When the preorder Chromebooks (one type) came out a while ago I looked at them and saw they were vastly overpriced - I mean, 500+ dollars? Really? The real release is today and reviewers are saying, "Expensive!" which isn't surprising. Essentially half a computer, with no functionality sans 'net, they have different but not more strengths than a netbook; depending upon how you want to use computers they might hold no advantage at all.

If you travel a lot, lose/break/are robbed a lot they offer continuity: any and every Chromebook will be the same. Log in and your personal world is there for you because it's all net-based and rolled up into a handy ball. If the 'net goes out, however, it turns into a brick.

Any other computer can offer access to net-based apps, too, but they are not tied together. I use Gmail, Aviary, Flickr, and so on, and if I need to log on from a different computer I'd need to merely remember my 567788 passwords or retrieve any forgotten password. And if there were no 'net for any reason the puter would run whatever programs were installed on it.

I suppose I should think about stuffing some of my bookmarks on a server as the thing I would do if, say, suddenly dropped into Peru is forget some applications. (Not that it will happen but I like thinking about it.) On the other hand nothing is very hard to find.

Labels: Cogitation