Chrome OS = Fail

Google has just handed out its first netbooks, with the first public version of Chrome OS onboard.

In my opinion, it is a complete failure. You can read the detailed review here from engadget, but basically, the critical piece of information is this "if you have seen the Chrome browser, you have seen Chrome OS."

That, in my opinion, is not a good thing. You see, I have a netbook, and I love it. It has Windows XP Pro on it, which is relatively lightweight (better than Mac OSX or Win 7 in terms of battery use), but is compatible with... everything. Really, just about everything runs on XP.

So why then would I want a netbook which does just a fraction of what my current netbook does?

The Google plan is to sell you a netbook which comes with a lightweight OS and a data plan from Verizon wireless. This is at a time when more and more smartphones come with the ability to tether (something I have always had on my Pre), so that you can simply hook your laptop to your phone and use that connection. It is also at a time when netbooks are dying out in favor of tablets. On a tablet, you accept the limitations of it not being a full computer, because it is clearly not a full computer. I see absolutely no reason anyone would pay more to get a Google branded netbook which does less than a regular netbook.

It seems ridiculous to me that Google is coming out with this now, when it is hard at work on Android 3.0 which is designed for tablets, and is really the most direct competitor to Chrome OS. There is no way anyone would use this on a real laptop, and so... what the hell has Google made here?

Too little too late on this one Google. If it came out 3 years ago, it might have made some sense. Today, its just stupid.