pentium or Core i3, 8GB and 128GB SSD.</p><p>I have no idea why Chromebooks are priced so uncompetitively over here. Maybe the cost of customization (keyboards, etc.) outweighs the benefits of ChromeOS.</p><p>Heck, the Pixels aren't even available in the Googe Store here! Click on the link to the Google Store for the Pixelbook and you get redirected to a page for the Pixel 2 smartphone!</p>

            • hrlngrv

              Premium Member
              31 July, 2018 - 1:45 pm

              <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#297248&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to wright_is:</em></a></p><blockquote>I have no idea why Chromebooks are priced so uncompetitively over here. Maybe the cost of customization (keyboards, etc.) outweighs the benefits of ChromeOS.</blockquote><p>Unless keyboards for Chromebooks in Germany (and other German-speaking countries or regions) would be different than keyboards for other EU countries/regions or other parts of the world, the cost of customization argument falls apart.</p><p>Odds are that either OEMs want to charge a lot more for them in Germany in order NOT to sell many (dunno, maybe EU regulations make it preferable to make them available but overpriced rather than unavailable) or EU regulations force them to be overpriced. IOW, far more likely they'd be much more expensive due to artificial, government-imposed or supranationally-imposed policies.</p>

              • wright_is

                Premium Member
                01 August, 2018 - 12:09 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297656">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>I doubt it has anything to do with regulations, you can buy the Core i3 notebooks mentioned above without any OS installed for about 50€ cheaper than the Windows version.</p><p>The keyboard pricing was a facetious remark, because that can't cost more than a couple of dollars (we were buying in Cherry keyboards for under 10€, so I can't see the keyboards for Chromebooks costing a couple of hundred Euros).</p>

          • hrlngrv

            Premium Member
            31 July, 2018 - 1:55 pm

            <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#297200&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to VancouverNinja:</em></a></p><blockquote>. . . This is why no one in stores pushes them. . . .</blockquote><p>Then they share that with Windows phones. For the same reasons: salespeople don't get higher % commission rates for selling them, and most salespeople know most customers would tend to be happier buying what most other customers buy. Besides, I figure Chromebooks in brick &amp; mortar stores are there as show room devices with neither retailer, OEM, nor Google expecting many to sell through that channel, but Google pays good money for the dedicated display space.</p><blockquote>Chromebooks only benefit Google and no one else.</blockquote><p>In which case OEMs would be insane to make any. I realize lots of people believe OEMs are stupid, and perhaps many were a decade or more ago since they no longer exist as separate entities or even as brands. But until I see more failures or mergers, I'll continue to accept the working hypothesis that they do know what they're doing. Implying that Chromebooks do serve valuable ends for them, even if those ends would only be maintaining Google's good will.</p><p>You do seem to have a profound commitment to denigrating Google. Still trying to short their stock?</p>

            • VancouverNinja

              Premium Member
              31 July, 2018 - 2:55 pm

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297682">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>OEMs have given it a shot. They have gotten nowhere from them. Google's sales pitch is, ridiculous really, that the growth (?) in PCs has been with Chromebooks. OEMs are not stupid if a customer did not buy a Chromebook they would have bought a Windows PC device. OEMs tried to see if there was anything to Chromebooks and they are not better off manufacturing them, in fact it is costing them more to make specific Chromebooks than just pumping out a Windows PC which would have captured the same business. Had Chromebooks turned into something over the last 8 years then maybe. Windows is well past its version 8 problems and now Windows 10 is the best Windows ever released, customers (consumers and business) love it.</p><p><br></p><p>Now with Surface Go hitting the streets do OEMs make yet another product along with a failed OSs devices? Nope. Most likely we will see Chrome OS devices start to dwindle hard over the next 18 months. Googles educational beachhead is under attack and with the rise of Windows 10 tablets about to get started and there is no room to pour money into a virtually dead platform that is about to see its only channel for sales get eroded.</p><p><br></p><p>As for Google – I do not like their use of people's data, I have recently had an experience where I opened a google spreadsheet sent to me and wtihin a day my Linkedin record was being viewed by someone I did not know but associated with the company the spreadsheet came from – classic Google. I had to login with my Google account to view the doc and then my data was sent to an unknown entity to me.</p><p><br></p><p>I do not short stocks; but your point is interesting. Maybe some of these posts pumping Chromebooks with a 1% marketshare are by people financially invested in Alphabet – what else could justify ignoring the reality of Chromebooks, and Chrome OS, being a complete failure? </p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      30 July, 2018 - 9:21 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296978">In reply to Tamichan:</a></em></blockquote><p>How much did the Chromebooks cost? You still have to spend money to get good performance. Around $500.</p>

      • VancouverNinja

        Premium Member
        31 July, 2018 - 1:15 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297063">In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</a></em></blockquote><p>So why bother then? Less capable as the girls found out.</p>

      • Tamichan

        Premium Member
        31 July, 2018 - 8:03 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297063">In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</a></em></blockquote><p>Not certain. My brother-in-law is frugal, but not cheap so probably something mid-range. The girls have such a bad experience I'm not certain that they would give a "better" Chromebook a chance.</p>

  • anchovylover

    30 July, 2018 - 7:59 pm

    <p>What a fine ad imho. I want one…NOW!</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      30 July, 2018 - 8:05 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296989">In reply to anchovylover:</a></em></blockquote><p>No rush, they can't sell them so just wait for the clearance sales.</p>

  • VancouverNinja

    Premium Member
    30 July, 2018 - 8:02 pm

    <p>Chromebooks are already losing market share from their might high of 1% to less than 1% now. This ad is clearly their last desperate attempt to keep the dead body warm. </p><p><br></p><p>Surface Go has not even launched; what happens to their biggest market, K-5, after it does? Will OEMs keep supporting a platform with less than 1% or .5% of marketshare? Pretty doubtful. Put a fork in it – it's done.</p>

    • Jorge Garcia

      30 July, 2018 - 9:14 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296992">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Don't kid yourself. Save for a small minority of very technically-minded people, no one under 30 is ever going to (voluntarily/recreationally…as in not-income related) use a Windows or MacOS PC moving forward. iOS, and the mess/not mess that is Chrome/Android/Fuchsia will simply dominate the landscape. Just give it time. Most humans are simple people with simple needs.</p>

      • Michael Goff

        30 July, 2018 - 9:21 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297056">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Most average people will probably go to a phone or a tablet and not a Chromebook.</p>

        • Jorge Garcia

          30 July, 2018 - 9:47 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297062">In reply to Michael_Goff:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree, but I also think that eventually, MANY of them start to desire the ergonomic advantage of a clamshell design with its larger display and solid-feeling keyboard.</p>

        • Mike Widrick

          31 July, 2018 - 12:51 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297062">In reply to Michael_Goff:</a></em></blockquote><p>Good point, but this IS the Android 'tablet' OS going forward.</p>

        • hrlngrv

          Premium Member
          31 July, 2018 - 2:02 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297062">In reply to Michael_Goff:</a></em></blockquote><p>Chrome OS is slowly becoming a tablet OS, successor to Android for tablets. If Google pulls that off, then whither Chrome OS?</p>

      • skane2600

        30 July, 2018 - 11:12 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297056">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Such absurdly broad claims. My kids are teenagers who aren't technically-minded at all and use their PCs daily. Or is there some magic "moving forward" date where PC and Mac users will suddenly drop their mice and, with eyes glazed, pick up their mobile devices, never to touch a PC or Mac again?</p>

      • fbman

        31 July, 2018 - 12:58 am

        <blockquote>no <strong><em>American </em></strong>under 30 is ever going to (voluntarily/recreationally…as in not-income related) u</blockquote><blockquote>.</blockquote><blockquote>There I corrected that for you.. the rest of the world has pretty much ignored the chrome book. The Chrome book is basically an american success story.</blockquote><blockquote><a href="#297056"><em>In reply to JG1170:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p>

        • Jorge Garcia

          31 July, 2018 - 1:37 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297197">In reply to fbman:</a></em></blockquote><p>Let's see how those numbers play out 10 years from now. The Chromebook push is just NOW getting into first gear. If they fail worldwide, it will be due to some kind of anti-trust regulation…or some very powerful non-Apple competitor releasing an OS that is backwards-compatible with Android Apps…possibly Samsung or Huawei. But I doubt that.</p>

          • skane2600

            31 July, 2018 - 1:57 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297219">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Or the market could simply reject it. No far-fetched speculation required.</p>

            • Jorge Garcia

              31 July, 2018 - 2:23 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297225">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>Your claim of market rejection is equally far-fetched, if not more so. 85%+ of the world has already embraced Android…admittedly due to Google's "dumping" of it, and perhaps not so much on its own merits…but still, it is beyond dominant. So to me there is zero reason to believe that they will not ALSO succeed in their next goal of taking at least an equal share of the desktop/laptop pie from Apple and Microsoft, most likely with similar "dumping" tactics. If it's not Chromebooks that do it, it will be their next "free" OS. To me, it is nothing but wishful thinking and denial to think that Google's upcoming All-in-One platform(s) will not become a serious rival to Windows. I firmly believe that they will even overshadow Windows in more than 10 years, but less than 20.</p>

              • Saxwulf

                Premium Member
                31 July, 2018 - 10:08 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297230">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Client OSs will be thin on the ground in 10 years, no where to be seen in 20.</p>

              • skane2600

                31 July, 2018 - 12:32 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297230">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Your argument that Chromebooks will succeed because Google's Android has succeeded, is like saying Windows mobile would succeed because desktop Windows was successful. Every business in history has had products or services that have succeeded while others have failed. Success in one category doesn't guarantee success in another.</p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  31 July, 2018 - 1:15 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297568">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Your argument that Chromebooks will succeed because Google's Android has succeeded, is like saying Windows mobile would succeed because desktop Windows was successful.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Not exactly. </p><p><br></p><p>Your analogy would be more accurate if Windows Phone had been successful before Windows was. If MS came out with Windows Phone, had a huge global market share and a large App Store. Then they tried to add a “laptop/desktop” OS to the mix, which was able to run all of those beloved UWP Windows Phone apps. </p><p><br></p><p>As we are dealing with the inverse, I don’t think it fits that well. </p><p><br></p><p>Sure, Windows is currently the traditional computer juggernaught. But that doesn’t mean it will always be so. </p>

                • skane2600

                  31 July, 2018 - 3:32 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297599">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>The theoretical pattern I'm questioning is success always leads to success. Whether the transition is mobile to desktop, or desktop to mobile is irrelevant to the issue. And of course there are thousands of other examples, I just chose one we are all familiar with.</p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  31 July, 2018 - 7:34 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297773">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>The theoretical pattern I'm questioning is success always leads to success.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Ah, gotcha. Agreed on that point. </p>

                • VancouverNinja

                  Premium Member
                  31 July, 2018 - 4:11 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297599">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>Windows will still be the dominate PC OS when Chromebooks are gone. It will not be too much longer until Google has to admit failure and move on. At what point do you take an OS with 1%, or less, marketshare off of life support?</p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  31 July, 2018 - 7:42 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297812">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>Windows will still be the dominate PC OS when Chromebooks are gone.</em></p><p><br></p><p>We agree, but I’ll rephrase. </p><p><br></p><p>Windows will always be the dominant “traditional desktop” OS until “traditional desktop” computers are gone. </p><p><br></p><p>Chrome OS serves a different purpose than Windows does. It is lighter, leaner. It does less. Often, less is a good thing. </p><p><br></p><p>Chrome OS will never kill Windows. I don’t think anything will ever kill Windows. Windows will simply die of old age. </p>

                • Jorge Garcia

                  31 July, 2018 - 7:32 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297568">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree 100% with what you just said, but is not a good comparison AT ALL. Microsoft did not have the services LOCK-IN advantage THEN that Google has NOW (almost everyone uses Gmail, G maps, and soon G photos, etc.). Sure everyone -used- Office, but that mattered little during the transition to the next wave (mobile). Also, Microsoft failed to pivot their mobile offering in time to respond to Apple…and even if they had been more nimble, their "paid" WinMobileOS product still would have succumbed to Google's FREE offering in due course. Further, Windows programs did not, could not and shouldn't have transferred onto mobile easily…whereas conversely Google's EXISTING, TURN-KEY play store apps ALREADY ALREADY ALREADY work adequately well on a laptop form factor (as far as most people are concerned). Furthermore, the above commercial shows us that Google IS nimble, serious and willing to fight for what they want (unlike 2009-era MS mobile), and their project Fuchsia OS really hammers that point of nimbleness home…assuming they follow through with it, which to me is a foregone conclusion. (Now, if they DON'T follow through with Fuchsia then I will totally change my tune as I don't think ChromeOS/Android are, on their own, enough to dominate the PC industry) So in my view you are a painfully short-sighted (and seemingly bitter) individual and in your above statement you are really comparing Apple to oranges, no pun intended. Just tell me, WHO is going to come by in the upcoming years with an "even free-er" platform model than Google, with even more "free" benefits to offer than Google????? TenCentOS???? FacebookOS???? MuskOS???? Google will torpedo them by simply denying them proper access to their very key, and extremely difficult to replicate services framework. Apple maps, anyone? Free ALWAYS wins (even though we know that it isn't actually free, but the average consumer hardly cares about that).</p>

                • skane2600

                  01 August, 2018 - 1:14 am

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298020">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not going to answer by comparing every Windows app to every similar app by Google. Neither Google Docs nor Office is likely to be used heavily by most people on a smartphone, so I'm going to discount that scenario in the discussion although both can be used on those devices. On a desktop or laptop where these office systems are more often used, both companies have options with similar capabilities for free. </p><p><br></p><p>The primary difference between Google and Microsoft is while Google offers alternatives to some apps that traditionally were limited to Windows, there are still important programs that are only available on Windows (or in some cases, the Mac). I would argue that there really isn't any "must have" apps that are exclusive to Android. There are some mobile-centric Android apps that really don't make sense to run on Windows but they wouldn't make much sense on Chromebooks either for the same reasons.</p><p><br></p><p>From a product perspective Fuchsia is just vaporware. Whether it will ever be productized or whether it will succeed if it does become a product is totally unknown at this time. We can assume it won't be magic, won't end up being all things to all people, and will essentially have to make trade-offs in design just like every other OS.</p><p><br></p><p>And to paraphrase Westley in The Princess Bride: "insults do not become us".</p>

              • cayo

                31 July, 2018 - 2:29 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297230">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Wow, I think this is the highest level on fanboyism ever! Dare to dream… </p>

                • Jorge Garcia

                  31 July, 2018 - 7:34 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297711">In reply to cayo:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don't even enjoy using ChromeOS personally. I am a die-hard Windows 8.1.1 fan. I am just looking out onto the horizon and making my own prediction, that's all.</p>

              • VancouverNinja

                Premium Member
                31 July, 2018 - 4:22 pm

                <blockquote><em><a href="#297230">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Dude the game is over for Chromebooks. It is a Dead Platform and the statistics back that up. This is why Google has shared they are now trying to do a cross platform OS (Fushia) like Windows. Chrome OS will never make it as it is already finished, capute, game over, the fat lady has sung, etc. </p><p><br></p><p>Google has trouble coming at Android and Google already knows it is coming. This is why they are so desperately trying to get an anchor in the PC segement. This is not the approach they should be taking – they will not displace Windows and while they flail away wasting good resources on this they are leaving themselves no retreat and no plan B to protect Android. I would almost go as far as to say they may already be too late to save Android over the next 5 years as a result. </p>

                • Jorge Garcia

                  31 July, 2018 - 7:35 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#297833">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Whatever dooms Chromebooks will be a backward-compatible Google product.</p>

                • VancouverNinja

                  Premium Member
                  01 August, 2018 - 4:48 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298023">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Chromebooks are beyond doomed – they are already dead. In what other product category would anyone claim a product with 1% or less marketshare, after 8 years of availability, is viable or successful? Google will pull the plug and it will probably happen before Fuschia gets released. I honestly can't see OEMs continuing with it.</p><p><br></p><p>Looks at Mac sales in the last quarter – nose dived. Two reasons 1. People waiting on new releases and 2. Windows 10 is growing out PC sales again. Windows 10 coming in an Educational friendly tablet format will further erode iPad and Google Chromebooks in the K-12 channel – simply no doubt about it. This is Chromebooks only viable channel and it is about to lose it.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  02 August, 2018 - 2:42 am

                  <blockquote><a href="#298525"><em></em>In reply to VancouverNinja</a>:</blockquote><p><em>This is Chromebooks only viable channel and it is about to lose it.</em></p><p><br></p><p>I disagree. I think Google is perfectly happy with Chromedevices being a loss-leader. And I further think Google realized Chrome OS could be a lot more than a consumer OS. And I think you will see them going after some of the “professional” market soon. They will start targeting web and mobile developers / DevOps professionals. In fact, they already have. (Don’t believe me, here’s a pitch for you: Chrome OS with Google Play Store and Linux Support…run Android Developer Studio on your new Google Pixelbook. Develop, build, and test all on a single device.) </p><p><br></p><p>“What? … No! That is crazy talk.”</p><p><br></p><p>developer.android.com/topic/arc/studio</p><p><br></p><p>Hey, lookie-there. Now Android Developers can have the same style of workflow iOS developers have had for a while now. Holy balls, it’s like Google had a product plan and executed it or something. </p><p><br></p><p>Seems to to me some intrepid young developer could jump on their Pixelboook and build a better Twitter PWA than Twitter did. But I digress. </p><p><br></p><p>It is the same demographic Microsoft started going after with WSL. </p><p><br></p><p>Both companies saw, and capitalized on a gap that Apple opened up. I don’t think as many “pros” are leaving the Mac as modern tech media seem to think, but there is definitely some unease in the Mac community. We will see if Apple can patch up the leak with the new Pro initiative and hardware. </p>

        • VancouverNinja

          Premium Member
          02 August, 2018 - 2:20 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297197">In reply to fbman:</a></em></blockquote><p>Success story??? More like one of the biggest tech failures ever and every day that goes by it becomes more of a legendary failure.</p>

      • VancouverNinja

        Premium Member
        31 July, 2018 - 1:25 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297056">In reply to JG1170:</a></em></blockquote><p>Let me help you out here – no one is ever going to buy a chromebook. At least that's what less than 1% market share is telling us after 8 years. This ad is pure desperation – Chromebooks are dead in the water.</p>

        • cayo

          31 July, 2018 - 2:21 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#297201">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>And if they do, chances are they will return it. Happened to two persons I know. 'I wanted a computer, and you sold me this!?'</p><p><br></p><p>Ever wonder why Chromeboks are (hardly, but still) in use only in US and nowhere else? Two reasons:</p><p><br></p><ol><li>Return policy. Retailers outside Canada and USA will sometime take an item in return if it’s still tagged, boxed or unopened and you have the receipt…but not after you used a Chromebook for a week and want to return it so that you can get a real computer!</li><li>Poor kids in US schools. Somebody else decided to give them Chromebooks. They hate them and use real computers at home. </li></ol><p><br></p><p>Chromebooks are history, no matter what Google fanboys tell.</p><p><br></p>

          • VancouverNinja

            Premium Member
            31 July, 2018 - 4:15 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#297709">In reply to cayo:</a></em></blockquote><p>All of these posts supporting Chromebooks refuse to aknowledge that after EIGHT years the OS has less than 1% marketshare and a huge chunk of that came from the K-5 educational market. </p><p><br></p><p>I would get the fanboy posts if this was a new platform but after EIGHT years. Give me a break – it is a Dead Platform. Pushing it on to friends and family is evil.</p>

            • curtisspendlove

              31 July, 2018 - 7:55 pm

              <blockquote><em><a href="#297816">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>I would get the fanboy posts if this was a new platform but after EIGHT years. Give me a break – it is a Dead Platform. Pushing it on to friends and family is evil.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Ok. Point. Let’s assume you win this round. </p><p><br></p><p>Chrome OS is “dead” and internally Google has a cut off date. </p><p><br></p><p>Two options for Google:</p><p><br></p><p>1 – they fire everyone, and close up shop</p><p>2 – they have something else in the works</p><p><br></p><p>Google seems like a smart company, so I’m going to assume they have option 2 percolating somewhere. </p><p><br></p><p>Two new options: </p><p><br></p><p>1 – they invent some crazy new quantum computer to run the new OS on</p><p>2 – it runs on slightly better versions of the machines Android and Chrome OS run on</p><p><br></p><p>While I wouldn’t put the first option past Google, again, my money is on #2. </p><p><br></p><p>Two options for users (that want to stay with Google):</p><p><br></p><p>1 – hope the new stuff runs on the old hardware</p><p>2 – buy the new fancy crap anyway</p><p><br></p><p>I’d like to see option 1; but I’d bet against it. Regardless, everyone will want the new hotness. </p><p><br></p><p>Who is most poised to seamlessly upgrade to the new experience? Those who have been using Google’s previous devices? Or those who have been using a competitor?</p><p><br></p><p>Regardless, if something works perfectly well for the needs of someone, foisting Windows on them simply because *you* like it seems to be less humane. </p>

              • VancouverNinja

                Premium Member
                02 August, 2018 - 3:08 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#298028">In reply to curtisspendlove:</a></em></blockquote><p>Windows 10 is currently the best user experience for a PC OS. Recommending that someone use Windows 10 is not "foisting" it upon them but directing them to the best user experience. Getting setup on Windows 10 is a piece of cake and for a user who just wants to browse, listen to music, watch videos, or play with photos it's a snap. If that same user wants to do more Windows 10 is there to grow with them easily. </p><p><br></p><p>Most consumers entering the work force, or in the workforce, use PCs and are very familiar with Windows and have no issues with Windows. They should, for some reason, use a Chromebook? Because they don't know how to click on the Edge browser icon? It really does not make any sense whatsoever. It would cause a weird fragmentation for a user going between two different PC OSs on a daily basis at work and then home. Very nonsensical.</p><p><br></p><p>My mother took a Novell networking course when she was in her 70's. We still do not know what possessed her but the drive to do more and continue to learn was always important. Assuming, and projecting, that someone only needs xyz and directing them to a limited system just doesn't make sense when a better solution is already there that does the same thing just as easily AND gives the user far more options should they want more. </p><p><br></p><p>You are correct with Two New Options 1 – 1. Google should never have gotten into the PC OS game with a lesser capable offering. That has never won in the tech sector ever and Chromebook's failure to gain any marketshare or traction just highlights this. Take Microsoft's approach to mobile – they were running between 5 -8% in North America and around 14-18% marketshare in Europe. They were right to shutter it – being third in a tech category with a me to product doesn't win. It is the equivalent of spinning your tires. </p><p><br></p><p>Andromeda is the perfect example of how to <em>try</em> to win a category – you have to enter with not just the same features that exist today but with the same capabilities <em>and</em> new innovative features that get people pumped and excited about. If Andromeda is all that – it will have a shot at a far greater marketshare than Microsoft's prior efforts. Plus they can really tap into the Windows 10 user base, Xbox user base, Surface PC user base, and the upcoming Surface Go Tablet user base. These users are not to be discounted in their interest to have a mobile device w/telephony that would seamlessly integrate with what they already use everyday. </p><p><br></p><p>Loyalty to Android phones? I do not believe it exists and buying new mobile phones is a short cycle. Having Apple launch iTunes as a Windows app effectively opened the door for iPhone users to leave iPhones without worry of not being able to take their music with them – this was the number one barrier to people switching and I still don't know how Microsoft got Apple to do it. I do believe that Apple would be less effected by a successful Andromeda, than Android, just due the nature of their users being overly loyal even when common sense doesn't support it.</p><p><br></p><p>Bottom line – we can agree to disagree 😉 . Windows 10 on entry level devices is great for consumers that just want to do the basics and it simply offers the best PC OS experience available today. </p><p><br></p><p> </p>

                • curtisspendlove

                  02 August, 2018 - 1:25 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#298637">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p><em>Bottom line – we can agree to disagree ;-)</em></p><p><br></p><p>Something we agree on! ;)</p><p><br></p><p>Seriously though, most of the disagreement in these threads is over opinion. :: shrug ::</p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      30 July, 2018 - 9:27 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296992">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>Surface Go changes nothing. Google is just getting more and more market share. I'm not sure where you get your numbers but as of FEB 2018 it's at 1 %. https://www.statista.com/statistics/218089/global-market-share-of-windows-7/</p><p><br></p&gt;

      • VancouverNinja

        Premium Member
        31 July, 2018 - 2:06 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297070">In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</a></em></blockquote><p>???</p>

    • fgdsfgd

      31 July, 2018 - 8:01 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#296992">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>hmm, what #'s show Chromebooks losing market share? </p><p><br></p><p>And lol at Surface even making a dent in tablet sales. Because 3rd times a charm right? – Surface RT, Surface 3….. surface Go</p>

      • Saxwulf

        Premium Member
        31 July, 2018 - 10:19 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#297322">In reply to fgdsfgd:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>If you're referring to tablets for recreational use, yes, you're correct, but Surface is now 20% of the Mac market and growing. </p>

  • nicholas_kathrein

    30 July, 2018 - 9:20 pm

    <p>There not wrong. The best internet machine for browsing is something like a Chromebook pixel. Especially the top of the line one. It is the best internet browser experience you will have ever had. Do a Google Search for "Dispatch from the Super internet".</p>

  • 202fan121

    30 July, 2018 - 9:40 pm

    <p>Honestly for most people Chromebooks are absolutely the way to go trust me as the extended family tech fixer I highly recommend a Chromebook to them all.</p>

  • SvenJ

    30 July, 2018 - 9:51 pm

    <p>As has been noted, I haven't any experiences like that for a long time on multiple Windows devices. The premise that Chromebooks are error free is of course exaggerated in the opposite direction. I have a Chromebook Pixel, and apps have crashed and I've had to reboot it. Probably less often than my Surface, but it does a heck of a lot less too. With simplicity comes reliability. Good ad though, unless you already know better. But then you aren't the target.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      31 July, 2018 - 3:03 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297116">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>I've never experienced anything like that on any device.</p>

  • Bats

    30 July, 2018 - 10:06 pm

    <p>LOL…funny! </p><p><br></p><p>The truth is, if you use Chrome browser…..you practically use a Chromebook, but with all the errors, viruses, and blue screens.</p><p><br></p><p>That's the one funny thing, people don't get.</p>

    • skane2600

      31 July, 2018 - 12:44 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297118">In reply to Bats:</a></em></blockquote><p>Well, if the ONLY program you use on your Windows computer is the Chrome browser, than it's almost like using a Chromebook. The again when I use the Chrome Browser on Windows, I can print to practically any printer made in the last decade or so, while with a Chromebook, only to a select few. So that's one difference.</p>

    • My Hell baby speaking

      31 July, 2018 - 12:48 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297118">In reply to Bats:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><p>I have been running Linux for 20 years on my private desktop. With Ubuntu 16.04 I started using Chrome on the Unity desktop and peu-a-peu replaced heavy desktop programs with web apps and apps from the Chrome store. Most of the latter working offline.</p><p>Then, two months ago I jumped into cold water and bought an Acer 15 (8/64GB). What an easy transition it was, especially with a lot of beloved Android apps at one's disposal. The Play store upgrades the ChromeOS experience to a whole new level. Couldn't be happier with it.</p>

    • dontbe evil

      31 July, 2018 - 4:41 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297118">In reply to Bats:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>you have just different errors, viruses and crashes</p>

  • truerock2

    30 July, 2018 - 11:34 pm

    <p>My son is majoring in Geo-Enviromental Science. He has a $1,000 Windows 10 HP Envy 17t notebook and an iPhone. He recently purchased a $200 Windows 10 Dell Inspirion 11 3000 for much the same reason you would buy a Chromebook:</p><p>Inexpensive</p><p>Small and Light</p><p>All day battery</p><p>But, it also had to be able to run these unusual geophysical apps and physics/math apps that would not run on a Chromebook.</p>

    • curtisspendlove

      31 July, 2018 - 10:34 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297166">In reply to truerock2:</a></em></blockquote><p>Your son is obviously not the target market for a Chromebook. ;)</p>

  • Winner

    30 July, 2018 - 11:57 pm

    <p>I think this is hilarious. Especially with the music.</p><p>I particularly like the repeating diagonally tiled alerts. I've seen that before.</p>

    • Jorge Garcia

      31 July, 2018 - 1:31 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297177">In reply to Winner:</a></em></blockquote><p>And the poorly written phrases in the "You need this antivirus now" message pop-up are spot-on and clearly intentional.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2018 - 3:01 am

    <p>In some ways, I am thankful I live in a country that regulates that you can't bad-mouth your opponents in adverts, you can only show what your product does well, without referring to or showing the opposition.</p>

  • nbplopes

    31 July, 2018 - 3:46 am

    <p>This is a very good advert.</p>

  • Lyndon

    31 July, 2018 - 3:50 am

    <p>I hadn't really thought about how few errors I get under windows 10 until I saw this ad. I don't think I've had a single blue screen of death, nor do I remember getting any other error for that matter. </p><p><br></p><p>I really don't see the draw of a chromebook over a mac or win 10 pc. It's possible they could be become popular, but seems unlikely in the near future. I would guess they will fail to go anywhere for the same reason Microsoft failed in every recent attempt to enter the smartphone market. There are just so many apps that aren't on android that are extremely convenient to use.</p>

  • dontbe evil

    31 July, 2018 - 4:43 am

    <p>LOL because google products never have issues:</p><p><br></p><p>d0od.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/chromee.jpg</p><p><br></p><p>fortune.com/2017/09/14/google-play-android-malware/</p>

  • RM

    31 July, 2018 - 7:41 am

    <p>I would counter that Windows 10 S is Chromebook plus apps and games from the app store and PWA's.</p>

    • fgdsfgd

      31 July, 2018 - 7:58 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297294">In reply to RM:</a></em></blockquote><p>Haha!</p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      31 July, 2018 - 11:41 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297294">In reply to RM:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yup the Chromebooks slogan should be "<em>Get way less for more</em>" ;-)</p>

    • skane2600

      31 July, 2018 - 12:25 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297294">In reply to RM:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don't know. I'd see Windows 10 S like a Chromebook but with an inferior app store. But if printing is well supported, that's a big advantage over Chromebooks.</p>

    • Mike Widrick

      31 July, 2018 - 12:48 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#297294">In reply to RM:</a></em></blockquote><p>Windows 10S is too new to recommend I'd say. It's a big drawback not to have apps like kindle but also not to have Steam. At least with Chromebook, you have android apps now, plus easy operation/maintenance.</p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      31 July, 2018 - 1:59 pm

      <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/google/164688/google-just-took-huge-shot-windows-mac-new-chromebook-ad#297294&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to RM:</em></a></p><blockquote>. . . plus apps and games from the app store and PWA's</blockquote><p>Literally dozens of choices!</p>

  • ReformedCtrlZ

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2018 - 10:24 am

    <p>It'll be effective as heck to most consumers as many have no idea how to maintain a PC and so they end up with these types of issues. The cynic in me can't help but argue that I don't get those errors at all. And that unless you want to spend 2-3 times what you probably spent on your POS discount PC on a Pixelbook, you're going to have the worst Chromebook experience. Google has the exact same problem that Windows has, the low end devices are terrible and the high end devices are too expensive.</p>

  • DocPaul

    31 July, 2018 - 10:51 am

    <p>I was reading through the comments and it was all platform fanboy hater nonsense. I was confused until I remembered–my premium membership had expired! Thank you. Just in time to renew at the sale price! LOL</p>

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