Laptop Thoughts: Chrome OS: From the Cloud to the Desktop

"What does Chrome OS -- or any cloud OS -- need to do to go mainstream? I was a little surprised when a Cr-48 -- that new Chrome OS laptop Google has been sending people to test -- showed up on my doorstep last week. I honestly wasn't expecting to get one -- Ryan got gdgt's review unit -- I just applied for one online like everyone else and kept my fingers crossed. I've spent a decent amount of time with it over the past few days (I'm writing this newsletter on it), and so far have some things I like (how easy it is to get setup, how quickly it boots up) and few things I don't like (the horrible trackpad and how awful fonts look)."

An interesting perspective on where Google may be going with this whole Chrome OS (CR-48) thing. Is it really intended for enterprises, or are consumers the target audience? With 60,000 or more CR-48s heading to various places and people, we should soon start seeing more and more reviews. The gdgt article lists some of the things that will be needed for the platform to succeed: price (lower than a netbook); battery life (eight hours would be nice); speed (faster than a netbook); simplicity (easier); support (less hassle please!); connectivity (cheap and ubiquitous). For me personally it won't replace the 'big iron' (or rather, 'big aluminum'), but it'll be a great in-between device for light duty.  Imagine one of these in each room ... I can.