I Expect An “AndroidBook”

June 17th, 2011

Frankly, when I first checked out the prices for the first publicly-available “ChromeBook” (a Google netbook running only the Chrome browser) — I was taken aback — about $500, a little over $400 if you want to forgo 3G and have just WiFi.

The key thing I can’t get my head around — you can purchase a Windows or Linux netbook that does a heck of a lot more than just run a web browser for a similar / cheaper price. So I have no idea why any sane consumer wouldn’t do exactly that. Heck, even an iPad that costs more, that runs iOS can do a heck of a lot more, since in addition to the Chrome browser you have apps, iPod functionality, movies, etc.

The Google standpoint is having only a browser has advantages that outweigh the things you can’t do. No OS means it boots up faster, has no viruses, etc. Well, all of that is true of the iPad and also MacBook Air. And the price you pay is trying to do everything in a web browser. I still don’t know why you wouldn’t just buy a cheaper netbook — delete all the apps except for Chrome — and attempt your absolutist, web-only fantasy that way.

And so a proper Chromebook review by David Pogue echoes my thoughts in a much more credible manner. To sum up, what you give up in terms of functionality isn’t justified by the Chromebook’s high price.

Still, I can see one way the Google Chromebook can be successful. If it were priced accordingly — consider the single-function Kindle which is a hot seller for $100 — $200. Get the Chromebook down to that price, and you got something.

But I’m so down on this concept of a browser-only laptop that if Apple released such a thing I would criticize it just the same. Unless it was an iPod Nano that sold for $149. Because it would still play music with its local storage.

And just to throw more fuel on the fire: note this quote buried in a Network World article concerning Google, Microsoft, and Twitter’s use of HTML5:

(Patrick) Chanezon noted that the recent Google I/O conference saw his company pitching a future based on Android one day, and Chrome the next.

“I think the jury is still out on which version will win, and frankly I don’t know,” Chanezon said, with Maximilien concluding: “So even at Google, the house is divided.”

Which says to me, Google themselves doesn’t know which platform will succeed, and is hedging their bets. That’s not a very good marketing strategy.

But there’s another solution. I predict at some point within the next two years — Google brushes the Chromebook under the rug, and produces an Android netbook instead. They’re already releasing Android tablets. And this “AndroidBook” — will run an Android app called Chrome.