I'm really not exaggerating. I will often work on a variety of projects simultaneously. I don't know if I'm brilliant because I can keep everything straight (uh, I can't!) or I'm simply suffering from ADHD combined with a form of laziness.
I often research multiple assignments/projects, reading a score or more of articles on one topic, then switch to writing for another article, switch to writing an outline for another project and take a break by viewing some videos that are relevant for a fourth project.
I open several browser windows because I try to maintain information for each specific project in a single window.
As a result, I really like devices with large screens or multiple monitors and fast task switching. (Eyeglasses with heads-up displays can't come fast enough for me!)
Yes, when I'm using the Chromebook, I'll be careful about how many projects and windows are on the screen.
(From what I've read, I think multitasking is often less efficient than single-tasking.)
And if you'll excuse me, I have to find my Ritalin or Adderall or something.
I can understand why many IT departments are concerned about employees transmitting files to servers that aren't under the control of IT. This will only get worse as more employees bring their own devices to work and use third party servers that aren't approved by IT for backing up and syncing files.
As far as Internet access via Gogo on airplanes is concerned, the 12 free one-day passes over two years could save a business something like $168 if businesses routinely reimburse their employees for Internet use on planes.
I'm glad that you, as a Linux aficionado, have weighed in. I think Chromebooks can support different versions of Linux, in addition to the Chrome OS, so people who want real local apps can install them.
Thanks very much for discussing your experience at Best Buy, including the ability of Clear's WiMAX modem to work with Chromebooks. I'm more of a fan of hotspot modems because they can more easily support a variety of devices, but USB modems certainly are more convenient for just sticking them into a device's port.
As I've written in my comments, the $249 Samsung Chromebook has been "sold out" since about a few hours after Google first offered it in Google Play. As I also noted, I ordered it from Amazon about two days after it was announced, and Amazon continues to say it is "temporarily out of stock." However, Amazon periodically gets shipments, and ships Chromebooks to people in the queue.
Good luck getting your Chromebook as soon as possible.
40 tabs open in one browser window alone, plus two moe windows? My brain would not be able to navigate all that information. I try to keep only as many browser windows open as I am using at any given moment. I lose track otherwise.
Yes, for some enterprises the cost of ownership could be considerably less than Windows or OS X laptops. The Chrome OS is always the most current, it will reload a fresh version if it becomes corrupted, doesn't store much data locally so it's less prone to having data stolen and is much less prone to malware. Also, the training and support could be less because all the applications are on the Web.
For most consumers and employees, I can't imagine a Chromebook as a primary computer either. It's a good complement to a desktop computer for someone who doesn't have a tremendous need for a regular laptop's capabilities, for a kid in school and for some enterprises.
For $199 or even $249, it's a "disposable" price for some people. As I just replied to Don (kq4ym), many people spend $200 for a smartphone and then stick it in a drawer after their contract is up in two years and buy another $200 smartphone.
I have to say that this is a great deal and having Google as you hard drive and always backing up files is a great thing. I do understand the draw back from the corporate view, about having your information on Google's servers but how many companies don't some how or another. Plus as you mentioned you get the two years of Google Drive free which 100gb there is a great deal plus the GoGo data for in-flight data makes this a combo that most companies should not pass up.
I think the $249 Samsung Chromebook is a better deal than the $199 Acer Chromebook. The concept of Chrome OS is not to store much data locally, but to use the cloud. In fact, I don't see the need, especially when Google is offering 100GB of free cloud storage for two years.
The Samsung Chromebook is lighter, probably faster in general and has about twice the battery life.
The Acer Chromebook has an advantage with its 320GB hard disk and also includes an Ethernet port, which the Samsung does not, although you can buy a USB-to-Ethernet adapter).
Still, both models can be useful for specific uses, and as I noted, a laptop for $199 or even $249 is practically considered "disposable" for some people. Indeed, many people purchase smartphones for $200, and then stick them in a drawer after two years and buy another model.
I have to say that this is a great deal and having Google as you hard drive and always backing up files is a great thing. I do understand the draw back from the corporate view, about having your information on Google's servers but how many companies don't some how or another. Plus as you mentioned you get the two years of Google Drive free which 100gb there is a great deal plus the GoGo data for in-flight data makes this a combo that most companies should not pass up.
A Windows laptop? Maybe you could get one for $450, but it would be slow, poorly constructed and require all the various Microsoft security updates. That's $200 more than the new Samsung Chromebook and it would inevitably bog down and slow down.
A refurbished Apple laptop? Maybe you could get one for $750, which is three times the cost of the Chromebook.
These are different beasts.
As I wrote in my blog, Chromebooks are much less prone to malware, are always running the most current version of the OS and don't store much data locally, which an advantage for corporate security.
I'm not suggesting that a Chromebook should be anyone's primary computer, although some techies really like them. I'm suggesting that the $249 Chromebook could be very useful for certain target audiences and for some enterprise use.
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
It was about 10 years ago when a new generation of software-as-a-service (SaaS) alternatives started to gain acceptance and adoption among organizations of all sizes. And it has only been about five years since Amazon Web Services captured the marketplace's attention with Amazon EC2 and Amazon S3, which opened the door to a vast array of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offerings. Now, the third piece of the cloud computing puzzle is beginning to win over organizations seeking to build their own apps: platform-as-a-service (PaaS).
Energy consumption is a primary contributor to global warming. At the end of 2012, 40 percent of energy consumption in the US came from commercial and residential buildings.
Civil libertarians are outraged at the revelation the NSA is reportedly spying on more than one-third of Americans -- obtaining phone records from phone companies, in case it might need them for later use. Edward Snowden, the man who leaked details of that program, also revealed a second effort dubbed “Prism,” which represented a more aggressive grab of email and other communications. (See: Prism Exposes Unwritten Privacy Rules.)
In the past few weeks, Evernote, Twitter, and LinkedIn have implemented an optional security feature: two-step verification. It's time -- perhaps even past due -- for enterprises to consider offering this feature as well.
Big-data and analytics tools enable marketers to understand customers as individuals, identifying unmet needs and addressing each customer as a "segment of one," says John Kennedy, VP corporate marketing, IBM.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
So here we are, the last day of the 2013 US Open Golf Championship at Merion, and Phil Mickelson -- who has been a US Open runner-up five times now but never taken the trophy -- is right up there at the top of the leaderboard.
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
your weekly update of news, analysis, and
opinion from Internet Evolution - FREE! REGISTER HERE
Wanted! Site Moderators Internet Evolution is looking for a handful of readers to help moderate the message boards on our site – as well as engaging in high-IQ conversation with the industry mavens on our thinkerNet blogosphere. The job comes with various perks, bags of kudos, and GIANT bragging rights. Interested?
To save this item to your list of favorite Internet Evolution content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
