Completely different market. People don't type on an iPad for long periods.
Sure, cheap 1st gen iPads aren't available in infinite supply, but I would bet there are more of them available than Google will sell ChromeBooks.
They only use their laptop at home now, and only when they need to multitask (in which case they often have the iPad sitting on the side as a secondary display of sort) or run medical software that isn't available on the iPad.
Right now though I'd tend to agree with you.
I don't know anyone who watches Big Bang Theory but that show has millions of viewers and has been around for 5 seasons.
I’m not saying whether I agree or not with the OP, but I certainly disagree with your way of having a discussion by not having one.
Also certainly Chromebooks are somewhat puzzling because of their overlap with Android tablets, especially ones like the Asus Transformer to which you can attach a keyboard and have basically the same thing with a slightly different OS that sync your data everywhere anyway.
Having a discussion on how they are different and why both would be useful is an interesting conversation to have, shutting it down with “where’s your data” is stupid.
So, if you want to discuss, provide your reasons why they are useful instead of trying to shut off people with petty arguments.
In my other comment, I said I don't know anybody who watches Big Bang Theory. But I can't make a statement that nobody watches it just because I don't know anyone who does.
No... we can sit here and make predictions.. but the real market data is important, and it isn't pretty.
>"In June 2011, Acer and Samsung launched their Chromebooks ahead of other PC brand vendors, but by the end of July, Acer had reportedly only sold 5,000 units and Samsung was said to have had even lower sales than Acer, according to sources from the PC industry
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20111109PD222.html
That market is really tiny and it doesn't have the buzz factor of the iPad to push sales. Why not just buy a cheap laptop with Windows 7 and run Chrome browser on it instead of hobbling yourself with a Chromebook?
Google does not release Chromebook and Google TV sales numbers, but they do release number of activations for Android. That should tell you that the numbers are not very good.
Given your original parameters, my point still stands. If you're looking for a laptop "replacement" then obviously a "laptop" is going to fulfill that need.
You might say that a current laptop can do this and more. The "and more" part is the issue because it ends up causing the average user more trouble than it's worth; seriously, talk to them. They still have issues with anti-virus software, paranoia about getting a virus, performing updates, anxiety resulting from worrying about what might happen if they do/don't update, resolving issues that result from updates, resolving issues that result from not updating, what to do when when it runs slow, drivers, handling files, dealing with the inevitable mess their system will be in after a year or two of use, etc.
First paragraph - second paragraph + fast boot + good battery life = massive market of potential happy users. Again, I don't know if Chrome OS will succeed but the market's there waiting for something better.
2) JavaScript speed.
When tablets browsers catch up to the desktop on those two things, I'll consider using a tablet for more than just a comic reader (all I use one for now).
It's also a good machine for people that don't know how to use computers. There's so little you can do with them, you can become an expert very quickly. In that sense, it is very much like an iPad, but with Chrome apps and a keyboard instead of iOS apps and a touchscreen. I personally find both unusable, but that doesn't mean they're not good devices.
I have an iPad at work and I absolutely hate it. I also have an iMac at work and I absolutely hate it (typing this on the Windows PC that sits next to the idle iMac).
My personal laptop is a Thinkpad T61 with Xubuntu 12.04 and I love it, except that it's pretty bulky. I used to have an HP netbook and it was a generally positive experience, but the touchpad was terrible.
I am seriously considering a Chromebook (have been for a couple months now) as an ultra-portable machine.
Of course there's on obvious concession I have to make: I'm clearly not "normal". First, I hate OS X (most people love it) and the iPad (most people love it). Second, I don't own a smartphone (most geeks seem to). Third, I spend nearly all my time (when I'm not at work) in a web browser or a terminal emulator so I have no need for "apps" on a Chromebook.
Oh come on. What you're trying to say, if anything, is: "I am a raging Google fanboy".
So: I don't really like my iPad. Am I a raging Google fanboy too? (Hint: I'm not, I don't like the Chromebook and I don't really like Google that much either)
So no, I'm not a fanboy of any kind. I have products and companies that I prefer, but not to the point of fanboy-ism.
Actually, I do own one Mac product that I enjoy quite a bit: I have a Mac Mini plugged into my TV for casual web browsing and Hulu (it's the only device hooked up to the TV in fact).