When I’m not blogging here, playing video games, or negotiating hostage situations, I’m a freelance web designer/developer. I design and build sites like this one for cool people and businesses. It’s what I love to do, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be self-employed for about a year now.
When I first heard about Google’s program to get a free Logitech Revue, and then a few months later their Chrome OS Pilot Program, I quickly signed up as a developer/business owner. I filled out the applications but never expected to get anything, so when I got an email saying I was going to receive the Google TV, I was pretty excited. Little did I know, but on the same day I would get a Google CR-48 laptop in a mysterious box. That was a good day.
So, how do these gadgets fit in the day-to-day life of a geek like me? Let’s find out.
Google TV
Let’s start with the not-so-good. When I found out I was getting the Logitech Revue, I started doing some research on it, and found out that it’s not so well-reviewed. That news combined with the fact that I’m a die-hard XBMC user, I was starting to doubt I was going to like Google TV. I was right.
That’s not to say you won’t like it; I just don’t like the internet on my TV for some reason. I have zero interest in browsing the web on my plasma, and if I wanted to watch YouTube or Vimeo videos, I’d just use a plugin for XBMC. If I was interested in Netflix I’d use my Xbox 360. I tried hard to find a feature that made the $300 price tag seem justified, but I couldn’t.
Considering that most major networks have blocked Google TV from streaming their content, there’s not a lot of geekery to be found besides your favorite websites like Top Hat Sasquatch, Homestar Runner, and Dinosaur Comics. Apparently it integrates with cable and satellite services, but I wouldn’t know because we avoid TV like the plague in my house and don’t even have any stations.
Verdict – Skip
Skip the Google TV and just hook your laptop up to your flat screen if you want to relive the glory days of WebTV.
Chrome OS – Google CR-48
Obviously I was a bit more excited about getting a laptop to try out, and I’ve actually fit the CR-48 into my life pretty well over the past few weeks. I could go on and on about the hardware, but since this laptop is not going to be mass-produced, I’ll try not to. It’s a shame really, because Google made a really sleek little piece of tech. It’s matte black and rubbery, and I love it.
So, what’s up with this Chrome OS thing? Well, it’s literally just the Chrome browser. Maximize your Chrome window on your computer and you’ve got a pretty good idea of how it feels to use Chrome OS, as long as you forget about all your software. Oh, and your file system. And YouTube videos above 360p in resolution. It sounds horrible, but it’s actually a pleasure to use for certain tasks.
I’ve been using my CR-48 mainly for blogging here. There is a photo-editing web app they feature in the Chrome web store that is pretty decent, and I’ve found that the laptop makes a mean blogging machine. Unfortunately, I can’t do any of my work on it. I’m a Mac guy, and I live in Photoshop and Coda for all my design and development needs.
Other than the limitations, I love using this thing. You sign in using your Google account, and since I use Chrome on my Mac all my bookmarks automatically sync. The battery lasts a good 8 hours, and the keyboard and screen are wonderful. I hope Google decides to actually release a Chrome OS laptop with this hardware, but who knows. If nothing else, I hope they use the amazingly cool box it came in for something.
The Verdict
WIthout knowing what the prices are going to be for Chrome OS laptops, it’s hard to say one way or the other whether I recommend it. If this thing was $200 or $300, it’d be a great deal. I can’t see paying much more than that though for a machine I can’t install software on.
I’m going to follow the progress of Chrome OS closely now that I feel like I have a tiny part in it’s history (bug reports, yeah!), and if they get the hardware and pricing right it could be something special. Stay tuned.
Have you used Google TV or Chrome OS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, because you’re probably smarter than me.
