[rdlviper]

Here is a new video that Google posted up regarding their test case-study Jason's Deli who put Chromebooks into the hands of their sales managers:

Looks like it was very successful, and saved them a lot of money!

 

[modder]

Cost saving is the real reason a business should consider a Chromebook, especially if they only use their current PC for web based activities.

 

[Stanley]

Case Study vs Comparison

This is a PR (Public Relations) and/or marketing message. Obviously Google wants to portray its product in the best light, and so they will trumpet the good news of this deli which tested the product. It is a case study and not a comparison study. The difference is important. Many laptops now have the ability to enter information online through WiFi and 3G connectivity. It seems the only advantage it offered over other laptops is that Chrome OS loads much quicker than Windows. That's not a big deal. How about showing us a line-up of 5 other laptops performing the same operations in the field and presenting the advantages which Chrome laptops provide?

 

[6sigma]

How about showing us a line-up of 5 other laptops performing the same operations in the field and presenting the advantages which Chrome laptops provide?

I'm just curious about the value of such a "contest." Clearly, there are "operations" at which certain combinations of operating systems and computers are better suited.

Google has identified a "class" of users that do many - if not all - of their tasks in a browser. This class of users is also often hindered by the management of traditional Windows/Linux PCs. For these users a Chromebook frees them from malware, disk cleanup, defrag, updates, time to set up a new PC with all its options, applications, settings, etc.

I recall a time when engineers checked the results from their brand new electronic calculators with their trusty slide rules. That lasted less than an hour. Smaller, cheaper, faster, lighter and less-management-required prevailed. I suspect it will again for a number of users. Others will prefer alternatives.