Don't haggle over the price of an egg
|
|
|
INQUIRER readers prefer local data storage over the Google Chromebook
INQUIRER READERS prefer to store their documents and data locally instead of surrendering it to a Google Chromebook and its cloud storage.
In a poll we asked readers for their views on Google's Chome OS-based laptops, and found that only a small minority of them are tempted by the devices.
Just seven per cent said that they would buy a Google Chromebook because they thought it would be useful for their purposes, just browsing the net.
Only four per cent liked it because it is 'an inexpensive laptop', thinking it makes a good, cheap alternative to, you know, a proper laptop, while 16 per cent said they would rather buy a tablet.
The highest number of respondents, 47 per cent, said, 'No, I prefer to keep my documents on my own PC', suggesting that perhaps the cloud, or at least Google's cloud, has little appeal.
However there is a bit of good news for the Google marketing machine, as just 26 per cent of poll respondents asked, 'What's a Chromebook?'. µ
Tags: Google
Share this:
Share
Security concerns have already been overwhelmed - by the Friend button.
Internet security is like a burglar alarm - the vast majority of people only think about it when they've already been robbed blind.
I'm not taking any cuts in the budget, it's all for one, and one for all, or you can all go rot in hell.
Perhaps, when Google becomes a global provider with local partners at really attractive rates, security concerns will be overwhelmed by convenience of international connectivity and low running costs.
And never trust storage that isn't in a room you have the keys to
Cloud storage is a stupid idea, it just creates unneccessary extra load on the internet. More importantly, if the cloud storage isn't available for any reason, then you're stuffed! What if you have 100's of your own tv recorded material, will it be deleted because it will get mistaken for pirated material? The idea is to get everything on the cloud, then they'll start charging a monthly or yearly fee to access your own data. It would never be free once established, if you don't get charged for it then you will get barraged by ads (or both!). The only thing it could be possibly good for is as a backup solution to the local content, but only if the user agrees to allowing it.
When the Chrome OS laptops made by Samsung and Acer ship in the U.S. on June 15, they'll work offline and offer file management support that includes Web app handlers. See http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-20062001-12.html for full details.
And meanwhile, I am running ChromeOS on an old, old laptop with quite good results - and with local file storage.
I'm not surrendering my data to anyone's cloud, be it Google or anyone else. Enjoy your Chrome books. I won't be buying or using one of those.