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anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX

Anon

Microsoft "Bingbook"?

»www.omgchrome.com/micros ··· mebooks/

Really? Microsoft thinks the Chromebook's focus is search? (or is it just a poorly-named potential concept fostered by "sources"? FUD?) Seems kinda off-the-wall to me.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious

Premium Member

Looks like Microsoft is looking to expand Bing beyond simple search.

»bing.com/new

Pretty clear from the first sentence in the article that the answer to your facetious question is "no".

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX

Anon

I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

Just like every other company on the planet, they've got to go where the market is and apparently there's a market for low cost, minimally functional portable devices for casual use.

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX

Anon

As someone who "grew up" using "minimally functional" terminals on Unix and MVS systems, I think you know not of what you speak with regard to functionality (or are you just being facetious? ). Many, if not most, people can now do 90% or more of everything they use a computer for with only a browser.

What I wonder now is whether M$ will rename IE to "Bing!" (Chandler would love this).

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

I'm sorry. I'm talking about current technology and you dredge up Unix and MVS terminals?

You really ARE board today, aren't you?

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX

Anon

No [not bored... well, maybe a little, now--it is Friday, TG]. But you brought up "minimally functional", and nothing is more "minimal" than VT and 3270 terminals. However, the current technology in question has a screen (can be almost full-size for a laptop at 14"), a keyboard (full-size), and a touchpad--all the same functionality of most every other laptop on the planet (and just as GUI). And, really, the whole point of the thing is that little to nothing is actually "in the box" (as M$ was talking about with Bing); the "box" is just the interface (and all boxes are pretty much the same when the only thing that matters is that it's on a network).
Expand your moderator at work

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

3 edits

howardfine

Member

Re: Microsoft "Bingbook"?

said by darcilicious:

merely pointed out that Microsoft is going where they see a market for such portable devices.

And, as usual, it took them far too long to realize what the rest of the world knew many years ago.

Google doesn't manufacture the books or sell the software. Microsoft only makes money by selling the software and hardware. Giving the software away should send a red flag up.

In addition, last time I looked, Bing lost a half a billion dollars every quarter for Microsoft. So, iow, no one uses it.

Microsoft does not compete in search or in mobile. This is either desperation or grasping at straws.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

I don't disagree with any of that

sivran
Vive Vivaldi
Premium Member
join:2003-09-15
Irving, TX

sivran to anonomeX

Premium Member

to anonomeX
Seems to me "Bingbook" is just pure speculation on the part of the source. The story is Microsoft considering offering a "Windows 8.1 with Bing" for free. There's no basis for speculation about "Bingbooks" to compete with Chromebooks.

I might consider taking MS up on it. I have a few XP machines that aren't worth spending the money for a new OS. Depending on what kind of catch there is to this free Windows, it might be a viable alternative to Linux (especially for my dad's) if I want to squeeze another year or two of service out of them.

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

howardfine

Member

said by sivran:

I might consider taking MS up on it. I have a few XP machines that aren't worth spending the money for a new OS.

This is just Microsoft's take on Google's services. So just use Google's stuff. Better search engine, works on any machine anywhere, everything has always been free, and it's available now.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

Unless you're already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem -- then it makes more sense to go with a free OS from them.

And because it's not just about search, that's the point.

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

howardfine

Member

The web is the OS for most people nowadays. That's how Chromebook works. Most people live in the browser so the OS no longer matters for mobile devices like this one. Google services dominate. Microsoft is almost non-existant.
Expand your moderator at work

sivran
Vive Vivaldi
Premium Member
join:2003-09-15
Irving, TX

sivran to howardfine

Premium Member

to howardfine

Re: Microsoft "Bingbook"?

I don't particularly like Chrome OS. Or Chromium. Besides, if I were to install a linux OS, I'd install a linux OS that wasn't shackled to Google.

I think a "free" Windows 8 would definitely be an option worth considering for at least my dad's machine. So long as it allowed me to install Classic Shell, of course.

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

howardfine

Member

So you don't mind being shackled to Microsoft? Or are you going to run a Microsoft OS on a Linux web using Google services?
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to howardfine

Premium Member

to howardfine
What is "chromebook"? I don't use Chrome and never will so is this a part of Chrome browser?

What do you mean by "the web is the OS"? You are referring to the web on cell phones?

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

A chromebook is essentially a laptop that runs Chrome OS.

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_OS

It's much more than the Chrome browser.

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

howardfine to Mele20

Member

to Mele20
Rather than having a desktop and going to the Start button and selecting applications, a user has the browser as their desktop and uses links to do what they want to do. Most users only use their computer to surf the web and read their mail. Writing documents can be done online without any local application. Almost everything you do can be done online without a desktop app. The web has become your OS.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

I agree that ignorant of computers users (and there are lots of them) use a browser to surf and don't do much else. But a browser does not exist outside of an OS so they still have to have a desktop and start buttons (or tiles if on Metro side of Windows 8).

So, I am still not at all clear on what "chromebook" is. It must be for cell phones. How nice it would be if there was a Palm computer still. I had one and LOVED it. One reason I loved it was that it was NOT a cell phone. Cell phones should just be phones and if one wants a tiny computer then those should be available also. But then I am not a ignorant of computers user and I have zero interest in anything from Google (other than a search engine).

sivran
Vive Vivaldi
Premium Member
join:2003-09-15
Irving, TX

sivran

Premium Member

It's hard to be any more clear than darc was.
quote:
A chromebook is essentially a laptop that runs Chrome OS.
That's exactly it. No "essentially" about it. A Chromebook is a laptop that runs Chrome OS.

I bought one for my mom last year. You'd hate it. Hell, I don't even like it. But hey, it was a cheap laptop and I figured it'd put an end to me having to clean up her computer (Chrome OS is linux-based and limited to getting apps from Google Play, like Android)--and it has.

You can apparently compile Chromium OS and install it, but because of its limitations, it's not something I would consider for any computer in my household. A free Windows 8.1 however, I might consider--I'd have to know more about what limitations the free version would have.

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

howardfine to Mele20

Member

to Mele20
Chromebook
quote:
But a browser does not exist outside of an OS so they still have to have a desktop and start buttons (or tiles if on Metro side of Windows 8).
Yes, you still need a base OS to run your stuff but, once you run the browser, there is little need to do anything outside of it. So, to most users, this base OS does not exist and only the browser does. That's why I said, "The browser is the OS" or "The web is the OS".

GlennLouEarl
3 brothers, 1 gone
Premium Member
join:2002-11-17
Richmond, VA

GlennLouEarl to sivran

Premium Member

to sivran
The [relatively] new Chromebook 14 models from HP are very much like the prototypical laptop. I like mine very much--use it more than the Win8 laptop for sure. It's the ultimate portable browser. I still use Firefox Portable as the primary on my desktop though.