Chromebook

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As Chromebooks mobile to computer referred to as the operating system , the Linux distribution Chrome OS use.

Chromebooks are characterized by the fact that, unlike a classic notebook, application programs run predominantly as applications in the Chrome browser. As a rule, data and settings are not saved locally, but in the Google Cloud and made available online. This means that the devices can be exchanged quickly: when you log in to another device with a personal Google account, all data and settings are synchronized. In order to utilize their full range of functions, Chromebooks depend on a connection to the Google server via internet access. Another essential feature of Chromebooks is that they boot up quickly , as Chrome OS is just a browser in the broadest sense.

The first Chromebooks were offered from June 2011 in the USA, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Germany.

history

Chrome notebook Cr-48 , experimental forerunner of the Chromebooks

The first Chromebook models were produced by the Asian companies Samsung and Acer and optionally offered with UMTS support. The Chromebook from Samsung was delivered with a 12.1 "monitor and a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels, the Acer Chromebook with an 11.6" monitor. Both devices had an HD capable webcam so that video conference services from the US company Google could also be used.

With the exception of a few high-end models, today's models (as of 2018) are equipped with less powerful components such as CPUs and RAM , and the batteries are often permanently installed. The local mass storage devices, often SSDs , are designed much smaller than in notebooks of a similar size because larger amounts of data are stored centrally on servers.

Coreboot is used instead of BIOS / UEFI for fast booting .

In addition to notebooks and Chrome OS devices in the form of will since 2012 desktop computers available, the Chromebox are called.

Every Chromebook has both a Trusted Platform Module and a matching firmware chip. This chip is used to check during the boot process whether the read-write firmware has been signed by Google.

So that you can work on a Chromebook without a permanent Internet connection, Google has developed special “offline” versions of its software (e.g. Google Mail ) for this type of notebook .

For professional use as well as for authorities and educational institutions, Chromebooks are sold directly by Google as combined hardware and software as a service .

Comparison with conventional notebooks

Chromebooks promised a boot time of less than eight seconds including the connection to the Internet when they were introduced. The batteries should offer a runtime of one day. In practice, devices from 2018 boot in around ten seconds, and the battery life is between ten and fourteen hours.

The biggest difference is in the Chrome OS operating system, which is reduced as a system to the Chrome web browser . Applications run as a web application in Chrome, so no software needs to be installed. Updates for the operating system and browser are automatically distributed over the Internet, web apps from providers other than Google are run on their servers. Therefore, it is also unnecessary for the user to update to a new version or install security corrections. Since only web applications are used on the Chromebooks , complex and computationally intensive applications such as cutting videos can be carried out despite the limited hardware, provided that a suitable web service offers this. To do this, however, the user data, e.g. the video, must be uploaded.

criticism

Data protectionists complain that Chromebook users not only lose control of their data, but also of the programs. If an app is withdrawn and a security breach occurs, all users are immediately affected. In addition, a large amount of user data is transferred to Google. This is also the case with devices for educational institutions sold by Google as part of a service contract. Other operating systems cannot be installed without further ado, since the boot process of the devices cannot be modified. Modifying the operating system to install Linux on the Chromebook works through the operating system's developer settings. The fact that Google Chrome OS is a Gentoo Linux derivative helps here .

Chromebook success and sales

Until the end of 2012, the situation for Google and the manufacturers looked disappointing. Samsung and Acer sold well under 200,000 Chromebooks worldwide. Acer was considering stopping the production of Chromebooks; previous interested parties such as Asus and HTC wanted to do without the operating system completely for the time being.

In 2013, the Chromebook business in the USA grew significantly. In particular, Chromebooks were able to achieve a 10% share of the total market in company acquisitions. In the third quarter of 2014, sales of Chromebooks to US educational institutions exceeded those of iPads for the first time, at 715,000 units . In January 2015, Acer first announced a Chromebook with a 15.6-inch Full HD display.

Interaction with Android

At the Google I / O 2016 it was announced that Android apps can be run on Chrome OS in the future, and thus also on Chromebooks. The first Chromebooks will be able to download apps from the Play Store from June 2016 . Other devices are to follow by December 2016, and Google has published a list of supported devices.

Web links

Commons : Chromebooks  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Chromebook  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. http://www.golem.de/news/bios-alternative-google-unterstuetzt-coreboot-fuer-weiteres-chromebook-1302-97536.html Golem: Google supports Coreboot for another Chromebook
  2. Michael Larabel : Many FSF Priority Projects Still Not Progressing . Phoronix . April 22, 2012. Accessed December 29, 2014: “ The success out of Coreboot recently is Google providing Sandy / Ivy Bridge support for Coreboot. Google's planning to begin shipping new Intel "Chromebooks" that will use Coreboot. Google likes Coreboot for the faster start-up time, among other benefits. "
  3. Benjamin Weiss: Google briefly shows the Samsung Chromebox. May 11, 2011, accessed May 14, 2011 .
  4. ^ Chromebook security: browsing more securely. Retrieved August 5, 2011 .
  5. Firmware Verified Boot Crypto Specification. Retrieved August 5, 2011 .
  6. Google Chromebooks - Business & Education costs. Google.com , August 1, 2011, accessed October 31, 2011 .
  7. Google is now hunting Microsoft. Die Welt , May 13, 2011, accessed on May 14, 2011 .
  8. Google promises laptop without a headache. May 12, 2011, archived from the original on May 15, 2011 ; Retrieved May 14, 2011 .
  9. https://www.eff.org/press/releases/google-deceptively-tracks-students-internet-browsing-eff-says-complaint-federal-trade
  10. Notebook à la Google. Die Zeit , p. 2 , accessed on May 14, 2011 .
  11. http://chromebookblog.de/ubuntu-auf-dem-chromebook-installieren/
  12. Chromebooks: Acer uncertain, ASUS & HTC do without it. Retrieved October 16, 2012 .
  13. heise online: Chromebooks are catching up a lot in 2013
  14. heise online: Chromebooks overtake iPads in US schools
  15. heise online: Chromebook with 15-inch display
  16. Chrome OS Systems Supporting Android Apps. Retrieved February 3, 2019 .