Acer to launch first Chrome OS netbook, Android-based Aspire One sales disappoint
By Thomas Ricker 
posted December 2nd 2009 4:37AM
posted December 2nd 2009 4:37AM
Acer loves it some Google. And unless Google's trying to stamp out your revenue stream, who doesn't? Now Acer chairman, JT Wang, says that he expects to be first to market with an official Chrome OS netbook -- sometime in the second half of 2010 according to DigiTimes' sources. In fact, JT says that Acer's been working on a Chrome OS device since mid-2009. This despite admittedly weaker than expected demand for its dual-boot Android netbook, the Aspire One AOD250. Guess even the Google halo isn't enough to shoehorn its smartphone OS into a market dominating position on cheap ultra-portables. It's worth pointing out that DigiTimes' moles aren't saying anything new with the launch time-frame since Google's target for its gold Chrome OS build has been 2H of 2010 ever since the lightweight OS was announced. Not that the timing matters too much since we'll likely be seeing plenty of Chromium OS netbooks flooding the grey market long before the second half of 2010.
Wow... so cool~~~
Chrome OS sucks. AndroidOS Google new search rocks. take a look!
http://www.zjtechlive.com/try-the-new-google-search/
http://www.zjtechlive.com/try-android-2-0-on-your-windows/
@ali91
Boy, have you ever been so wrong in your whole life?
Bend over, you gonna get your butt painted red.
Surprise surprise... mainstream buyers have no interest whatsoever in crap alternative OS's.
......son, i am dissappoint.
Who cares.
Is it me or is ChromeOS just Google's desperate attempt to destroy Microsoft.
I don't see the regular home user switching over to something they are not familiar with.
@wsantiago
Not an owner of Apple stock, I take it.
@Luke
The nice thing about ChromeOS is that you won't have to own a computer to own a "computer," if you take my meaning. I think a lot of people are going to want it, especially if it handles outside devices like a Win/Mac OS. If ChromeOS could manage Web-based drivers, it would be pretty cool...Log into your friends computer, throw your pictures onto your ChromeOS, which has the drivers for all your equipment, and you're good to go. Is that possible?
I just think, based on the way things are today (read the Sprint cooperation with law enforcement article on Ars Technica) people aren't as concerned with privacy issues as perhaps they should be.
@Luke I appreciate your feedback. I used this OS (Chromium) for a little bit and I know there is much to be improved on. I am a Mac and Windows user and like them both. Maybe my opinion will change when Chromium is fully established. I guess it wasn't for me because its so limited right now..
"Acer loves it some Google. And unless Google's trying to stamp out your revenue stream, who doesn't? "
Wow - this reads like a badly translated product manual from China.
Does Chrome run on ARM? If not, I'm not very interested. I want me some of that ARM-netbook for superlong battery time. It's time to shed that x86, at least on platforms you use for very specific tasks.
@Ryback I Googled a bit and yeah, Chrome OS will be available on the ARM architecture. I also agree with you to get x86 out and ARM into netbooks ASAP.
I'm thinking to win over users from other platforms they'll have to add support for connecting devices such as cameras and phones to enable users to upload photos and such.
I fail to see it succeed If it stays just at linux with a browser.
@jensa
You can do that with linux. Most netbooks have usb-ports too.
@Ryback of course you can! Im just saying that if google does keeps its chrome OS limited to just a browser with a hidden OS/filesystem the user wont be able to find his camera/phone/*device.
They need to come up with some way to communicate with the device either from within its chrome browser (somehow letting javascript out of its sandbox) or via some external app communicating with the device.
Then they might just win me over! :-)
regards/jens
@jensa
Ok. Haven't tested chrome OS or even seen a video of it being used. I didn't know it was so limited in functionality.
@Ryback
Chrome is a Linux variant so it runs on ARM. Google will release Chrome for both ARM and x86.
As I heard the Ubuntu people (Canonical) also help Google with creating Chrome, they have plenty of ARM experience. (Ubuntu has an official ARM release)
Facts... "what if your browser was your operating system. new OS no kernel, no all.... BIOS was redesigned?"
It's like they made a mobile OS and applied in a desktop computer
see the Chrome's detailed review: http://bit.ly/google-chrome-os-best-or-worst-judge-it
"we'll likely be seeing plenty of Chromium OS netbooks flooding the grey market long before the second half of 2010." -- Still crossing our fingers
They really have to stop this silliness. Why would anybody sacrifice being able to run all their normal apps just to save a few dollars and make it "simple"? It might cold boot faster but most XP netbook users can just use hibernate and the difference in boot times would be minimal.
A full blown alternative OS with lots of applications that also happened to boot in 5 seconds would be nice, but it's ridiculous to expect people to give up a full operating system for what's essentially a dumb terminal. Why would anybody do that?!
@thefifthheat
Yeah, I feel ya. Think I'll wait until brain-slot computers before I consider changing to a cloud OS. :)
There simply is no compelling reason to go with this over the compatibility and scope of Windows, savings over free Ubuntu, or "cool factor" of OSX marketing.
If Acer's Android netbook had been:
1) a convertible tablet design, like their Aspire 1420P tablet
2) dual boot Android and the Linux dist. they provide for their netbooks (Xandros? Linpus?)
3) blessed by Google, so that is has Market, Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, etc.
Then I'd buy it.
In fact, shrink the 1420P to a 10.1" screen (but otherwise the same specs), put Android on it, get the "Google Experience" on it, put Ubuntu or Linux or Xandros on it as the "other OS" (not Windows), and I'll definitely buy it. Just make it available!!
I suspect the main reason for the failure has been that whole "not Google Experience" part. People want Android, but they either want the Google Experience, or something that fully replaces it. From the reviews I read, Acer had neither the blessed "Google Experience", nor anything that fills in that gap.