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Google's Laptop, Cr-48

InsanelyApple

InsanelyApple

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 26, 2010
449
0
Well, I got one of the pilot laptop's from Google. It's awesome. Pure black, kinda like the old MacBooks. It's not as smooth as my iMac, but it is nice to have a full keyboard (unlike my iPad). I will use this laptop for sure, it will keep me from having urges to buy the new MacBook Air until I get into college a couple of years from now. Here is more about it.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20024897-1.html

Here is the website where you can apply to get one.

http://www.google.com/chromeos/pilot-program-cr48.html
 
Sleek. However I seriously doubt these or ChromeOS will become very popular, if at all. It's too little too late for netbooks, especially them with a pimped up version of Android on them.
 
InsanelyApple said:
Well, I got one of the pilot laptop's from Google. It's awesome. Pure black, kinda like the old MacBooks.
Click to expand...

Congratulations!

I have a friend who also got one and he's enjoying it far more that he expected.

A hard core mac enthusiast, he says the differences are fun as it provides some variety.

Get back to us after you've had it for awhile and tell us what you think.

Cheers... :)

(don't forget, all the naysayers here probably don't understand anything other than their burning desire to be critical and jealous of it.)
 
roadbloc said:
Sleek. However I seriously doubt these or ChromeOS will become very popular, if at all. It's too little too late for netbooks, especially them with a pimped up version of Android on them.
Click to expand...

well people never said netbooks would take off either. I am kind of intersted in it and just applied for one. It would be a great little thing to take to school with me since most of the time I just need a light web browser and something to display and take notes from class on. Right now I take my laptop up to school with me since it is all I have.

If I had the money I would buy a netbook for most of my school stuff as it could cover my needs while I was there and my heavier laptop could stay at home. The laptop would be used for more of the heavy stuff I need to do or when I need to do more than just touch up programs I am working on. Now for programing classes my laptop would still go with me but for the others netbook or something like the Cr-48 would be great.
 
roadbloc said:
Sleek. However I seriously doubt these or ChromeOS will become very popular, if at all. It's too little too late for netbooks, especially them with a pimped up version of Android on them.
Click to expand...

The Google Cr-48 is NOT a Netbook, it's a Notebook.

Big difference. The target usage is entirely different.

The Operating System is built on the Chromium OS / NOT ON Android. Since you do not seem to understand, Android is Google's mobile OS for phones.

Chromium or Chrome OS is for notebook computers.

Here's Googles very own description below:

"Chromium OS is an open-source project that aims to build an operating system that provides a fast, simple, and more secure computing experience for people who spend most of their time on the web."

http://goo.gl/O1xHg
 
lewis82 said:
Meh, US only. :mad:
Click to expand...

Well, laptop manufacturers are suppose to start releasing Chrome-OS laptops in Spring. Also I see many on eBay, so you could try that, but it costs money that way. I applied the good old fashion way.
 
I'm always open to new ideas, technologies, and change. You never know until you use it, just how useful / or not / that it will be. Especially when in this case it costs nothing but your time.

I know this goes against the principles of Apple... "charge as much money as possible". But in my world money is just one element of life.
 
I applied about a month ago, and nothing. Guess I'm just unlucky :(

Enjoy it - it does look/sound awesome. I like the design, and love the browser (Chrome), they two go together well! :D

Though I do wonder about Chromium OS. Is it ready? Could I download an ISO and install it on my own laptop? That would be ace!
 
ravenvii said:
I applied about a month ago, and nothing. Guess I'm just unlucky :(

Enjoy it - it does look/sound awesome. I like the design, and love the browser (Chrome), they two go together well! :D

Though I do wonder about Chromium OS. Is it ready? Could I download an ISO and install it on my own laptop? That would be ace!
Click to expand...

I applied about a month or two ago. Google started to run out about a month ago, so they stopped shipping them temporarily to build up stock. They started shipping them a again a few days ago. You might have been on the yes list like me, but they ran out before they got to you and me, and it is going to be shipped soon.
 
Aatos.1 said:
The Google Cr-48 is NOT a Netbook, it's a Notebook. The Operating System is built on the Chromium OS / NOT ON Android.
Click to expand...
Didn't realise it was a notebook and I was actually meant to put "a pimped up version of Ubuntu" but for some reason I put Android. :confused:

I still stand by my views though. I don't think this is going to do much for anyone and will be a bit of a waste of money for Google. And what's the point in having an OS intended for Netbooks on a Notebook? And why would buying a Notebook prevent you from buying Apple's Netbook? I don't get it.
 
roadbloc said:
Didn't realise it was a notebook and I was actually meant to put "a pimped up version of Ubuntu" but for some reason I put Android. :confused:

I still stand by my views though. I don't think this is going to do much for anyone and will be a bit of a waste of money for Google. And what's the point in having an OS intended for Netbooks on a Notebook? And why would buying a Notebook prevent you from buying Apple's Netbook? I don't get it.
Click to expand...

Well, when I got yesterday and showed it off to the family, they seemed interested. My brother and dad said that it would probably be nice for them too, since they spend most of their time on the web too. (But my brother said he doesn't like netbooks, so he'd only get one as a laptop). The only person who it wouldn't have been good for in my family is my Mom who is a director of a company and needs all those Microsoft Office applications.

So the typical users of laptops like me, my brother, and dad would prefer to get on the internet now. Plus the laptop's should be about $50-$100 dollars cheaper.
 
Nermal said:
This might interest you (I haven't tried it).
Click to expand...

Hmm, the link doesn't seem to work?

InsanelyApple said:
I applied about a month or two ago. Google started to run out about a month ago, so they stopped shipping them temporarily to build up stock. They started shipping them a again a few days ago. You might have been on the yes list like me, but they ran out before they got to you and me, and it is going to be shipped soon.
Click to expand...

That would be sweet - I hope so! :D

I do wish they provide some kind of status reports, but it's free, so I suppose I couldn't ask for more.
 
iphone3gs16gb said:
OP, so how does Google's netbook stack up against a MBP or MBA?
Click to expand...

Since it is a tester laptop it doesn't work as well as the MBP/MBA would work. It still works pretty good however. The screen has an anti-glare coating and where you set your wrists down is rubberized so it feels soft. The laptop doesn't get hot fast, so you can set it down on your lap and only feel a mild warm. The Cap Locks key is now a search key, but I don't mind. The search key brings up a new tab with the | already in the search box, very nice. It is basically the Google Chrome web browser, so if you want to test out the OS download Google Chrome. It has tap to click like the Magic trackpad's so you don't need force to click. It has a 16GB SSD, but you won't need to worry since everything besides your music is saved in the cloud. (It has a built-in MP3 Player.)(For RAM amount continue reading.) The computer has instant on like the iPad when opening it which is very nice, and it only takes about 5-15 seconds to turn on and get everything up and running. (This includes logging into my account.) Google claims that the laptop will get faster with age since nothing is stored on it and software updates will be administered regularly.

Now the stuff I don't like. The trackpad isn't the best in the world. It's a little jumpy and the scroll and right click doesn't work to as well as I would like, but you can hold down alt and click to get the right click menu. I don't really mind the next thing it's just a little weird. The keyboard's keys are lower case letters instead of uppercase letters. It only has 2GB RAM, so it sometimes goes slower than what I would like, but the SSD makes it faster than my old laptop with only 2GB RAM, too. Sometimes the sound messes up, and you have to close and reopen the laptop to fix it. Google says they are fixing the problem.

Overall, I can see the potential of this OS. But it really depends on the public's perception of an only online machine. I can see it failing and be coming popular in my head, so I don't know how popular these types of laptops will be.

I know my thoughts where disorganized, but I just went for it and added stuff in random spots when I thought of something.
 
iphone3gs16gb said:
OP, so how does Google's netbook stack up against a MBP or MBA?
Click to expand...

It probably doesn't, by a large margin.

This is Google we're talking about.

They don't pay much attention to UI design and they don't care what hardware it runs on.

Design philosophies of Apple and Google are usually diametrically opposed.
 
*LTD* said:
It probably doesn't, by a large margin.

This is Google we're talking about.

They don't pay much attention to UI design and they don't care what hardware it runs on.

Design philosophies of Apple and Google are usually diametrically opposed.
Click to expand...

Well, Google isn't selling the laptop so the look or specs are fairly negligible. If you were about to give away laptops for free, I doubt you would spend millions on its design and then slap in the best and most expensive components.
 
*LTD* said:
It probably doesn't, by a large margin.

This is Google we're talking about.

They don't pay much attention to UI design and they don't care what hardware it runs on.

Design philosophies of Apple and Google are usually diametrically opposed.
Click to expand...

I believe iphone3gs16gb was asking for the OP's opinion. Not your misinformed presumptuous ignorance.
 
Just applied. As a Linux Mint Debian, Windows, and OS X user, I am very interested. Shouldn't have too much trouble adjusting considering that Chrome OS is based on Ubuntu which is based on Debian. :p
 
Hellhammer said:
Well, Google isn't selling the laptop so the look or specs are fairly negligible. If you were about to give away laptops for free, I doubt you would spend millions on its design and then slap in the best and most expensive components.
Click to expand...

Thank you, actually.

This answers iphone3gs16gb's question perfectly.
 
secondhandloser said:
I want one.

A bunch of people look to be selling them on eBay, which is kind of unethical in my mind.
Click to expand...

Well I will probably sell mine in 10-20 years or donate it to a museum. Come on, that thing would be worth a lot. "Google's First Laptop. Only 60,000 Ever Made." I can see the dollar signs now.
 
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