The long overdue Chromebook initial review

It's been three weeks since I purchased my Samsung Series 5 Chromebook from Amazon.com. I realize that three weeks time is a bit long for an initial review of a product, but better late than never I always say. Ok, I never say that...forgive me.

My new Chromebook arrived in a very nice, dare I say Apple-like, white box which contained the Series 5 3G Chromebook, the charging cable, a display adapter, and a very small plastic bag with very little in the way of paperwork and instructions. I plugged in the device and to my surprise it powered on as soon as I opened the lid...very slick! After signing in with my Google account information, I quickly connected to my network. The device then started to download updates. Once that was complete, I was off and running. Everything you have read about the Chromebook booting fast is true, less than 8 seconds from a cold boot and a near instantaneous wake-up from sleep. All my bookmarks, settings, theme, and web apps were automatically brought in when I logged into the Chromebook for the first time. Keep in mind though, if you use the Chrome browser on another machine and you want all your settings to transfer over you must enable google sync in your web browser's settings.

There's a lot to like in the little Samsung Chromebook. I really like the build quality...it's not Apple Aluminum but it doesn't cost $1400 either. The device is lightweight, but not a featherweight. It's the perfect size; large enough for a spacious display and a very good full size keyboard, but small enough to take anywhere. The battery life is truly amazing...8.5 hours on a full charge means not having to lug my charging cable with me everywhere. And compared to my old Samsung netbook and my Dell 17" core i7 work laptop, the Chromebook produces little to no heat so you can use it on your lap without burning a hole in your dermis. Consequently, the cooling fan is quite small and makes little to no noise. And lastly, although I didn't think I'd use it as much as I have, the Verizon 3G connectivity is a fantastic feature. It's liberating to know that if you aren't close to a wi-fi network then you can jump on the Verizon network and get stuff done. The price of the device includes 100 MB per month of free 3G data for two years. This will work in a pinch to send off a quick email or occasionally check Google+, but when you run out you can purchase more data starting at 1GB for 30 days for $20...no contract, and it doesn't renew automatically...pay as you go.

Which leads me to my list of dislikes. The process to register/buy more data with Verizon is quite slow. There's also currently no way to buy more data ahead of time...you have to wait until you run out then go through the lengthy process of buying more time. To be fair, Verizon says they are working on speeding the process up, I hope they succeed. There also is some network quirkiness that happens when you opt to purchase the 3G Chromebook versus the model with wi-fi only. I had to check with other users in the Chromebook community to verify that this behavior was normal. What happens is when your Chromebook connects to a wi-fi network it simultaneously connects to the Verizon 3G network. My first thought was that this would cause conflicts, but I was told it's a feature so that if your wi-fi goes down you can keep working and prevent data loss. You can disconnect from either network manually in the network settings, or you can disable the wi-fi or 3G altogether. however, when I close the lid on my Chromebook and then wake it back up, it will automatically try to reconnect to Verizon even if I manually disconnected it from the network. I don't think this is impossible to live with, I just think that I would have liked the network settings to work a bit more independently and I'd like it if it remembered that I disconnected a network before it went to sleep.

Some other things I don't particularly care for are the weak internal speakers. I knew they were weak when I bought the machine so I don't feel deceived, and the Series 5 is not intended to be a full multimedia powerhouse. I prefer listening to music and movies on headphones anyway so it's not a big deal. Likewise, I kinda wish the keyboard was back-lit, but again at this price point I don't feel it's a problem. I do wish they would have designed the power cable a bit better. The cable and "brick" are nice and slim, but the plug that goes into the machine is very, very small (not Motorola Xoom small, but small...) which makes me paranoid that I might bend or break it accidentally. My old Samsung netbook had a similar sized cable and brick, but the plug was full (normal?) sized. Not sure why Samsung went with the smaller plug, perhaps with the great battery life they figured people wouldn't be lugging it around with them every day.

As far as Chrome OS goes, I only have a couple of niggles. Performance was sluggish on some Flash-intensive websites, and the file manager was too basic in my opinion. One great thing about Chrome OS is how fast updates are released, and in the three weeks I've had my new Chromebook I already downloaded an update that drastically improved Flash performance and added several new and welcome features to the file manager. The OS will continue to get better, stronger, faster (like Steve Austin!) as time goes on. One thing I'd love to see in Chrome OS is USB printing support. Currently, you can't plug a printer into a Chromebook and print anything. Again, I knew this going in and I don't feel cheated. Google Cloud print allows you to print to a printer connected to any other computer on the Internet (like my Mac at home), but that computer has to be on, and you have to be logged in to your Chrome account with your Chrome browser open for it to work. There are allegedly some printers coming out that will be able to cloud print right out of the box, without a computer connected, via wi-fi or ethernet. There are many of us though that have to travel for work, and it would just be simpler to be able to go up to any brand name USB printer, plug in the device and print a document. I wish we lived in a paperless world, but unfortunately we don't yet...my company is proof positive of that.

Now that I've done my complaining, there are a few things I'd like to see others in the blogosphere quit complaining about when it comes to the Samsung Chromebook. For one, stop complaining about the lack of HDMI support. If it's that big of a deal to you, than you can get the Acer Chromebook which has an HDMI port. And although I just brought it up, stop complaining about the lack of USB printing support. I would like to see it, but I'm not complaining about it and I surely don't feel that I was deceived in some way or led to believe by Google that I could plug a printer into the device. Stop complaining about the price. At $450 with 3G connectivity, the Chromebook is a bargain when you consider that a 3G iPad will set you back at least $600, most Android smartphones list for $500 to $700 full price, and the MacBook Air will cost you at least $1100 and doesn't offer 3G connectivity. Finally, please, please stop complaining about the lack of off-line capability in Chromebooks. If you absolutely have to have a computer that will work without a network connection, then don't buy a Chromebook. It's that simple.

If, however, you are like me and find yourself always near wi-fi or in a Verizon 3G area, and the idea of a sleek, well built, lightweight machine that boots almost instantly and lasts all day on a charge sounds right up your alley, then go ahead and jump in. Chances are you're already living in the Cloud with your PC or Mac.

Why does CNET hate Google so much??

Google+ is now open to everyone!

So the big news today is that the Google+ project announced a group of new updates including update #100 which opens their social network to anyone and everyone, no invite required. As an active Google+ user, this was great news to me since I now am hopeful that more of my friends and acquaintances will give G+ a try.

But apparently not everyone thinks this is good news. Over at cnet.com their headline reads "Google opens its social network to all," which is followed underneath by two other links that say "Do you want another social site?" and "The minuses of the +". Really, CNET? Really?

This is the second time I have questioned CNET's objectivity...the first is what I feel is consistently biased reviews and negatively charged articles regarding Chromebooks and the Chrome OS. To be fair, they tend to be somewhat unbiased about Android...but they have to be considering Android's market share.

So what's up at CNET? Are some of them bitter because Google wouldn't hire them? Are they miffed because they didn't get a G+ invite? Are they upset that they didn't get a CR-48 Chromebook when the project started?

I have started notes on a blog post about Google+, the idea for that post came up many days ago before the big news today. I will save my thoughts on G+ for that post. I'm also planning a full product review of my Samsung Chromebook after I've had it a month, so keep an eye out for that.

In the meantime, my friends, I urge you to continue to be open minded and give Google+ a try if you haven't already. I also encourage anyone who's genuinely happier using Facebook to continue to do so.  I also urge you to question what you read online and be on the lookout for bias and opinions that aren't grounded in sound logic. As for me, I've decided I'm officially done reading articles on CNET. There are plenty of other sources on the Interwebs [sic] where I can get timely, unbiased, and level-headed tech news and reviews.

Keurig Platinum: Geeky Techno Coffee bliss

Geeks and caffeine go hand in hand, and my weapon of choice to blast away drowsiness has always been coffee. I've been around coffee, in all it's varied forms, my whole life. The aroma of coffee brewing was always the first thing I smelled when waking up as a kid. It kept me awake when cramming for finals in high school, and when working midnight shifts in the military. I like many different varieties, even your run of the mill Folgers and Maxwell House...as long as it's plenty strong and very fresh.

I've had my share of good (and bad) coffee makers over the years. The last one was a Cuisinart that was very, very good. One thing always bugged me though; since I'm usually the only one in the house drinking coffee I always seemed to be wasting a lot of it. I'd brew either 6 or 8 cups, have a mug or sometimes two, then the rest would go down the sink. Short term, not that big of a deal. Long term, it adds up.

Earlier this year a friend introduced me to the Keurig system, and two months ago I bought their Platinum brewer. The Keurig system uses what the manufacturer calls K-cups to brew coffee one cup at a time...one K-cup makes one cup of coffee. After you brew a cup, you throw the K-cup away. There is an accessory filter you can purchase that will let you use your own bulk coffee with this machine, but the whole point is the convenience and freshness...going away from the K-cup would negate these benefits in my opinion. This brewer has a 60 ounce water reservoir and is fully programmable and will brew a choice of 5 cup sizes ranging from 4 to 12 ounces. You can also buy other K-cup beverages for use in this machine, such as tea and hot chocolate (my son's favorite).

Beam up my coffee, Scotty!

After two months of use, I am very happy with the Keurig. The per cup price is higher than the per cup price using bulk coffee, but there's no waste so over the long run I believe I will be better off or break even. If you compare the per cup cost to say, a cup of coffee at a trendy coffee shop, then it's very economical. The individually sealed K-cups mean that the coffee is always fresh, and means you can keep a variety of different blends and flavors on hand without having the flavors you rarely use go stale. It also means I can have a cup whenever I want without having to brew a whole pot. The technology works very well, the LCD display is easy to read and the menus are easy to understand. The blue lighting is pretty intense and reminds me of something your might find in a J.J. Abrams Star Trek production. The LEDs beneath the water reservoir also have another unique function: They will blink on and off when the water in the tank gets too low. Although some might find this annoying, I think it's a great idea as it's much easier to see from across the room than the small text on the LCD. And besides, wouldn't it be more annoying to go back for your second cup and find that your brewer's not ready?

So, whether you're a drowsy Geek looking for a jolt while you knock out that last few lines of code, or just a coffee lover who adores convenience, the Keurig Platinum brewer is a fantastic machine. At $179 it isn't cheap, but it makes great coffee with single serve convenience. This is just one of the many different machines Keurig sells on their website and in select retail stores. With over 200 varieties of coffee, tea, hot cocoa and iced beverages there is bound to be a K-cup flavor that you'll love. Oh, and Dunkin Donuts just started selling their different coffee varieties as K-cups, which is icing on the proverbial cake for me.

My Chrome experiment terminated...

It's just a day away...

I didn't even make it a week. What started as my Chrome Experiment, where I was going to attempt for two weeks to only use the Chrome browser and cloud services for all my computing needs to see if I was a good candidate for a Chromebook, came screeching to a halt today when I ordered a Samsung Series 5 Chromebook with 3G from Amazon.com...I know, I know...not very scientific but allow me to explain.

To put it bluntly, I found it ridiculously easy to use just the Chrome browser and cloud services for my day to day, non-work-related, computing needs. The only time I thought I ran into an issue was when I wanted to load the images of my Motorola Xoom onto Craigslist. I used the card reader on my iMac...the Chromebook has one as well so I thought it a good simulation...and uploaded the images to Picasa. On the Craigslist website it didn't give me an option to use a URL for the photos, so I was thinking "damn, I've got to download them and then upload them." Then I came to my senses and just uploaded them directly to Craigslist direct from the SD card. I think you can do this with a Chromebook, but I don't sell on Craigslist very often so it's not a deal breaker.

That's it, that's the only thing that has been remotely an issue. What made me pull the trigger was the positive reviews from current Chromebook users and the great community over at Chromebook Central. The more I read about their Chromebook experiences the more I realized that the Chromebook was in fact what I had hoped my Xoom tablet would be. Ultimately, I guess I thought that Android 3.2 would be different enough from the version on my phone that I would have some greater capability and features. The things I really like about it...quick boot/quick wake from sleep and long battery life...I will now have in my Chromebook. I will also have 3G coverage in a pinch, something I didn't have with my Xoom.

The other thing that made me pull the trigger was my trip to Best Buy on Labor day. I wanted to see for myself what so many Chromebook critics were claiming...I wanted to see what kind of laptop I could buy for $450 at Best Buy. To be fair, they had some pretty good deals going...such as the 15.6" Samsung laptop with an i3 processor for $380. But most of the laptops they had in that price range were all larger and heavier than the Samsung Chromebook and had no where near the 8.5 hour battery life. And they were all running Windows 7...a great improvement over Vista but still a pain at times to deal with (anti-virus software, system updates, hard drive defrags, etc.).

So, my new Chromebook will be delivered tomorrow. As with any new gadget, I'm looking forward to getting to know my new Chromebook and how it meets my needs. I honestly believe I will be much more happy with it than with my Xoom. Perhaps I shouldn't declare my Chrome Experiment dead...or even concluded. Maybe I should think of this as Phase 2 of my Chrome Experiment...more to come.

Complaints...the essence of human nature? Chrome Experiment sidebar

As part of my Chrome Experiment I've been trying to read as much as I can about the Chromebook and Chrome OS. Aside from tech-writer blog posts and online magazine articles, I've found that there's a wealth of information available from the people who have purchased Chromebooks. You can find many of their stories as product reviews on Amazon.com and BestBuy.com as well as on Chromebook Central, the official google groups Chromebook forum. But, there's a problem...human nature.

I've pointed this out to friends in the past: You have to read user product reviews very carefully and consider the source of the information. It's in our nature as human beings to complain when something doesn't work the way it should, and unfortunately there are many of our fellow humans that will write up a complaint without thinking things through logically. Examples:

• The member on Chromebook Central who rated his initial experience as negative because when he got his new Chromebook home he couldn't set it up...because he doesn't have wi-fi at his house. The specs clearly state the device has no ethernet port, and if you need ethernet connectivity you will need an adapter.
• The poster on Amazon.com that proclaimed the Samsung Chromebook to be trash even though it was evident he doesn't own one or hasn't used one.
• The poster on Amazon.com that tried to warn us all to stay away from Chromebooks because when he got his home he couldn't connect to his wi-fi network. He didn't mention if he tried to take his new machine to another location and connect to a different network, and he didn't acknowledge the fact that it could be his wireless router.

There's another problem with product reviews: Fanboys (or girls). Fanboys often are so dedicated to one manufacturer or one product that they will fail to accept any problems or shortcomings a product might have. Examples:

• The poster on Chromebook Central that said he wasn't impressed with the performance of the Chromebook because it wasn't any faster than his MacBook. (News flash, Google never said it would run circles around Mac hardware)
• The poster on Amazon.com who stated the hardware felt pretty solid, but would be better if the case was all aluminum (a la Apple laptops).
• That same poster, along with countless others, who have stated they felt the device was overpriced for what you get. I keep seeing $200 to $250 thrown around as a desired price point. Many of these reviewers complained that they could buy a similarly sized Windows laptop for the same money with more capabilities.

The thing is, if you look at just the star rating on any given site for any given item, you are not getting the whole picture most of the time. Amazon.com's site has a great feature that shows you in a product review whether or not the poster is a verified purchaser...a great way to judge the credibility of the review. But if you look at the Chromebook rating on Amazon you'll see it has 4 out of five stars overall, with most rating it 5 stars (63 out of 136 were 5 stars). If you read all the one star reviews, that's when you will see who's objective and who is not. You also must consider this: You'll never see a product review that says "Eh...it's ok." For every product review you read, there are more than likely hundreds of other people happily using the product who didn't feel the need to write about it. To be fair, there may also be others who didn't care for the product but not to the point to write a formal complaint.

That being said, I'm feeling more and more inclined to buy the Chromebook because of the positive reviews I've read. When I'm reading the reviews, I want to read the 1 star reviews and I want to know about legitimate complaints, such as hardware failure or bad customer service experiences. However, I'm more interested in objective reviews, people who state if the device works as designed. I also like to read about people who use the Chromebook so much more than they expected that they have all but forgotten their main computers (notice that I said main computers, because the smart shopper realizes that at this time most of us will not be able to completely replace a full featured computer with this device). As for the complaints, I just find most of them laughable. It won't run circles around your Mac? It's never going to, it has an Atom processor. Browser tabs crash when you try to watch high definition video with 25 other tabs open? Close some tabs. You wish it cost $200, yet you also wish it had a solid aluminum case like a Mac? You can't have both. You can buy a Windows laptop for the same price? Fine, go right ahead...Norton will send you a thank you note. You think that $350 to $500 is too expensive for these devices? Have you priced (full price mind you) an Android phone or iPhone lately? Sure, I wish I could get a Ferrari for the price of a Toyota, but I'm not going to get on a Ferrari forum page and complain about price.

My advice is to always read the description and specs on any product...know what you're buying before you buy! Find the user's or owners forum (there's one for almost anything), talk to people who use the product on a daily basis. Somewhere between the chronic complainers and the always faithful fanboys you'll find the information you need: objective, logical, and fair.

Chrome Experiment Step 1: Web Apps

You got to get yourself some Web Apps!

I've been using Google's Chrome web browser (and the Linux non-Google branded version called Chromium) for over two years. Like many users, I got hooked on using it because the minimalist interface is easy to use and it's fast...really fast. Although Firefox has gotten faster and Safari boasts similar speed, Chrome has been my browser of choice. So when I decided to start my Chrome Experiment in order to find out if I was a good candidate for a Samsung Chromebook, I knew the interface wouldn't be a challenge for me. But I realized there was one thing I would need to have if I wanted to conduct a proper Chrome experiment: Web Apps.

Chrome Web Store

Chrome Web Apps are available in the Chrome Web Store. When you open a new tab in Chrome and click on Apps, you will see an icon that says Web Store. The Web Store is where you can choose from thousands of web apps that work in Chrome. These Web Apps are integral to the Chrome OS that runs on the Samsung and Acer Chromebooks, however, you can add these web apps to the chrome browser on any machine. Before adding, select the app you're interested in and read the description and user reviews as well as system requirements. Although most of the apps are written in HTML5, some (such as the new Netflix web app) are not compatible on all operating systems...bummer for Linux users.

According to Wikipedia, "...a web application is an application that is accessed over a network such as the Internet or an intranet." This thin client type architecture is the main idea behind the Chromebook. This allows the operating system to be very lightweight, allows for better performance on less powerful (and less power hungry) processors, and allows users to work in the cloud without having to worry about storing files locally (think that isn't a benefit? ask anyone who's lost all their data in a hard drive crash what they think of local storage). An added benefit is that web apps do not require the user to upgrade the software, upgrades and added features are installed on the server and pushed out to users automatically. Some drawbacks include web browser compatibility issues, potential privacy issues from the company running the servers, and the fact that most web apps don't have the slick user interface and robust capabilities found on locally installed software application suites.

As you can see from my screen shot, I downloaded several web apps for my chrome browser that will help me with tasks I perform on a daily basis. I'm using as many of them as possible to try and find any shortcoming with the interfaces. At first glance, many of the web apps may appear to be nothing but shortcuts to webpages. However, there are several new apps, such as Google's gmail and Docs web apps, which are now in beta testing to allow for offline editing of documents and emails. HTML5's new Offline Storage Database API makes downloading web apps to local storage for offline use possible. This will address what many critics have said is the achilles heal of the Chromebook: The lack of the ability to work offline. To be fair though, unless you are a hard-core road warrior who spends a lot of time on airliners traveling for your job, more likely than not you will be able to find a wi-fi connection or, if you opt for the Chromebook version with 3G connectivity through Verizon Wireless, you will be able to find a Verizon signal. A third option that many laptop owners use is the ability for their smartphone to double as a wi-fi hotspot. A final option is the use of a ethernet to usb adapter, which will allow the Chromebook to be plugged into a network or modem via ethernet cable...could be helpful in an office where there's no wi-fi and an iffy 3G signal.

My point is, the capability to work offline may not be the deal breaker that some have made it out to be. Here's an idea, when you're on a plane with no wi-fi, listen to some music or read a book or magazine. Besides, you know the person next to you is watching everything you do on your laptop when you fly...

Got my head in the cloud(s)...

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm not quite sure that tablet computing is right for me. I think my Xoom runs Android very well, but even with an external bluetooth keyboard I don't feel that I could use just my Xoom for everything I want to do. Case in point, I want to start an online Master's degree program next year at Arizona State University. I will be traveling a lot for work, so I need a portable system. As I mentioned in my last blog post, the current version of Android for tablets is not ideal for school work, or work work for that matter. My trusty netbook has served me well, but it's processor is fairly slow and even running Ubuntu it's definitely not fast. And don't get me started on the annoyance of having to reload my wireless drivers after every system update. So I want a new laptop...I would love a new MacBook Air...but $1100 is a lot of money.

So I started looking at newer netbooks and lightweight laptops and while on Amazon's website I came across the Chromebook. If you aren't familiar, it's a laptop (made by Acer or Samsung, your choice between two similar machines) which costs between $350 and $500 depending on make and model that runs Google's Chrome OS. Chrome OS is an operating system based on Linux, but the only user interface is the Chrome browser...almost identical to the Chrome browser many of us use on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines. It's essentially a terminal for cloud computing...most (but not all) of your data will be stored in the cloud...think gmail, Google docs, Google calendar, et al. It's a radical departure from the current operating system/software applications paradigm that has been the foundation of personal computing since the Apple II.

I think I'm a good candidate for a Chromebook...most everything I do on my personal computers involves the internet. In addition to the more common google services that I use everyday, I am regularly on Google+, Youtube, Pandora, Cnet, Engadget, Facebook, Twitter, and numerous other news and information websites. I generally don't play computer games, and I use Microsoft office only when I have to. I do use iTunes and iPhoto on my Mac, but I also use Picasa. However, most of the authors of the online reviews I read think I shouldn't get a Chromebook. Most said the Samsung Chromebook was very well made, but too expensive for what it was capable of. Most reviews also said Chrome OS was a great idea that wasn't ready for the mainstream. David Pogue, whom I admire greatly, was less than enthused in his Chromebook review for the New York Times. There were a few writers who thought the machines were not only a great idea, but were great at doing what they were designed to do. Dana Wollman at Engadget wrote a very positive and, in my opinion, unbiased review of the Samsung Chromebook that you can read here.

After reading all the reviews I could find, the big question I have to ask myself is this: Is cloud computing right for me? Can I use a machine that, with little exception, can only be used when it has a wi-fi or 3G connection to the Internet? Can I use a machine that has limited local file storage options? Can I live without (gasp!) Microsoft Office? In order to answer these questions, I've decided to run my very own Geek experiment. Starting yesterday, I'm going to attempt to live "in the cloud" for two weeks. For two weeks I will only use my Chrome browser and it's associated apps and extensions for my personal computing needs. I do have a work laptop running XP that I will undoubtedly have to use in the course of my daily duties, but if I don't need it then I won't use it...thanks Microsoft Webmail!! If I can successfully live in the cloud exclusively for two whole weeks, then I will purchase a shiny new Samsung Series 5 Chromebook and retire my netbook.  Besides, Arizona State University's online campus says they encourage using Google Docs because it's so easy for students to collaborate. So who knows, perhaps the Chromebook will make the ideal partner in my higher education endeavors.