Chrome OS - Cr-48

I guess the backpedaling should begin immediately.  If you have read any of my recent posts, you might have gathered I favored Jolicloud over ChromeOS.  Valid reasons were provided.  Work was an important factor.  No official ChromeOS to review.  That was before Google decided I needed a Cr-48 Chrome Notebook.  I did ask them for one.  So did millions of other people.  Maybe I showed up for the Google party a little late, but I am a full fledged fan now.  That means I try everything Google, and I told them that when signing up for the Cr-48 Pilot Program. For the sake of self disclosure,  I was once that way with Microsoft.

The Cr-48 is awesome for a number of reasons but here's what makes it cool for me.  It is the only official Google device running Chrome OS. The Cr-48 has a 16GB solid state drive.  At least that's what I hear.  I don't take things apart until I've broken them.  Chrome OS is open source (kinda) , just like Android.

At just about 9 P.M. the light said charging was done.  I opened it.  It is already bad ass.  Flat black, like the interior trim of my GTI.  Good call Google.  There is no doubt the Cr-48 is a notebook.  It is large compared to most netbooks.  The keyboard has wide spaces between each key and there is no delete key.  I am not one to stand in the way of change, it's more fun to adapt.  So, I rediscovered the backspace and arrow keys and kept moving along.

I like the mentality, backspace isn't nearly as menacing as DELETE.  If you are a keyboard shortcut junkie, the Cr-48 is for you.  Here's a tip, don't get lazy and drop your wrists, the touchpad is so big that next thing you know, your typing 5 lines down in the middle of some other text.

Speaking of the touchpad.  Like I said, it's big.  You can press the bottom of the touchpad and click instead of tapping.  No buttons at the bottom to press, just press down on the touchpad.  The start up and login are pretty straight forward.  Select your network, agree to terms then wait while the Google Chrome OS installs the latest system updates.  I didn't time it, but it took several minutes.  Once the updates are done installing, the machine automatically restarts.  Sign in with your Google Account.  It did not auto connect to my wi-fi after the first restart, no problems since.  The initial network selection was also slow to load a list of available networks.  Oh yeah, you also take your picture using the built in webcam.

The theme is the same one I use on my other computer, the android theme.  It must be associated with my Google account.  The grooveshark extension is they only one installed by default.  It is not installed when signed in as a second account.  Guest login is in full time incognito mode.  Watch your back!  Guests also do not get the tutorial, they are taken straight to an empty New Tab page.

User management is easy.  Click the wrench then go to settings.  You can disable the guest account and restrict user sign-in.  There really isn't much else to share.  It boots quickly.  User accounts with pictures are nicely displayed on the login screen.  You can turn the picture part off in User management.  What we are left with is a very fast Chrome browser on a super sexy laptop.  Let's not forget the newly announced chrome web store.  I am currently using the Blog This! (by Google), Gmail Mail Checker and Google Voice (by Google) extensions.

I have changed from the beta to the development channel, which according to Google, is where ideas get tested.  No extensive how-to's here, but address bar entry chrome://settings/about gives you access to make the channel change.  No noticeable difference yet.  I originally changed it to test the Remoting process.  Which does not work and has been duly noted in a bug report.

One more tip, if you want to go where the experiments may bite, enter about:flags in your address bar.  I am just beginning to unlock the Cr-48's potential.  As I do, I will share.  I have talked about the Hexxeh VANILLA build, and now the Cr-48's Chrome OS.  Just after I originally published this post I found Google Chrome OS Linux.  The link is to the original Google site.  Tomorrow I am going to try it out, then compare the 3 builds.