Tag: Windows 7

Instant On and Where Microsoft Windows Missed The Boat

Well, where they missed at least one boat.

Every morning I grab some on-line device.  My Samsung Galaxy Note II; my HP DV4 Windows 7 Machine, or my wife’s Chromebook. This morning, all three were right in reach, including my Windows computer as I left it on the couch the night before.  (Usually it’s in my office, because it needed charging).  What did I grab?  I went right for the Chromebook.

The Chromebook is like my phone.  It’s instant on – it’s ready to go.  Windows?  Well, Windows 7 is sure better than the past when it comes to booting and resuming, but, it’s just not the same.  I love grabbing a device and being ready to go with what’s on my brain right at that moment; not “kill the excitement” waiting for the Windows World to come to life.

At some point I want to write a manifesto about how Microsoft really got it wrong with Windows 8.  However, here is one main point – Microsoft should have focused more on making Windows 7 better, like making it instant on, as opposed to radically changing it.

Why You Will Love the Chomebook

We bought a Samsung Chromebook for my Mother In Law.  She needed a DVD Drive, so, my wife took over the Chromebook.  When she is not looking, I hijack it, and I absolutely love this computer!

I started out on a Commodore 64 when I was a kiddo.  I loved that computer; it fired right up, it had a great keyboard.  It let me do what I want to do.  Fast forwarding through my HP-41, Apple IIe, clones, etc, I live in Windows 7 today.  I like Windows 7, but, it’s not like the “wow” days of the Commodore, nor the Chromebook.

The Chromebook:

  • Is truly instant on!
    • My Windows 7 laptop, though better than past versions of Windows, takes a few seconds to resume from hibernation   It doesn’t feel “ready to go.”  The Chromebook?  You open the lid and BAM!  It’s on and ready to go.
  • It always has battery!
    • The Chromebook’s battery life is in excess of eight hours.  You just keep using it like a tablet or phone.
  • It’s light and just “goes” with you!
    • When I pick it up, it’s light; it feels very natural, like, “yeah, pick me up and go – go do what you want to do.”  My HP laptop is truly like a brick, and, two years ago it was considered “feather light.”
  • If you can do it in a browser, then you can do it!
    • In my personal world, I pretty much live in the browser now days.  Rhapsody, Pandora, G-Mail, Evernote (well, when I’m on the Chromebook I use the web client.  Else, I use the Android or Windows client).  It all works seamlessly.

It’s that last bullet that strikes the Chromebook down as being my full-time, next computer.   The sole mission of the Chromebook is to get you on the net.  Yes, apparently there are some Google apps that will work off-line, like G-Mail (I haven’t tried that yet).  But, the Internet is where you have to live.  In my work world that doesn’t 100% fit yet.  I need Skype.  I need a .NET app.  I need Office (thought I might be able to use SkyDrive for that).

Also, our Chromebook’s right side palm rest has a “creak” in it.  Many other people on line have noted that, but most say, “hey, it’s a $250 computer, what do you expect?”  And, that’s probably true.

I think my Commodore was like $600 way back when.  So, now, having a computer that is on par with a Macbook Air for $250?  Yup – I like where the world of computing is going.