Review: Google Chrome OS

IntroductionStop us if you've heard this one before: ultra-cheap, ultra-portable laptops running Linux instead of Windows and using flash storage instead of hard disks. The similarities between Google's Chromebooks and the first wave of netbooks are obvious, but there are important differences too.Processors and batteries are better, delivering decent performance and all-day battery life. We're now more connected, with ubiquitous Wi-Fi and good mobile broadband available in most urban and suburban areas. Also, cloud computing apps can be as good or even better than traditional desktop software. Can Chrome deliver what netbooks promised, and should you consider going Chrome OS in your business?What is Chrome OS?Imagine an operating system that only ran the Chrome web browser. That's Chrome OS. There's a desktop that you can look at but you can't stick files on, a status bar where you can pin your favourite apps, see the clock and check the strength of your Wi-Fi connection, and there's a browser. And that's it. The selling point here is simplicity. By focusing on one thing – web apps – and doing it to the exclusion of all else, Chrome OS can avoid the complexity and bloat of traditional operating systems. It should run well on inexpensive hardware, it should be easy to deploy and to manage, and it should be free from the malware and exploits that plague more complex systems. And in most cases it delivers on those promises – provided, that is, that the software you need works as a web app and that you have reliable internet access.Chrome was originally intended as an online-only operating system, but it soon became clear that this was a problem – especially in places such as rural Britain, where mobile broadband isn't always available and Wi-Fi hotspots are few and far between. Recent versions of the OS have embraced offline access to an extent – for example, Google Docs enables you to work on documents offline and sync once you get back to broadband, Gmail provides most of its features offline and Google Sheets, Slides and Drawings can work offline too. However, third-party apps generally expect a network connection.Another issue you might encounter is that Chrome assumes any connection is a good one – so it'll cheerfully download OS updates in the background even if you're on a very patchy mobile broadband connection, which can slow things down considerably. For example, we're typing this on a poor quality Wi-Fi connection as updates download, and there's noticeable lag between our key presses and the letters appearing on the screen.Apps, omissions and costsChrome's focus on simplicity means that it isn't as flexible as a Windows or Mac laptop. It doesn't care about local networking – there's no native support for Samba or NFS for connection to network shares – and it doesn't include printer drivers, so you'll need a printer that supports Google's Cloud Print service or access to a PC or Mac running the Chrome browser and connected to a non-Cloud Print printer.The built-in PDF viewer can't cope with annotating or annotated PDF files, some key media formats (FLV, AC3, DTS audio) don't work, and we've encountered odd behaviour after software updates.A clearly rattled Microsoft has been running a campaign highlighting Chrome's shortcomings, noting that Chromebooks can't run PC games, Microsoft Office or key programs such as Photoshop or Skype. That's true, and while the lack of PC gaming is hardly a deal-breaker for business or education customers the other omissions may matter to your organisation.Alternative appsThere are alternatives, of course – Google's own Docs app is a decent Word rival, and the free Office Online apps run fine. Web-based image editors such as Adobe's basic Photoshop editor work too. However, in many cases you'll need to substitute a web-based or Google-powered service for a familiar package, so for example instead of Skype you could use Google's own Hangouts. Chrome OS apps come via the Chrome Web Store, where you'll find a range of business apps from invoicing and CRM tools to big hitters such as Salesforce.com. There's a strong US bias to the selection, though, and as with Google Play there are lots of apps of dubious quality. As you might expect the most impressive apps are Google's own.Later this year key Android apps will also come to the platform, but for now apps have to be written specifically for Chrome. If you need to create your own bespoke apps, any standards-compliant web app that works in recent web browsers should work just fine in Chrome.Tablet comparisonsThere are several reasons to consider a Chromebook over a tablet. Not everybody wants to type on glass, and unlike Apple's current iOS you can properly multi-task on Chrome OS. In addition to multiple browser tabs you can open multiple browser windows, and there's a nice snapping feature that enables you to sit two windows side-by-side – so you might edit a document in one window while researching in the other. There's also a small but growing selection of "For your Desktop" apps that run in their own separate windows, delivering a more PC-like experience.There are two other reasons to consider a Chromebook over a tablet. The first is malware – Chrome doesn't suffer from any of the malware currently targeted at Android users. Secondly, there's the issue of price. With the exception of the overpriced Chromebook Pixel, you can buy a good quality Chromebook for less than you'd pay for a good 7-inch tablet and around half the cost of an iPad.Total cost of ownershipLike most tech firms Google promises that its product will make your balance sheet better, and the big promise here is massively reduced total cost of ownership (TCO). Having an OS that's little more than a web browser means training requirements are minimal, security problems should be few and far between and the combined cost of hardware and software should be significantly lower than traditional Windows laptops, let alone more expensive Macs.That's true enough – Chromebooks cost as little as £191 (around $315, AU$340) – but Microsoft is planning to fight back with equally inexpensive Windows laptops that we'll see later this year, and Apple is pushing into the enterprise in partnership with IBM. For now, though, Chromebooks offer unbeatable value for money if you can live with their limitations.VerdictWe likedChrome's learning curve is effectively zero – if you've used a browser, you know how to use Chrome – and it runs very quickly, even on fairly modest hardware. If you're a paid-up fan of cloud-based apps Chrome is a very affordable and elegant way to access them.We dislikedChrome's simplicity means it can't do many of the things you'd expect small laptops to do, and while Google's own apps are very good you may find that key apps you want to use aren't available for the platform. If you're a long-time laptop user you might find the simplicity more restrictive than refreshing.Final verdictIf Steve Jobs was right and PCs are trucks and tablets are cars, where does that leave Chromebooks? We'd suggest that they're like bikes. They're simple, lightweight, nippy and come at a fraction of the price of their rivals, and while you wouldn't want to carry an IKEA wardrobe on one they're fantastic for everyday commuting.Chrome can't replace a mobile video workstation or scientific number cruncher, but it isn't trying to: it's designed to be a thin client for everyday apps, and it does that job admirably. It makes most sense in corporate or educational environments where users only need a handful of essential apps, but it's an excellent low-cost alternative to a tablet or indeed Ultrabook.

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