If Google wants people to buy their exspensive new Pixelbook.These laptops were marketed as a simpler and cheaper option for education systems to provide to their students, as they were inexpensive, very portable, easily managed by school administration as nearly all data was stored in the cloud as compared to locally on the device, and provided nearly all necessary functions most students needed, like a word processor and image editor through Google Drive.Google attempted to market this as the future of computing where all of ones files could be saved to the cloud and accessed from any device anywhere, removing the tether to one individual device.However, seven years later, these devices have struggled to grow beyond the same initial category they were marketed to despite Googles best attempts all because of a core issue with Chrome OS: compatibility.
Using Chrome OS, a student can write a paper, make a presentation, send an email, browse the web, and edit a photo all seamlessly through their Google account, and, honestly, this covers the needs of the vast majority of students throughout their entire educational career. It doesnt really matter how powerful these laptops are, as the functions they are performing are not computationally intensive relative to even low-end hardware available in the laptop space today. Why Does Google Chrome Suck Mac OS SpaceConsidering these devices fulfill the needs of the majority of students, their low price tag makes them almost unbeatable by any offerings of the competition either in the Windows or Mac OS space. As a result, Chrome OS has been able to provide computer access to countless students across the world who otherwise would not have had the opportunity, and for that I commend Google. However, where Chrome OS falls apart is when it tried to be anything more than just a glorified browser. When it comes to operating systems like Windows or Mac OS, there is a well-developed ecosystem of applications which have been created over the years to perform nearly all of the tasks that a user could desire, be it for productivity, entertainment, or otherwise. Even a platform like Linux which isnt in the mainstream has been able to build a solid ecosystem of applications which allow it to function entirely independently as its own operating system, only suffering from occasional failings. However, Chrome OS is simply so new to a market that is already so well developed and populated that it is in a different position almost entirely; this late in the development process, it would be almost unreasonable to expect a whole host of companies to pop into existence simply to fill the void of applications on Chrome OS. Instead, Google has attempted to assist in the more likely process of well-established companies trying to convert over already existing applications from other platforms to Chrome OS. Why Does Google Chrome Suck For Android Were BuiltThe only issue with this is that all of the applications which were designed for android were built with its hardware and software limitations in mind, so even though you can technically run Adobe Photoshop on the same hardware that might be in a low-end Windows laptop, the user experience is going to differ greatly. Because these low-end devices dont have the computational power to properly take advantage of a fully fledged application, instead only being able to manage a few simple tasks in a web browser, there is very little reason for a large company to bother investing the time and money necessary to produce an application on an entirely new operating system. This then locks Chrome OS into an awkward position where it has an offering of premium devices, but it doesnt have any of the necessary applications that the majority of users in that price range would need, instead pushing them to offerings on other platforms. ![]() However, there is one course of action which I believe could potentially rectify this issue in some way: dual booting, the process of allowing a computer to boot into multiple different operating systems. ![]() Assuming Google could find a way to make the operating systems work together cohesively despite their massive difference in file structures currently, this could provide for a very compelling offer. Any time I needed to do anything related to the internet, I could use Chrome OS with its low performance tax and high level of cohesion between different web based applications. Then, any time I needed to do something more intensive, such as 3D modeling or gaming, I could switch over to Windows and perform my tasks there. Mind you, this is by no means a perfect solution, potentially even being an awful solution with far too many complexities and incongruities to be effective, but I dont see any other way for Google to effectively escape the position they have found themselves trapped in. For the vast majority of users looking for a premium laptop, they either turn to Windows or Mac OS, and if Google wants their Chrome OS to be added to that list, they might first need to make some compromises to get to a position where at least one side has enough of an incentive to start making the push that starts the ball rolling. Right now there are rumors that Google is developing a new, more traditional operating system version of Chrome OS in an attempt to bridge this gap, but it will likely fall to the same issue: with no ecosystem, it isnt a compelling offer for someone to spend their hard-earned money on compared to one of the well established giants in the space. Even though Google is pushing towards a future of interconnectivity that I believe is the right direction to travel in, I think, at least for right now, it is too far of a leap to make, and Google might need to tone back their expectations if they ever want Chrome OS to become anything more than just a glorified browser.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2020
Categories |