Even for those who buy into cloud computing, the first-generation Chromebook can be painfully pokey. But faster next-gen models are on the way, Google tells CNET.
Sundar Pichai, SVP of Chrome
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Because I've got cloud-computing religion, you'd think that Google convincing me to like a Chromebook would be as easy as preaching to the choir.
It's not.
But there's some good news here for people like me: There are new, faster Chromebooks on the way, Google revealed to me.
"We remain very excited about Chromebooks. We got a lot of positive feedback, and we are really looking forward to the next generation of Chromebooks," said Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Chrome, in an interview yesterday. "We will improve on the dimensions of speed, simplicity, and security."
And there's one other thing. Google makes a big fuss about how Chrome OS, the Chromebook's underlying browser-based operating system, gets steadily better as Google updates Chrome every six weeks. This Chromebook isn't where it needs to be, but it's appreciably better better than when it first arrived.
Activation energy
Whenever I'm using computing devices, which is a lot, a user-interface analog of activation energy is in the forefront of my subconscious thoughts: how low is the barrier to getting things moving? A part of my brain pays attention to the obstacles that stand in my way--the lag before that new browser tab appears, that app launches, that document loads, that machine wakes from sleep--and steers me sharply away from pokey technology.
I'm surrounded by too many choices for electronics. Right now, besides the Chromebook, I use two Macs, two Windows machines, three Android phones, one Android tablet, and an iPad. Over and over, I end up reaching for the anything but the Chromebook unless I consciously decide I need to be trying it. And when I set it aside, I feel inward relief.
The Chromebook is simply underpowered for my overall needs. Google Docs documents grind open. Scrolling can be an excruciatingly laggy affair. My son, trying to play the Flash-based Crush the Castle 2 game, cried out in exasperation when trying to construct his medieval defenses. Keyboard repeat rates aren't adjustable to let me set them fast enough with only a brief delay before kicking in. When I have more than 15 or 20 tabs open, it seems that old tabs must be reloaded from the server when I switch back to them.
Samsung's Series 5 Chromebook
Google had to start somewhere with Chrome OS, and opting for low power consumption, long battery life, and low prices means that there was really no way to fit the speed-freak needs of somebody like myself.
But without high performance, Google is alienating an important set of techno-savvy people such as developers who help to set the tech agenda.
