04-30-2016, 09:05 AM
Depends on your usage pattern. Other than photo editing, the lab stuff and software dev I can easily live with ChromeOS.
My documents are in the google cloud where they are more secure than on any local hard-drive. Using Google Apps I can manage all my document needs easily.
Just think of something as simple as your house burning down or a natural catastrophe (Toni - I suppose that war is always nearby in Lebanon ...). Even if I lost my Chromebook in such a scenario, I could just buy another one and continue with my data from where I left it - how sweet is that ?! The risk loosing data in a local device is a MAGNITUDE higher than any perceived risk by government agencies or Google.
If you think Google is evil just consider the fact that Google is a US company. If they violate their privacy guarantees, they are out of business due to lawsuits that will go into the gazillion dollar range. They just will not dare.
Possibly the NSA may get access - in theory this is possible, of course - but if they are interested in you, your data in the Google cloud is the least of your problems (just think of access to your bank accounts or your "blank" criminal records).
You think that someone could hack into Google ? What is more likely - that someone hacks google or your internet router at home (which doesn't receive any firmware updates after a year already ...) ?
The notion that your data is more secure at home rather in the cloud is simply obscure (assuming that you took minimal precautions).
Disclaimer: In my other life I am living in the cloud as a software developer/architect.
ChromeOS is mature as is (at it's core it is based on Linux in case you didn't notice). Yes, it isn't feature rich, you can't simply install conventional software (well, you can but normal mortals won't) but that is not an issue at all for me. At this stage I will not state that I can live with ChromeOS only but the time is near. Once you embrace the concept, it's bloody awesome actually. If you are not willing to do that, it's useless, of course.
If you think that all this odd ... well, over at Microsoft the cloud is the target for Windows as well. The difference is that ChromeOS is already there and it's backed by a company that has inhaled in the internet second to none.
FWIW, it seems as if Google is planning to "merge" ChromsOS and Android - thus at some stage you will be able to install Android apps.
My documents are in the google cloud where they are more secure than on any local hard-drive. Using Google Apps I can manage all my document needs easily.
Just think of something as simple as your house burning down or a natural catastrophe (Toni - I suppose that war is always nearby in Lebanon ...). Even if I lost my Chromebook in such a scenario, I could just buy another one and continue with my data from where I left it - how sweet is that ?! The risk loosing data in a local device is a MAGNITUDE higher than any perceived risk by government agencies or Google.
If you think Google is evil just consider the fact that Google is a US company. If they violate their privacy guarantees, they are out of business due to lawsuits that will go into the gazillion dollar range. They just will not dare.
Possibly the NSA may get access - in theory this is possible, of course - but if they are interested in you, your data in the Google cloud is the least of your problems (just think of access to your bank accounts or your "blank" criminal records).
You think that someone could hack into Google ? What is more likely - that someone hacks google or your internet router at home (which doesn't receive any firmware updates after a year already ...) ?
The notion that your data is more secure at home rather in the cloud is simply obscure (assuming that you took minimal precautions).
Disclaimer: In my other life I am living in the cloud as a software developer/architect.
ChromeOS is mature as is (at it's core it is based on Linux in case you didn't notice). Yes, it isn't feature rich, you can't simply install conventional software (well, you can but normal mortals won't) but that is not an issue at all for me. At this stage I will not state that I can live with ChromeOS only but the time is near. Once you embrace the concept, it's bloody awesome actually. If you are not willing to do that, it's useless, of course.
If you think that all this odd ... well, over at Microsoft the cloud is the target for Windows as well. The difference is that ChromeOS is already there and it's backed by a company that has inhaled in the internet second to none.
FWIW, it seems as if Google is planning to "merge" ChromsOS and Android - thus at some stage you will be able to install Android apps.