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Google Chromebooks: What are they? (part 1)

by Pierre Khawand on October 17th, 2011

Guest blog article by Steve Loosley, Tech Blogger

It’s Monday morning, and you’re in a hurry for work. As you back out of the garage, you feel a sudden bump. Startled, you jerk to a stop, jump out, and discover that your car just flattened your computer.

Face it. You just ruined your day.

If you use a conventional laptop running Windows, Mac OS X, or some flavor of Linux, it will take all day to setup a new computer, assuming, of course, that you have a backup.

But, if you’re on a Google Chromebook, no worries! You can setup a new Chromebook in less time than it takes to grab a Frappuccino on your way to work. You’ll be working full speed before you finish your morning fix.

Chromebook 1

What is a Google Chromebook?

A Google Chromebook is a laptop computer that runs the Chrome Operating System, an open source operating system based on Linux that Google began developing in 2009.

A Google Chromebook

  • runs one program, a Chrome web browser; 
  • boots in 8 seconds and resumes instantly;
  • lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge; 
  • updates itself automatically; 
  • continuously improves itself; 
  • sets up in less than 10 minutes;
  • is always backed up;
  • is completely secure;
  • is immune to malware and viruses; 
  • weighs just over 3 lbs; and
  • accesses the web on WiFi or 3G.

Try the following experiment to see if your ready for a Chromebook. On your computer

  • download and install Chrome, Google’s web browser; 
  • close all applications; 
  • start only the Chrome browser; and 
  • do all of your work in your browser.

“All of my work?” you ask. “How can I possibly do all of my work in only a browser?”

If you’re a Google Apps user, you know the answer: You use Gmail for email; Google Calendar for your appointments; Google Docs for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations; Picasa to view and edit photos; and Google Music Beta to stream your tunes.

What do you think? Can you do all of your work in a web browser? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. 

Additional Resources

Google Chromebooks - Google Chromebook Website

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Founder and principal of People-OntheGo, has more than fifteen years of experience in the software industry. Pierre has founded several companies including a financial software company in 1987 (Computer Trends, Inc.), an e-CRM company in 1995 (Imparto Software Corporation), raised several multi-million dollar funding rounds, and completed two successful acquisitions. In the last few years, Pierre's interest centered around bridging the gap between technology and people. He founded People-OntheGo to help corporate users manage e-mail and digital communication tools more effectively, and Digital-OntheGo to help organizations take full advantage of the new advances in digital video and web distribution, both part of the OntheGo Technologies L.L.C. Pierre holds a Master's degree in Engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan), and has completed several Executive Education programs at the Stanford Graduate School of Management (Stanford, California).
Pierre Khawand
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