Talk:Chromebook

Merge with Chrome OS?

I think Chrome OS and Chromebooks, at least for any time soon, imo should have the same article.

Any suggestions?

The Tangmeister (talk) 23:49, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

Agree. But not merge--there's nothing much here. Redirect. Barte (talk) 00:01, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

This article will likely be expanded in the near future, as Google releases more information about the Chromebook. So, if the article is merged/redirected, it will just pop up again later. demize (t · c) 00:11, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

Could be. It's already filled in since a couple of days ago. Barte (talk) 14:11, 13 May 2011 (UTC)

Until further information can be gathered aboyt both the Chrome OS and The Chromebook they SHOULD be MENTIONED in this article until further references become available, after which they can be split. Some information has become available on the Chromebook website. For instance it has been confirmed that both Acer and Samsung wil be manufacturing the devices. So maybe begin to write the article and keep it as a work in progress? Kirsten Z Jacob 00:24, 12 May 2011 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by KirtZJ (talk • contribs)

I actually don't think Chrome OS and this article should be merged. There will soon be a lot more information on a whole range of Chromebooks, including reviews etc, that will easily sustain a separate article. If we did merge them we would have to split them again in the near future, just due to the volume of information available. I think the biggest challenge with this article will be avoiding editors starting articles on each model of Chromebook as more are announced and released. - Ahunt (talk) 17:15, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Actually, that might be an interesting challenge here: see if this could be a definitive list of all Chromebook specs. That idea of completeness isn't unprecedented on Wikipedia. The game consoles, for example (if memory serves), have detailed listings of ever model ever made. And that info is both useful and really hard to find elsewhere. And it certainly goes beyond the scope of Chrome OS Barte (talk) 18:20, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

I've changed my mind, lol. This should be a separate article. The Tangmeister (talk) 21:42, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

I think a table of models and their specs would be very useful. At least it could link to individual model articles if they get created. - Ahunt (talk) 18:39, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Given that you found a good ref on the specs for the Samsung Series 5 I started the table. See what you think. - Ahunt (talk) 20:43, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Looks good to me. Nice start. Barte (talk) 21:42, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Glad that you like it. We can add more as data becomes available. A photo would sure help this article a lot. Hopefully after someone buys one they will take a photo of it! - Ahunt (talk) 22:31, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Any chance of getting screen size into the chart? That may turn out to be one of the bigger variables. And is it worth putting in the Cr-48 specs for comparison? (Especially as a followup is in the works.) For example, the weight of that Samsung seems high--3.3 pounds. So how does it compare to the Cr-48--in weight and displays size? Barte (talk) 22:52, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Can do. - Ahunt (talk) 23:41, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

Thank you Barte (talk) 00:14, 15 May 2011 (UTC)

I strongly disagree. The hardware could be better used with an OS different then Chrome OS. Semsi Paco Virchow (talk) 11:28, 6 June 2013 (UTC)

 I think everyone agrees that this page can now stand on its own OtherKevin (talk) 06:58, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

About the Chromebook models chart

I think we should make it similar to the Microsoft Office comparison charts on Wikipedia- put the model+Company at the top of the chart, and put each category heading on the left, and the data value at the intersections. (See the MS Office comparison charts to see what I mean :)

) —Preceding unsigned comment added by TangLab (talk • contribs) 13:04, 15 May 2011 (UTC)

Which chart do you mean as the example? - Ahunt (talk) 13:59, 15 May 2011 (UTC)

This one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_2010#Comparison The Tangmeister (talk) 14:57, 15 May 2011 (UTC)

Actually that one has the categories at the top and the product names down the side, were you indicating it should be rotated 90°? - Ahunt (talk) 15:48, 15 May 2011 (UTC)

I like it how it is, personally. Steven Walling 00:21, 16 May 2011 (UTC)

Sadly, the charts were solid in 2011 but are currently horrible in comparison to any other wiki on the topic. — Preceding unsigned comment added by BotOrNot (talk • contribs) 07:53, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

Chromebook and Chromebox charts have been updated, but they still need more work and pictures. OtherKevin (talk) 07:56, 22 December 2013 (UTC)

 Done - Ahunt (talk) 11:01, 16 January 2014 (UTC)

The Extreme Tech reference

Hey, it's not that I object to the fact about Windows netbooks being cheaper. It's pretty much obvious, and is stated before in the CNET quote. I'm just iffy about the reliability and prominence of "Extreme Tech" as a source. I worked in tech blogging for quite some time, and after poking around I can't really see them as a really good source. Steven Walling 17:23, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

ExtremeTech has been around forever if you actually keep up with that sort of thing. They were purchase by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziff_Davis , owners of ZDNet and TechTV... what is the issue here? BotOrNot (talk) 07:57, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

If you think that ref is short of WP:RS that is fine to remove it. My main concern in putting that back in is that the main criticism we are hearing about the Chromebooks is that they are too expensive for what you get and that other hardware is cheaper and with other OSs, is more flexible. I am sure there will be more on this in the near future, I'll keep an eye out for more mainstream sources. - Ahunt (talk) 18:02, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

 Done OtherKevin (talk) 06:48, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Second section reads like an advertisement?

The first sentence really sounds like advertising. Maybe it should read "Chromebooks are designed to quickly access the web", and the first clause (With fast boot times and no anti-virus or anti-malware software required) should be removed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.57.58.37 (talk) 21:12, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Quite true. Have a look and see what you think now. - Ahunt (talk) 21:25, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Edited Ahunt's edits--with same invitation to critique. Thanks for pointing this out, anon. Barte (talk) 04:40, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

That looks even better to me - thanks for fixing it further! - Ahunt (talk) 11:48, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

 Done OtherKevin (talk) 06:50, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Sooo, these things are on sale now, 1 June 2011

This is clearly WP:OR in that I took these screenshots, but have a look-see for yourself:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1832211/chrome-email.png

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1832211/chrome-website.png

How should we go about updating the article? Earthpig (talk) 21:33, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Those two PNGs don't seem to want to load, but all we really need to do in theory is use the Acer and Samsung websites as refs. I just checked both and Acer has nothing at all on their website that I could find, while Samsung has this. - Ahunt (talk) 21:47, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Clicked on the "buy" buttons on the Samsung site. Nobody's actually selling. Barte (talk) 22:07, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

I just noticed that - "out of stock" - Ahunt (talk) 22:25, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

And then there's this blog post: http://thisismynext.com/2011/06/01/samsung-chromebook-sale-gilt-groupe/ claiming the official date is still 6/15, but a few Cr-48 testers would be able to purchase early. I think this is all way too tenuous to change the article from the official launch date. Barte (talk) 22:12, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I would be one of those CR-48 people. There is also an article on endgadget: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/samsung-chromebook-goes-on-sale-early-at-gilt/ Are the images loading now? I did a ctrl+f5 reload and they seem to be working fine for me... Earthpig (talk) 19:06, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes they are loading now, thanks! I think it was just a temporary server-end problem. - Ahunt (talk) 22:57, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

 Chromebooks are now available OtherKevin (talk) 07:04, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Lawsuit=delay?

This being June 15, I was going to change the wording to indicate Chromebooks are now available. Except that on Amazon, they still aren't available as of this morning. And then I noticed reports a lawsuit over the name. Is there a connection? I'm not sure. I've added a mention about the suit in the lead and am waiting for more info. If anyone spots anything further from notable sources, primary or secondary, they'd be useful. (BTW, I've used PCMag.com source as the cite. I couldn't find any mention on the website of the company's website. That would be ISYS Technologies. Barte (talk) 15:10, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

They will need a court order to stop the sale, not just the threat of a lawsuit. It will be interesting to see how this develops. - Ahunt (talk) 16:35, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

I now see a couple of models available for shipment. So whatever the lawsuit outcome, I think we have ignition. Barte (talk) 21:44, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Accordingly, I've moved the lawsuit mention to the bottom. Let's indeed see how, or if, it develops. Barte (talk) 03:31, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Good idea moving it down. As you well know Americans mostly socially interact though lawsuits, so it is really a standard way of welcoming a new product to market and will likely not amount to anything. -- Ahunt (talk) 13:01, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Deep corporate pockets are a Siren's call to the legal profession. Agreed: I'd also be surprised if this goes anywhere. Barte (talk) 15:16, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

What should we do about the "Trademark dispute" section? I think the entire section would be more at home on the Chromium page, since that name was the source of the dispute. It never really had any effect on chromebook users. Discuss! — Preceding unsigned comment added by OtherKevin (talk • contribs) 07:08, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Chromebook Guru Program

An editor added mention of this to the article today, although we are still sorting out appropriate refs for it. I am wondering if it is even worth mentioning or whether it shouldn't just be removed as marketing trivia. I really am not seeing the value of it as part of the story of these computers. We wouldn't, for instance, mention if Samsung had a sale on them and I am not convinced that this is any more notable, even if a real ref can be located. - Ahunt (talk) 18:45, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

It's a good question. On the face of it, this is marketing at the mundane level. On the other hand, Google has a marketing challenge on its hands--and its approach has been to hand out machines at a pace few other companies would match. Ideally, we'd have a secondary source citation that would make that sort of observation: summarizing Google's marketing effort. If none exists, maybe that's telling us something. But I do think there are enough refs out there to justify that this is real. Even though the main source is a forum. Barte (talk) 19:14, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

The forum entry is very vague, not even indicating what these are - they could be old Cr-48s from the pilot program that Google couldn't give away and is now stuck with. I agree we need more information to keep this in the article and lacking a real ref that probably indicates a lack of notability right there. - Ahunt (talk) 19:46, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

I found a couple of media refs on the subject and added them along with some text supported by the refs. See if that adds up to something worth keeping (ie do you think it is non-trivial?) - Ahunt (talk) 19:58, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

What about compressing it:

In marketing Chromebooks, Google has relied on hands-on experience: giving away Samsumg machines to some Cr-48 pilot program participants and loaning Chromebooks to passengers on some Virgin America flights.

The idea: get the basic idea across without devolving into trivial detail. Barte (talk) 05:24, 12 August 2011 (UTC)

Sounds good to me. I don't think we have to go into every marketing initiative Google tries to move these devices, but a couple of examples would be useful. - Ahunt (talk) 12:04, 12 August 2011 (UTC)

Done. Barte (talk) 14:24, 12 August 2011 (UTC)

That looks better! - Ahunt (talk) 15:05, 12 August 2011 (UTC)

Goes to show that some improvements are better made by subtraction. Barte (talk) 21:15, 12 August 2011 (UTC)

Definitely. That is a fundamental tenant of Zen! - Ahunt (talk) 00:15, 13 August 2011 (UTC)

 Special thanks to Barte and Ahunt -- OtherKevin (talk) 07:15, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

File:Acer Chromebook.jpg Nominated for Deletion

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 Image was not deleted -- OtherKevin (talk) 07:17, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Series 5 550 consensus

Seems to me that the early consensus on the Series 5 550 is either positive or neutral. (Google it and you'll see what I mean.) The Engadget review (already cited in the spec section) is especially favorably, comparing the device to 13" Ultrabooks selling for nearly twice the price. None of which negates the negative OMG! Chrome! review, but that may turn out to be the minority report, and should perhaps come at the bottom. Thoughts? One other plus and a minus: The device is being/wlll be sold by Best Buy, giving it a strong brick and mortar sales channel. But Samsung appears to be the only Chrome OS hardware developer left standing. Out of a field of two. Barte (talk) 14:39, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Well perhaps we should add some more to balance the OMG review then. Sneddon doesn't have a problem with the device, just the price. - Ahunt (talk) 14:45, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Looks like the price/performance ratio is at the heart of the matter for reviewers, with mileages varying. Barte (talk) 18:52, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Very much so, which goes to our discussions here from a couple of years ago. The very limited capabilities of the Chromebook/box only make sense if it is cheaper, which it isn't. So it isn't selling very well, which was predictable. - Ahunt (talk) 21:22, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Upon closer inspection, the Engadget review also questions the pricing. I've added it in, along with a cite of the original Samsung press release.Barte (talk) 22:35, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Super! - Ahunt (talk) 00:14, 1 June 2012 (UTC)

Ahunt -- I've noticed a *lot* of articles contributed to by you have obsessively many references to Joey Sneddon. It's getting extremely tiresome now. I'd appreciate it if you didn't impose you're trash-journalism addiction on Wikipedia. THANKS! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.9.176.129 (talk) 20:18, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

No updates

Does anyone comment on the fact that the computer will not interrupt your work to update itself. I am buying one (even though I need to ship it to a friend first as they will not ship it to Canada) for this sole reason. Windows frequently shuts it self off to spend 10 - 20 minutes updating. Per amazon "Every time you turn it on, the Chromebook upgrades itself to latest features and fixes, with no nagging updates!" http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AC700-1099-Chromebook-Wi-Fi/dp/B00507ALBG

Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 05:04, 1 June 2012 (UTC)

Maybe Windows users would find that a real accomplishment. I am using Debian and it never bugs me to do updates, so I am not sure it is that unique. Same goes for Puppy Linux. - Ahunt (talk) 09:57, 1 June 2012 (UTC)

You can change Windows update settings so that auto-reboot is disabled, if an administrator has not disallowed you from doing so. But yeah, there is joy in using Chrome OS for not being Windows. --JBrown23 (talk) 12:21, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Article title change?

Since now we are housing both chromebook and chromebox information (which I support), should the title be renamed from Chromebook to Chrome OS device? --JBrown23 (talk) 12:21, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

I wouldn't think so, but if more Chromeboxes crop up then they could be split into a separate article. Right now I am thinking that one Samsung model may just be an anomaly. - Ahunt (talk) 17:16, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Agree that Chromebox isn't yet notable enough, but maybe it should redirect here. Barte (talk) 21:37, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

It already does! - Ahunt (talk) 22:25, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Great minds......Barte (talk) 23:29, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Someone please add a new (preferably free) image of the Samsung Series 5 550 (second generation) to replace the current title image

The image of the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook in the Infobox is outdated. Please update it with an image of the second-generation Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook! Thanks. Kenny Strawn (talk) 16:39, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

 Marcus Qwertyus has uploaded a nice Series 3 title image --- OtherKevin (talk) 04:28, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

MS Office 2010

Can I load MS Office 2010 on the Chromebook? If yes, does it function well? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.6.91.240 (talk) 18:25, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

You can use Office365 if you must use a microsoft product on the machine. Additionally, you can run Office 2010 through Wine or PlayOnLinux. Don't listen to the luddites. BotOrNot (talk) 07:51, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

Chrome OS is Linux based, it won't run Windows applications. The office suite used on Chrome OS is Google Drive, formerly called Google Docs. I think this is adequately covered in the article about the software Google Chrome OS, but perhaps more needs to be said there? - Ahunt (talk) 13:42, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Interesting question indirectly raised here by anon. According to the article's 2nd sentence, "The devices are designed to be used while connected to the Internet and rely almost entirely on Web applications, rather than applications that reside on the machine itself." To a first-time reader, is that clear enough in terms of ramifications, i.e., ability to load MS Office (or for that matter, any other app)? If not, should we clarify? Barte (talk) 18:34, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Since it caused this person to question it, then, yes I think it should be more clearly spelled out. - Ahunt (talk) 19:17, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

I've given it a try. Barte (talk) 20:31, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Looks good to me! - Ahunt (talk) 20:34, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Google branded Chromebook

This is probably too close to a rumour right now, but we should keep an eye out for an official announcement Google Reportedly Preparing To Sell Self-Branded Chromebooks - Ahunt (talk) 12:45, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

Interesting. A touchscreen would raise eyebrows. Barte (talk) 18:34, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

It will give us something to add to this article if it can be confirmed. - Ahunt (talk) 20:40, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

 Pixel has been added to the page -- OtherKevin (talk) 04:29, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

Pogue & page stats

Just added the David Pogue commentary, which reverses his don't-buy recommendation from last year. Because of his notability, I think his blog post constitutes an endorsement of the Chromebook concept on a broader scale than we've seen before. Price being the deciding factor. But see also the hits the Wikipedia article itself has gotten: http://stats.grok.se/en/latest90/Chromebook. On October 18th, the number went from the hundreds to the thousands. Is that when the new Samsung was announced? Barte (talk) 16:24, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

You can't say our work here isn't noticed! - Ahunt (talk) 02:26, 1 December 2012 (UTC)

I've almost got stage fright. Barte (talk) 02:54, 1 December 2012 (UTC)

Chromebook has been viewed 53388 times in the last 30 days! OtherKevin (talk) 04:22, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

Block quotes

No matter how many years I edit Wikipedia, there's also something new. So thank you David Woodward for pointing out that quotes >40 or so words should appear as a wp:blockquote. Personally, I'm not crazy about having so many of them in a single article--here and in Google Chrome OS, but I do think the criteria is usefully interesting in that it make one think about quoting vs. paraphrasing in an encyclopedia. I've converted one block quote back by paraphrasing part of it, thereby reducing its word count. No sure I want to do this throughout, but a question: do we really need the writer attribution at the end of each one--when each writer is already attributed ahead of the quote? Barte (talk) 21:10, 5 February 2013 (UTC)

40 characters seems very low for a blockquote. That's less than one and a half lines, and looks awful. But I guess we have to abide by what the overlords have decided. It wouldn't be as much of a problem if there weren't so many of them, and so many from the same person. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rapture's Sander Cohen (talk • contribs) 02:28, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

I agree in terms of looks. According to Block quote, "The Chicago Manual of Style recommends using a block quotation when extracted text is 100 words or more, or at least eight lines." But the Wikipedia MOS trumps that, and looking through the archives, I see no discussion challenging it. But the redundant attribution is another matter, and I may remove those unless there's some objection. Barte (talk) 05:55, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

Call me compulsive. I rewrote the block quotes with enough paraphrasing to eliminate any >40 word strings. Then unblocked them. Barte (talk) 16:13, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

That looks fine to me - more concise! - Ahunt (talk) 20:25, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

Thanks! Maybe that's the hidden virtue of the MOS rule. Will probably do the same on Chrome OS Barte (talk) 22:28, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

Proposal: move the hardware topics from Chrome OS to Chromebook

Comments requested: please discuss on the Chrome OS talk page Barte (talk) 20:28, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

 Done -- OtherKevin (talk) 04:38, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

"The Chrome OS"

This was posted by anon on my talk page. It should be discussed here:

Hi, I am the one who corrected the sentence "A Chromebook is a personal computer running the Google Chrome OS operating system." to A Chromebook is a personal computer running the Google Chrome OS." I don't see the reason for reverting it back to it's old version. The term "Operating System" in short is OS, so I deemed the redundancy of that sentence unnecessary.

The problem with this argument is that this is an encyclopedia--and we can't assume that every reader knows that OS stands for operating system. That's particularly true for the lead paragraph, which should be as accessible to as many people as possible. Take a look at the lead for iOS, whose name also includes the acronym OS. "iOS (previously iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system..." Or iPhone" "The iPhone (pron.: /ˈaɪfoʊn/ eye-fohn) is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It runs Apple's iOS mobile operating system..." Barte (talk) 19:05, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I agree with the IP. Even if the concern is that the reader won't know what OS stands for, it can be written in a way that provides information without being written so poorly: "A Chromebook is a personal computer running Google Chrome OS, an operating system..." However, we have wikilinks for that very purpose; the item is already wikilinked, which provides additional information about what Google Chrome OS is, which makes further elaboration unnecessary. This lede is about Chromebooks, and should be as concise as possible about this subject. The purpose of the lede is not to expand upon all related subjects, wikilinks serve that purpose. - SudoGhost 19:12, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I think both arguments have merits, so I have reworded the lead to explain that this is an operating system, without being redundant. See what you think. - Ahunt (talk) 19:17, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

It certainly looks better, but I don't think it should be "the Google Chrome OS", just "...running Google Chrome OS as its operating system". - SudoGhost 19:20, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I thought that it grammatically required a definite article, but feel free to remove it if you think it reads better without it. - Ahunt (talk) 19:22, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I think "the Chrome OS operating system" is cleaner. But here's an offer. I'll drop my opposition to having the hyperlink only--on the proviso that SudoGhost rewrite the iPad and iPhone ledes to do the same. If it works there with a much larger base of editors, I'm more than happy to accept it here. Barte (talk)

@Barte: You're more than welcome to do that yourself, but I have no interest in those topics, and I'm not going to edit something I'm not interested in just so that this article can be written correctly. Chrome OS operating system would be no more correct than using "PIN number" at the Personal identification number article.

@Ahunt: Every article I've seen on the subject omits any sort of definite article (Example), I don't think "the Google Chrome OS" would be any more correct than "the Netflix". 30,000 complicated exceptions aside, proper nouns don't need definite articles. - SudoGhost 19:36, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

ZDNet a technical site. Take a look at any of these from the NYT, which, like us, is writing for a general readership. Barte (talk) 19:47, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make there, because none of those results (and other searches I performed on that page) return any use of "the Google Chrome OS", nor does it use "Chrome OS operating system". In fact, when it does describe what Chrome OS is, it does so exactly the way I did above: "...Chrome OS, an operating system..." If anything the link you provided reinforces that fact that "Google Chrome OS operating system" should not be used. - SudoGhost 19:52, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I want to establish in the lede that Chrome OS is an operating system. My concern was putting that burden entirely on the hyperlink, which is what I thought you were arguing above. If the exact phrase "Chrome OS operating system" is the problem, no problem here. Barte (talk) 20:01, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

Though ultimately unnecessary, that's already in the lede. The only real issue was the atrocious way in which it was worded. - SudoGhost 20:04, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

It seems pretty clear now and lacks unneeded redundancy! "Clarity-brevity-conciseness" - Ahunt (talk) 20:07, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

Chromebook Pixel: 4th gen machine?

The article currently has it that there have been three generations of Chromebooks, and I think that reflects how reporters and reviewers have seen it. But what of the Chromebook Pixel? At $1300 and up retail, it's not exactly part of the generational trend toward ever cheaper machines. Is it fourth generation? Is it third generation with an asterisk? Or is the whole notion of Chromebook generations now outmoded? Barte (talk) 00:43, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

I read the articles on the Pixel and no where does it mention generations. I think we have to stick with what the refs say and avoid any WP:OR. In going though the refs we seem to have good refs for the concept of a "second generation", but not so much for a third generation. I think we probably do need to reassess whether the refs really support whether that exists or not. Another related issue is whether the Chromebook Pixel should have its own article or not, or just redirect here. - Ahunt (talk) 00:45, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Chromebook Pixel.....that was fast. ;-) It would be pretty easy to remove the generation mention here, including removing the first column from the chart. Barte (talk) 01:28, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Removed generation mentions (except an Acer-specific one), removed the generation column from the tables, made availability column 1, added a paragraph on the Pixel in the lede & inserted entry into table. (Another editor made this a dual-entry, Wi-Fi and LTE: looks good to me. It's a start. See what you think. Barte (talk) 07:46, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

That looks good to me. - Ahunt (talk) 11:06, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Why were generations removed? You can simply go by generations as they align to Intel and ARM generations from the time-period in which they started after the prototype / cr48 model. For instance, The Sandy and Ivy CPUs were interchangable models according to CoreBoot and Linux / Windows specific models within the original OEM machines. Since the Pixel is an Ivy Bridge CPU which is closely related to the updated Samsung 5 550 which isn't even mentoned here... though they should both fall under Generation 3. The non-prototype CR48 models would be generation 2, only due to being actually sold but still containing the Pineview ATOM CPUs, also bumping it up to dual core. To give another example, Samsung has updated their Exynos SoC to include other peripherals as well as a differing GPU, so whatever(I assume Octa) SoC they release next would be the next generation(4). BotOrNot (talk) 08:03, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

Pixel reception

Just noting with some amusement: reviewers initially questioned the value proposition of the Chromebook. Then the cost dropped to $250 and below, and the doubting largely stopped. Now the Pixel comes out, priced at $1300, and--from what I'm reading--the value proposition is being questioned all over again. Barte (talk) 07:44, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

For anyone that actually went to Google I/O, you would know that this was a halo/display/reference model for developers, much like the Nexus line of Android devices was/is. If you follow the git tree you'd see that this was to code for the touch aspect of future ChromeOS devices. Additionally it had the highest resolution for the screen size and possibly PPI for the time, which means it had no parallel from any other manufacturer, though now eclipsed by the new haswell based Lenovo Yoga 2. BotOrNot (talk) 07:48, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

I imagine at that price it would be questioned! I am sure we will see more text on that and can include it in this article. I have added two refs that have some mention of just that subject. I have also cleaned up what looked like a sudden campaign here to splash the Pixel all over this article, with pictures and way too many links. As far as I can tell this is going to be a small selling device and thus as per WP:UNDUE shouldn't be given prominent coverage over more mass-produced and adopted units. - Ahunt (talk) 11:06, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

That's a potential advantage of Chromebook Pixel. Not much there now (though I like the table), but there's room to go deep without worrying about UNDUE. Barte (talk) 18:13, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

True, but we now have more text about it here than in the Chromebook Pixel article! I think the criticism section needs duplicating over there to flesh it out. - Ahunt (talk) 12:56, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

 Done - Ahunt (talk) 13:01, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

Is it weird to have that much duplicate text? (Will the Wikipedia gods strike us down?) We could boil the reception down to a few terse paragraphs, here, and add a see-main-article template. 00:31, 24 February 2013 (UTC)

"Will the Wikipedia gods strike us down?" Well not really. I attributed the text in the edit summary, so it is legal under the licence. Over time the two texts will get edited and will diverge from each other so that a reader who reads both articles won't see as much duplication. Feel free to move that divergence forward if you like! An alternative would be, as you noted, to remove the criticism of the Pixel from this article and use a shorter summary, sending people to the Chromebook Pixel article with a Main template, for the greater detail. That would have the advantage of making this rather long article a little bit shorter and leaving that one longer (which it could use right now, being pretty short). - Ahunt (talk) 02:36, 24 February 2013 (UTC)

I gave it a shot, preserving all the refs. I didn't move the graphic showing pixel comparisons because I couldn't make it work to my satisfaction on Chromebook Pixel. But given that what's left is a summary, I think it should also be moved. Barte (talk) 05:21, 24 February 2013 (UTC)

No problem! It looks good! I moved the image and also fixed the fair use rationale! - Ahunt (talk) 00:19, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

Is Sundar Pichai heading Chrome OS/Chromebook?

Per http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/update-from-ceo.html and elsewhere, Sundar Pichai is now heading Android, in addition to Chrome (the browser) and Google Apps. We also have a picture of him speaking at the Chromebook launch at Google I/O. The move has increased speculation that Chrome OS and Android will begin to merge. Logic would have it then that Pichai is also heading Chrome OS and Chromebook....but I can't confirm that. Any sightings? Barte (talk) 18:15, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

coreboot

Do all Chromebooks have coreboot instead of BIOS/UEFI? I read thisgolem article in german, so some Chromebooks come with coreboot. If they do, this definitely belongs in the article. Semsi Paco Virchow (talk) 11:28, 6 June 2013 (UTC)

A section on Coreboot is fine, but it needs to be referenced by notable secondary sources. In the English-language press, all I can find are sightings that a Chromebook prototype was seen running it in April 2012: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/google-demos-coreboot-on-chromebook-prototype-hints-at-ivy-brid/ That was more than a year ago, so is this still a coming feature or something that didn't pan out? I tried reading the Golem article in translation, but couldn't get anything further. Barte (talk) 14:16, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

I've also removed the section you added asserting three ARM-based Chromebooks. That appears to be incorrect. As far as I can tell, the only ARM-based version is the Samsung (via its Exynos CPU), as already noted in the chart below. Barte (talk) 14:42, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

There are three, but they are only different in configuration/specs for different markets... which doesn't clash well with the US specific revision models shown here instead of overall models(please see the Acer insanity going on when there are around ten models total with different dates and configurations based on the same model) which clashes with the edits currently. The individual is correct on coreboot / seabios and I would love to add some information if that should go here. I personally believe it should go here due to coreboot running on Chromebooks and not ChromeOS(you could for instance book Windows or OSX with Coreboot, such as this individual who simply compiled or used John's precompiled coreboot rom: ). BotOrNot (talk) 07:45, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

Packaged applications?

Here's the original: "Chromebooks also run packaged apps,which are applications that offer native like capabilities but as safe as a website.These type of app works offline by default." Here's the edited version: "Chromebooks also run packaged applications that offer native like capabilities and work offline." Seems to me that neither summarizes what's actually in the article, or is backed up by a ref. And what, exactly, is a "packaged application with native like capabilities"? Barte (talk) 13:35, 5 July 2013 (UTC)

The original text addition didn't make much sense, so I tossed up just deleting it or fixing it up and opted for the latter in the short term. I am glad you brought it up here though. If the article is better without it then feel free to axe it altogether! - Ahunt (talk) 13:47, 5 July 2013 (UTC)

Deleted. Given that it's in the lead paragraph, axe now and ask questions later. Barte (talk) 13:52, 5 July 2013 (UTC)

Good call. - Ahunt (talk) 13:59, 5 July 2013 (UTC)

Dear Barte,

Native like capabilities include VMwares as explained on Google Chrome developers.Perhaps I should include Packaged app in a separate section?I am new to Wikipedia.

Thank You Evan — Preceding unsigned comment added by Evanjltan (talk • contribs)

Thanks for the clarification and welcome to Wikipedia. I think (and this is just my take) that the confusion here is that, per Google, Packaged apps are modified Web apps, making them a subcategory of Web apps rather than a completely new one. So the phrase "Chromebooks also run..." in the lead paragraph is confusing, as well. Take a look at this section on Packaged apps from the Chrome OS article. Maybe we should link it further down. And if you think the topic needs expansion, that may be the place to start. Thoughts? Barte (talk) 11:50, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

This is laughable... anyone that actually develops on the Chromebooks knows that typical webapps, PNaCl, portage packages and NaCl apps are available and running depending on what machine, mode, and channel you are on. Can we get some other actual devs and or Chromebook enthusiasts who have actually deployed to a production environment before on here? At best it shouldn't be mentioned because it is ChromeOS and ChromiumOS specific which have their own wiki. The ChromiumOS dev pages are out of date too so that doesn't help much (for instance python is no longer included by default). Here are some sources you should probably be reading instead of asking questions regarding the existence of: https://developers.google.com/native-client/announcements https://developers.google.com/native-client/overview#intro https://developers.google.com/native-client/pepperc/ http://git.chromium.org/gitweb/?a=project_list&s=chromiumos&btnS=Search http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/how-tos-and-troubleshooting/add-a-new-package

Seriously, there are distro and fan specific wikis for this and every single one has better and more valid information than Wikipedia. Search if you don't believe me. — Preceding unsigned comment added by BotOrNot (talk • contribs) 07:22, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

Joey Who?

Some nobody by the name "Joey Sneddon" is mentioned 4 times in this article. This smells very much like astroturfing. Any objections to deleting all references? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.9.176.129 (talk) 20:13, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

I don't object. It does seem highly inappropriate for an encyclopedia article, at the very least.--greenrd (talk) 20:20, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

Sneddon is the publisher of OMG Ubuntu and OMG Chrome and has written extensively about tech subjects. Both websites are independent third party refs, with editorial oversight and meet WP:RS. His reviews of Chomebooks have been quite critical and provide some balance to some of the more glowing reviews quoted in the article. There is no problem questioning sources used in articles, but there is no need for the insults aimed at sources given above. A read of the actual references cited would soon show that these are reliable sources. - Ahunt (talk) 23:20, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

Ahunt, you seem to have added OMG Ubuntu!/Sneddon references to a very large number of Wikipedia articles. You also seem to be very zealous in defending them and reverting any removal of them. Are you sure Jsneddon wouldn't be a more appropriate handle for you? Just because you read a particular source a lot doesn't give you a right to plaster it all over Wikpedia, especially not the 13 separate instances that this article has. Calm down with the fanboyism and astroturfing please. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.9.176.129 (talk)

And you can read WP:AGF, WP:OUTING, and WP:NPA and stop making wild and unfounded accusations about the identity of other editors here. If you check my user page you will see I live in Canada, not the UK, where this website is based. As I have stated before I have no connection to this website, other than I sometimes read it. OMG Ubuntu has been sent to Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard and there were no objections there and so as a consensus it is considered a reliable source and can be used as a reference for Wikipedia without restriction. - Ahunt (talk) 13:39, 29 November 2013 (UTC)

(Personal attack removed)

LG Chromebase

According to a boatload of sources, including The Verge, CNET, PCWorld, and, oh, yeah, a quick Google Search that those corresponding articles are indexed by, along with the other sources including OMG Chrome mentioned previously in this discussion, LG has taken the wraps off an all-in-one Chrome OS desktop called the Chromebase. So why isn't it mentioned here, and why hasn't the corresponding redirect been created? 2602:306:BCA6:8300:D5A:D37A:E17E:4C55 (talk) 00:17, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Can you cite an actual reference? Then we can add it. - Ahunt (talk) 01:02, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Here is one reference: http://www.eweek.com/pc-hardware/lg-chromebase-expands-chromebook-model-to-an-all-in-one.html
The Chromebase is coming, so I worked on the formatting of the page a little bit to make space for a category of computers running chrome os. We now have laptops (chromebook), desktops (chromebox), and All-in-One systems (Chromebase). I think the section "Chromebase Models" can go before or after "Chromebox Models" off the main tree. If someone would like to write up this section, then please do. Otherwise, I will work on it when I have the time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by OtherKevin (talk • contribs) 05:44, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

Here's the official press release from LG. I have a feeling we might want to wait on adding information, the press release says it will be on show at CES from January 7th to the 10th. We will probably get more information then. CraigTumblison (talk) 01:15, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

Processor benchmark column

Would be nice for the models table to have a column for processor speed benchmark for comparison purposes. --Makkachin (talk) 09:23, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

Has anyone found a good source that has comparable benchmarks for all the chromebook models? This sort of benchmark could be useful on the main table, but I think it might be hard to find and maintain correct numbers for all the various models. Ideas? OtherKevin (talk) 05:36, 30 January 2014 (UTC)

Images

We need to have a picture of every Chromebook. If you have a chromebook, then please upload a picture! Mark a chromebook on the list below as "done" if the picture has been added on the page. OtherKevin (talk) 05:32, 30 January 2014 (UTC)

Cr-48  Done

Pixel  Done

Acer AC700  Done

Acer C710

Acer C720

Acer C720P  Done -- OtherKevin (talk) 05:53, 30 January 2014 (UTC)

Dell Chromebook 11

HP Pavilion Chromebook

HP Chromebook 14

HP Chromebook 11

Lenovo Thinkpad X131e

Series 5 500  Done

Series 5 550

Series 3 303  Done

Toshiba Chromebook