The Cr48 Notebook: A Note on Hardware

From Mr. Blurrycam, with love.

Who took this crappy shot?

OK, so I'm using Starbuck's free WiFi, and the lighting is a bit too taxing for my poor, OG Droid without using the flash. I'll take a money shot with a real camera and replace the above in a while, but just deal with it for now.

There she is; the famed, Cr48 notebook from Google. As a beta tester, I'm supposed to focus solely on the software. The notebook (don't call it a netbook, I hear; though it's far more netbook than any other netbook) is just reference hardware, thus unimportant for any real review.

All right, Google; I'll focus on the OS.

Next post. For now, though, I'm going to focus on the irrelevant hardware. I can't help it; it's just so striking. If they wanted me to ignore the hardware, they ought to have shoved Chrome OS into a Eee PC. Glossy, small screen, generic; easy to ignore. Not this.

For starters, the entire, 12.1" affair is completely covered in soft touch black. Owners of an OG Droid know what I'm talking about, here. It screams quality functionality with no gimmicks. Speaking of no gimmicks, there is zero branding on the outside of the device. No "with Google," no giant, lit up logo on the lid to advertise to other coffee aficionados; the lid is simply the top of the unit. Once you flip said lid, you're greeted by a full size, chicklet keyboard (with all the letters in lowercase) and a multitouch clickpad which, thankfully, will pinch-to-zoom in Google Maps. The 16:9, 1280x800 screen is matte (no glare-inducing, studio gloss here) and topped by a webcam and light sensor.

Sorry, Starbucks folks; time to whip out the flash. Let's get some clearer pics, shall we?

Rear

Side (Ports are USB, 3.5mm headphone, and power.)

Closed

Full Montey

They're still not stellar shots, I know, but the Droid's flash is a fairly weak, LED setup. I would do some nicer shots with my Sony, but the Cr48 doesn't yet read from external media (edit: it can, but it's a bit cumbersome; I'll explain in my next post on the OS itself).

As you can see, it's a very plain device. I'm afraid the above shots, though, don't nearly do it justice. In person, it really is a very classy, handsome machine. The understated, fingerprint resistant (though by no means immune), soft touch surface coupled with the matte screen and the lack of any branding whatsoever just feels so, well, grown up. I think I will get some better shots with my Sony; you really have to see this thing to appreciate it. Compared to the aforementioned Eee PC netbook, the ASUS looks like a Toys R Us mock up for kids to play at working on a computer; just like Daddy!

See what I mean?

The Cr48 is your daddy, Eee.

Google is very close with the exact specs, because the hardware isn't really supposed to matter. Well, it does, so here are some specifics I got off of the ol' intertubes:

Processor: Intel Atom Processor N455 1.66GHz 512K Cache

Chipset: Intel CG82NM10 PCH
Motherboard: Tripod Motherboard MARIO – 6050A240910 – MB – A03
Ram: Hynix 2GB DDR3 1Rx8 PC3 – 10600S Ram
Read Only Memory: ITE IT8500E Flash ROM
SSD Drive: SanDisk sdsa4dh-016G 16GB SATA SSD
Wireless Wan: Qualcomm Gobi2000 PCI Express Mini Card
3G Adapter: AzureWave 802.11 a/b/g/n PCI-E Half MiniCard
Bluetooth: Atheros AR5BBU12 Bluetooth V2.1 EDR


So, we're looking at a 1.66GHz, 2GB RAM, 16GB SSD netbook with a 12.1" screen, webcam, b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 3G modem (CDMA, Verizon only, I believe). There's also an SDHC expansion slot, but it's not readable by Chrome OS, yet (planned for a future update). Not too shabby. This would be about a $300-400 netbook, if sold commercially.


As this is reference hardware, I really hope companies refer to it when designing their own Chrome OS netbooks. Samsung and Acer ought to have some out later this year, followed by the rest of the gang of usual suspects. I really do hope they stick with the form factor of the Cr48. 12.1" is so much nicer than 10.1" (I won't even mention 7"; come on, it's not a tablet), and the businesslike nature of the zero branding, soft touch dressing, and matte screen are a welcome change in today's ad-blitz, colour craze, gloss screen and plastic world.


We'll light on the OS in due course, but for now I'll say this: the Cr48 hardware is almost perfect. Add in another USB port and an HDMI output and you can kick out the "almost."

Chrome OS - What's the Point?

On the heels of my new, Cr48 notebook (thanks, Santa Google!), I'd like to post some of my impressions. But first-

We need to talk.

I know we've been in a relationship for some time now. It's not that I'm uncomfortable in it, it's that I'm . . . too comfortable. Things have gotten stale. And, let's face it, you're not who you were when we started this journey. You've gotten a lot, well, bigger; kind of bloated and slow. To be candid, you've lost your appeal. Oh, sure, there are a lot of tasks you do for me; but do I really need them done anymore? I just want to use you and have fun with you. If I wanted work, I'd go to work!

I need someone younger, slimmer, and who doesn't take forever to warm up. I want someone who instantly turns on, and is ready to go the moment I am. Someone I can share with friends without having to risk getting a virus.

I'm sorry, Windows, but we're just not right for each other anymore. I know you'll find someone (maybe OSX?). Sure, you're old and bloated; but there are people out there who need a workhorse. I need a racehorse.

I'm leaving you for Chrome OS.

What is Chrome OS?

Have you used Google's Chrome browser? Then you've basically used Chrome OS. Haven't used Chrome browser? Do it!!! Seriously. Click the clicky, be free from Internet Explorer, Safari, or whichever other, inferior browser you've been on.

But why a browser? Don't I already have a browser, and much more besides on my current rig? Yes, you do. And that, according to Google, is the problem.

Desktop operating systems are designed to do a lot. From terminal coding to CAD, photo editing, and 3D rendering. Games, graphics, internet, music, storage; they do it all. Whether you use Win7, OSX, or a Linux distro, you have computing power the ENIAC builders could only have dreamed about. There are all kinds of things your computer has the power to let you do. The question is: do you?

What do you use your computer for? If you're like me, you use it for internet browsing and research, word processing, music and video playback, email, light photo editing, messaging, texting (GVoice = heart + tear), day planner, and smartphone interaction, among other things. I don't burn CDs or watch DVDs on it, anymore (sooo 1999). I don't really use any dedicated, processor intensive programs. I don't game on it anymore (WoW and WifE seldom go hand in hand). In short, I don't use my computer to its potential.

So what? Better more horsepower than less, right? Not so fast, turbo. This isn't necessarily a case of power unused, but of features unused. Take, for instance, my Cr48 Chrome OS notebook. Like a netbook, it runs a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor with 2GB of RAM and an SSD drive. Same horsepower. What it doesn't have, however, is an OS that was designed for auto-CAD, coding, custom software, etc. Think of it like the GT car version to the Win7 production car.

Basically, this:

versus this:

The top WRX is fast, fun, and still stores your stuff, carries your friends, plays your music, etc. The bottom WRX has the same base engine and chassis, but is stripped down to the bare minimum so that there's little between you and the driving experience.

And that's Chrome OS. It's a barebones, internet interface. Everything is done in the cloud. Word processing? Google Docs. Music playing? Pandora. Photo editing? Picasa and Picnik. Gaming? Onlive. Honestly, there's little that I do that can't be done in the browser. Chrome OS is light, agile, and quick. It does a lot with a little (who would purchase a 1.66GHz Atom for a main computer these days?).

The real question is: does it work? That's what I intend to find out. Over the next few weeks and months, I'll slog the heck out of my little Cr48 and report back.

Let the beta testing begin!