My Life With Chrome OS

It's been almost a year! What did I miss?

2014-10-07T22:08:00.001-05:00

I just discovered this little gem in the apps menu while doing something else, and realized that it's been a great long while since I posted here. So here you go!

You can even give them names if you want. So handy.

Note the Android apps included. Can't wait to see more of those officially supported!

The Merge Continues

2013-10-13T14:11:00.002-05:00

One of these things is starting to look like the other!

Is it just me, or are +Android and +Google Chrome slowly merging in more and more ways?

I was just looking around the devices section of the Play Store, and noticed a new set of cases available for the recently announced HP Chromebook 11 - and do they look similar! Not only that, but the Chromebook can be charged with a micro-USB plug. It's even advertised as using the "same charger as your phone."

This is very clever way to bring these seemingly disparate devices together. Don't get me wrong - I love it. I'm getting more excited about the future every month!

By the way - what do you think of the new HP addition? Gonna pick one up for yourself or someone you know? There seems to be a lot to like. Or, you could always give one away.

Added More Chrome to My Pixel

2013-10-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

I really like this device.

Just putting some I/O stickers to good use. How have you bedazzled your Chromebook? Pics please!

Google+ Photos App on the Pixel

2013-07-25T16:02:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: I was traveling, and never got this posted...still a great new app.

:~~I'm traveling this week, and during a layover,~~ I noticed this little gem in my news. I guess I'll have to bust out the Pixel sooner than I thought!

Chromebook Pixel gets a Google+ photo app, brings instant upload and easy sharing

Naturally, I had to try it...

By the way, I had no idea there was a Pixel Owners' Page...

The app looks very nice, and the buttons are all finger-sized, so touching is easy. My first try at sharing glitched, resulting in the appearance that I had shared something somewhere, and then that dialogue disappeared. Nothing was actually shared, but I point this out to say that it's an early build.

UPDATE: It's been a few weeks now. The app is pretty solid, but I had some issues with an iPod I connected to the Pixel uploading photos that were duplicated with the +Google+ auto backup. I had to turn off the automatic syncing when devices are plugged in, but if all I ever attached was a DSLR, I would certainly reconsider this handy feature.

Also, on a somewhat related note, my TB storage started working all of a sudden. Previously, I couldn't get this perk to work. Does now! I was already paying for storage, but this sweetens the deal tremendously.

Pixelcast Incoming!

2013-07-25T15:55:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, +Sundar Pichai, +Hugo Barra and company announced some pretty exciting stuff. I'm happy for a full HD +Nexus 7, but I'm really excited about the other gadget: Chromecast.

I'll leave it to the official page and the blog post to explain the details (as if you need to hear it again, 'mirite?) and just express my elation at being one of the first people to order one of these clever devices.

Yes, note the order date and time.

Maybe I should have gotten faster shipping. Meh. I'm not in that much of a rush. However, three months of free +Netflix? Yes please!

...and redeemed! Quite the painless experience (save for a short glitch having to sign into Netflix to enter the code). Nice perk! Cost is down to $18.11 now! That's awfully hard to beat.

The extension is already installed and ready to cast!

Sorry for the low rez. Did this screenshot on Windows, not the Pixel.

Check back in a couple of weeks to see how this new device and the Pixel are getting along. That is, unless I'm too lazy to post anything because I'm watching so many YouTube videos on my TV.

UPDATE: I am really getting into this casting thing.

Pixelated: A Cr-48 Upgrade Story

2013-06-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Chrome gets new chrome.

Google lavished I/O attendees with Pixels. It's my upgrade from a Cr-48. In a word: wow!

Having spent the last two and a half years on the Cr-48, the Pixel is certainly a welcome upgrade. Of course, I have the luxury of not having to pay for it (directly; I did have to go to I/O to get this one - which, in itself has some caveats compared to purchasing from the Play Store). However, I'm going to try and highlight some things about life with the Pixel that you may not have heard elsewhere.

What's New?

It's a new Chromebook - so what? How much better can you make a browser? Well, there's more here than just a browser. As the caption for the above image implies, Chrome the browser has chrome ("decorative or protective finish") in the form of the hardware on which it runs - and the Pixel is all about the hardware. Here, I will touch on the screen, the sound, and the speed.

The screen

Have you heard about the screen? I'm sure you have...but have you seen the screen? It really is very impressive. It's effective at spoiling all other screen for you. Having spent several days at I/O and after with the Pixel, then coming home and working on the Asus laptop and the HP at work... le sigh. It is actually somewhat depressing to look at any other laptop/desktop screen. Can you see the difference in resolution here? The aliasing on the tabs and text is very apparent.

Pixel

Cr-48

The "Timescapes" video included with the device is a great demo for the screen and the sound, which I will describe later. The resolution is only have of the fun on this screen, though. I was just showing some co-workers the benefits of ChromeOS, because as I write this, my Windows PC is all but locked down, as it re-encrypts my hard drive. During my brief demo, I was showing extensions, apps, etc., and then said, "Oh yeah - and watch this." At which point I started scrolling around on the screen, opening and closing things, dragging items around...with my finger on the screen.

Yes, the Pixel has a touchscreen: it works, and it works well. Let me show you:

It has been very amusing to see people's reactions when I start navigating around using only the screen. Most are surprised, some are shocked. Until I experienced it for myself, I didn't know whether to believe +Jeff Jarvis or +Leo Laporte as to its reliability. Count me on Team Jarvis.

The only apparent down side to this is a dirtier screen. But honestly, I barely ever noticed. It's great.

The Sound

There are two kinds of sound that come from a computer: sound you make on purpose, and sound made by the machine itself. The former is what people want to be of high quality - namely, music, soundtracks, effects, etc. The latter is usually fan noise and hard disk loading, with the occasional creaking of a plastic chassis in there somewhere.

The purposeful sound on the Pixel is really good for a laptop. It is relatively full, having a nice effect to the stereo, and has a low-distortion quality that is unexpected given its volume capabilities. The fact that you can't see the speakers adds to the mystery. From where does this awesome sound emanate? As best as I can tell, the speakers vent from under the top row of keys. It's great for listening to music, when viewing a movie, or gaming.

Fan noise is unfortunately not absent, even though there are no signs of a fan. Anything that gets the CPU cranking will stir the fans, which seem to vent from the piano hinge in the back (so at least it isn't direct). It's nothing like my HP at work, but it it similar to my wife's Asus notebook; noticeable, but usually easy to ignore. Also, since the Pixel has only Flash storage (SSD), you'll never hear a hard disk spin up.

Here is a graph showing the sound levels on the Pixel:

The 42-ish dB is the quiet fan, 48-ish loud fan, the peak is the first 15s of the Timescapes video at full volume, and the last part is me holding my phone in front of the Pixel and fumbling to take a screenshot. For those of you who don't have a reference point on sound level, a quiet conversation is in the 50s, and for every 10 dB in either direction, it seems twice as loud (or quiet). So mid-40s is very quiet, and 85 is loud enough to hear across the room easily.

The Speed

What lag? The Pixel has handled everything I've done with finesse. I've never noticed any major slowing, and the response of the keys, touchpad, and screen has been excellent. This machine works. It does what it is supposed to do. I have only had it lock up once, which was solved by holding down the power button (it happened during a demo with the Timescapes video).

I haven't tried much in the way of gaming. Not for lack of desire, but more for time. My wife and I just started fostering two kids the week before I/O, and we're still adjusting to the schedule. I still have a few more levels to raise and bosses to fight in Final Fantasy III on my Nexus 7, let alone all the others I've been wanting to finish. I hear Bastion is pretty good. If you have any recommendations for a quality browser-based game that doesn't have repeated IAPs then let me know!

There isn't much to say here, honestly. The Pixel is as fast as I need it to be, and I never notice it being slow, except when I first boot it and it's connecting to the network (but all that takes less than 30s, so that's not really worth complaining about in reality).

The Summary

The Pixel is the finest Chromebook you will experience right now - by far. It is my hope - as well as Google's intention, I expect - that other OEMs will produce high-caliber versions to suit the needs and expectations of consumers who want a more refined device that delivers more than just a speedy and secure browser experience.

If you're considering a Chromebook, get one. If you're interested in a really nice Chromebook, you should consider the Pixel. The price is steep, for sure. $1299 for the base model, and $1449 for one with double the storage and optional LTE - probably a difficult pill to swallow. But you won't find a portable computer with the same combination of a great touch screen, always up-to-date and secure operating system, that also has some fantastic sound and usability additions anywhere else...for now.

Thanks for reading!

UPDATE:

There are a few things I didn't originally address that I think are appropriate. Some of them are things that concerned me when I first heard about the device, like USB 2.0 ports.

USB 2.0 ports: I've used them maybe two or three times. It's much less of a problem than I guessed it would be for me. The video attached above? Shot on my phone, uploaded to YouTube. Giant portable hard drive? The Pixel comes with 3 years of 1TB +Google Drive storage (just not for I/O attendees :-/) - that alone is worth $1500!!! I haven't connected a separate drive, and I haven't needed to at all.
Headphone/mic jack: it's all in one!!! Plug in a pair of headphones with a microphone on it (like you do with a smartphone) and your headset is your mic. Great for Hangouts.
Bluetooth: Awesome for audio. I have a Logitech Bluetooth headset I use for video conferences, and it works perfectly. The setup is relatively easy, too.

Heat: The Pixel is meant to be on a flat surface. If it's on your lap, you'll notice after 20 minutes or so. It isn't hot, but it begins to get uncomfortably warm.

The feet are there for a reason. Use them if you don't want to warm your lap!

Remember that case I bought a while back for my Cr-48? Well, it fits the Pixel perfectly.

Like a glove!

Gallery

Here are a handful of screenshots I took while writing this post:

I/Overload

2013-05-16T10:40:00.001-05:00

I am currently in San Francisco, attending Google I/O 2013. Yesterday, it was announced that all attendees would be receiving a new Chromebook Pixel to take home. Needless to say, I'm elated. One might say...pix-elated!

I spent a couple of hours with the device last night, but as any Chromebook owner knows, that's ten minutes of setup, and the rest enjoying your content and the web.

You will see more details in the future about the Pixel here, but for now, it's time to say goodbye to the one that started this blog two and a half years ago: the Cr-48.

There was so much to take in at I/O - I'm on overload. More to come!

Chrome Now...Almost!

2013-03-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

Google just pushed the architecture for Google Now into Chromium. It's only a matter of time! I'm so excited, I might pee my pants!

"Remind me in an hour to do my laundry."

"Setting alarm -------- x"

Thanks to OMG Chrome

Pixelated

2013-02-21T13:37:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems that Chrome OS has finally evolved to the point where I dreamed it might. The Pixel is real!

http://www.chromebook.com/pixel

Pretty (with matching price tag)

Touchsceeen! With Gestures!

Lightbar: Because it's cool

Here's the official video:

There is something to be desired still for some of the specs, but at a glance, it appears that Google got it right with this one. I'm not sure how well a dual-core i5 and an Intel HD 4000 GPU will be able to drive such a high-resolution screen (a 3:2, by the way) and still be smooth, so I'll be excited to see some of the reviews when tech people get it in hand. Two USB 2.0 ports was disappointing, as at least one 3.0 would be nice, but I can see where compromises needed to be made. I rarely use my ports for storage. With 1TB of Drive space included, it won't be needed much, anyway, for the time being. Nice touches like a combined headphone/mic jack (I can use all those headsets now!), fanless heat dissipation, and - my favorite - a backlit keyboard all make for a great design.

This is the upgrade I was waiting for. Now, to convince my business partner. :-)

The Chromedroid Cometh

2013-02-04T15:15:00.001-06:00

Yes, please. Combine the two, ASAP.

Is Android becoming more polished - literally?

See here for more detail:
https://plus.google.com/+PaulWilcox/posts/23QtTfiVrtk

This post sent a number of blogs into rumor mode, despite the disclaimer offered by Mr. Wilcox. while I'm sure there will be increasing compatibility between the two platforms, I'm not so sure that either one is ready for assimilation just yet.

Or are they?

Adapted from Aaron Sullivan's Droid Borg http://goo.gl/7g3mR

I, for one, welcome our (potentially) new Chromebot overlords.

Acer, Chromebook, ????, Profit!

2013-01-29T13:46:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to highlight this article on Bloomberg that mentions Acer's success from and confidence in the Chrome OS platform compared to Windows 8:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-27/acer-sees-success-in-chrome-pcs-as-windows-fails-to-drive-sales.html

Glad to see some support!

Power Washed (UPDATED)

2013-01-29T13:41:00.001-06:00

Sunday, I noticed a new addition to the settings on my Cr-48: Power Washing.

A new way to clean your Chromebook.

The Magic Number: Chrome OS for $99

2012-12-10T12:55:00.000-06:00

Today, Google posted on its blog that Chromebooks are available for education at a magical price of just $99.

Coming Soon: Chrome, With More Now

2012-12-08T23:54:00.000-06:00

Google Now may be coming to Chrome, via the notification feature.

Read more »

Two Years With The Cr-48

2012-12-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

The fun and geeky Cr-48 box.

A week after the Cr-48 was announced, it was in my hands. Is the honeymoon over, or is this a love that will last?

Read more »

What's new on the Cr-48?

2012-08-30T15:56:00.001-05:00

Apps are alphabetized and searchable!

Hangouts don't work :-(

Notifications???

Syncing notification for Drive

Window re-sizing shortcuts

Beautiful and helpful guides!

This one's a bit old, but it's a simple set of introductory instructions.

More to come soon enough! :-)

Clean Your Drive!

2012-08-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

Sixteen Gigabytes can be a small amount of storage - especially when cloud storage services often offer 100GB for customers. For Chrome OS users, this is especially relevant, because that's all we get on our machines!

I saw this post on Google+ tonight, and thought that others might find it to be helpful.

If your local Chromebook storage starts to get cluttered with files from Drive, there is now a way to clean up the files locally stored from Drive:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100132233764003563318/posts/gc2TF3oLdUz

Thanks François Beaufort!

Twenty-two and counting!

2012-08-06T22:44:00.003-05:00

Today the ol' Cr-48 was updated to Chrome 22.

It's been over two years since I first tried Chrome OS. The Dell Inspiron that was my first test subject has since died (too many Linux > Chrome > Windows > Linux cycles, probably). It's in the great recycling bin in the sky (which, inadvertently, is located at Best Buy). I also tried it on a friend's laptop that refused to run Windows properly. She might have liked Chrome in its current state, but back then it was all Hexxeh. Hasn't changed too drastically, but there's definitely much more that can be done on it now.

I'm definitely loving the Drive sync.

This one is from today, transferring these screenshots from local to Drive.

This one was from May, when Drive first showed up.

I thought that this was a clever way to make it work.

I also noticed today that the login screen now shows my wallpaper, instead of the blinding white background. I think my touchpad is either error-prone or is on its way out. Sometimes it takes multiple presses or taps to register a "click." However, this usually happens when some heavy pages are loading (Google+, HuffPo, Mashable, the Verge).

I've been very tempted to buy an upgrade Chromebook - or better yet, that Samsung Chromebox. That thing would be great on my TV :-) But $329 vs. a $99 Vizio Google TV is a tough decision. Better yet would be a $300 Nexus Q that could dual boot. Maybe someday.

I need to try a Hangout on here. It's been a while. I think the plugin might be working again.

I'll leave you with two screenshots:

Old and busted app screen

New hotness app screen

Chrome 20 is pretty, but it's a bit much for a Cr-48

2012-05-02T06:38:00.002-05:00

Looks a lot more like a PC desktop, but man, is it slow! Might be time to retire the Cr-48 :-(

The "most visited" pages didn't change much, but the theme in the background did. The wireless signal and battery information is hidden when the window is maximized. I'm not a fan of this, because I like to be able to see that at a glance.

Here is the new view for apps. Looks much different! I already miss the old screen... A transparent background appears when moving the cursor over the apps. I recorded a short video that shows this:

There is a little slider button in the upper right that will let you use gestures to minimize the window or quickly create a side-by-side view (very handy). I had trouble doing that in the video - I think - because I didn't have any sites open.

Reminds me a lot of Windows 7. But I kind of like the look. I would really like it if it kept up with my other laptop and my tablet...which it doesn't. But those both have more horsepower than the Cr-48.

Looks pretty good, but the performance is a bit disappointing right now. Hopefully it gets tweaked a bit before release to the public, but anyone running a more powerful piece of hardware shouldn't have any issues. Maybe it's time for me to upgrade to a new Chromebook!

P.S. - I found Nessie

Android, with extra shiny polish

2012-02-09T08:04:00.001-06:00

Google announced Chrome Beta for Android this week. It got me thinking, though... is this what we might come to see on a Chrome OS tablet? Or will it eventually just be Android, with Chrome installed? Unfortunately, this version only for the 1% of you that have Ice Cream Sandwich (you can get it here, if you're so lucky!)

Anyway...I'm hoping (and planning and saving) for some sort of ICS device in my near future. If only my Chromebook had a touchscreen...

More UI changes

2011-09-13T22:50:00.001-05:00

Latest update (15.0.874.12) brought with it some revised login screen goodness.

The 2-step verification is now much easier to use.

The shut down and add user buttons have moved.

Looks clean and more Google-y.

One thing I was confused about is after clicking on my picture, the password box comes up, but it doesn't say "password. " For a split second I thought I was changing my name.

New splash screen

2011-09-09T18:19:00.001-05:00

Just updated to the latest version and noticed the splash screen is white! This isn't particularly fascinating, but still kinda cool.

Just in - case!

2011-08-30T08:29:00.001-05:00

A while back, there was a thread on the Cr-48 pilot group discussing cases. One recommendation was for a neoprene sleeve on Amazon.com (I liked the colors, so I added it to my gadget wishlist).

Last week, while buying books for my upcoming foray into my MBA, I saw it again and at the steep price of $12, I decided to go for it.

Thus, I present to you, my new chromebook case.

No juice?

2011-07-06T09:55:00.001-05:00

It's plugged in, but the light is off... I hope there isn't something wrong.

UPDATE: It helps when the cord is plugged into the convertor. They were sitting next to each other and I didn't notice that they weren't actually connected. :/

This looks familiar

2011-06-03T07:29:00.000-05:00

Today I got the latest update to the dev channel, 0.13.587.2, and noticed the wifi icon has changed. As soon as I saw it, I thought, "Hey, I recognize that!"

Up-to-date, with new wifi icon.

Where have I seen this before? Oh yeah...on my phone.

Note the 2.2 (FroYo) wireless icon

This is the 2.3 (Gingerbread) icon.

I like that they're making the distinction between wireless LAN and mobile wireless through the UI. It's a small change, but for someone who enjoys this sort of thing, it's a nice touch.

Also of note (and I'm sure this has been there, but I'm just now pointing it out): connection panel, including VPN and network configuration (sharing access, etc.)

New wireless connection box. Hello VPN and other handy configuration.

Fun stuff for this morning. Time to go to work! :D