The sound got terribly distorted after plugging in my headphones when I was watching a video on Hulu.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use the wondrous machine in a while between holidays, starting a new job, etc. However, I have made a tiny bit of progress on the issue of being able to write code with it.
One potential avenue is finding a browser-based "remote desktop connection"-type solution and using the CR-48 to connect one of my other systems. There is an app in the Chrome Store for just such a thing, but I was unable to find a favorable review for it.
An alternative would be to use a some sort of virtual machine hosted in the cloud and accessible through the browser.
Now that I think about it, both of those suggestions basically involve slightly different flavors of the same thing. Hopefully I am getting closer to a solution on this.
--Scott
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Trust Issues
One feature of the CR-48 is that it powers on automatically when you open the lid. Another feature is that it boots up scary fast. When you put both of these together, especially in the morning and before coffee, the experience is quite enough to make one wonder if the system had really been off or merely in sleep mode.
This morning, when it came on so quickly, I had my doubts that I had actually succeeded in turning it off last night, or perhaps the system had tricked me. Where you really off, cr-48?
After due consideration, I think it really was off. Otherwise the battery would have less juice in it than it has. I think.
I'll have to keep an eye on this just to make sure that Google isn't up to their usual shenanigans. It would be just like them to not only make an awesome laptop but to also have it powered by an internal perpetual motion machine.
--Scotticus
This morning, when it came on so quickly, I had my doubts that I had actually succeeded in turning it off last night, or perhaps the system had tricked me. Where you really off, cr-48?
After due consideration, I think it really was off. Otherwise the battery would have less juice in it than it has. I think.
I'll have to keep an eye on this just to make sure that Google isn't up to their usual shenanigans. It would be just like them to not only make an awesome laptop but to also have it powered by an internal perpetual motion machine.
--Scotticus
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Keyboard Key Contrast
I just submitted my first feedback on the CR-48. Here is what I submitted:
"Its very difficult to see the keys unless working in very bright light. Even in moderate light, the letters and symbols are hard to make out.
Also, thanks for sending me this CR-48! It was an awesome, incredible, brilliant, awesome, awesome early Christmas present!!!!1! (I probably would have typed that last bit in all caps, but, well, you know - no caps lock. Hurray for good design decisions saving me from making a fool of myself!)"
I'll let you know if hear anything back from it.
"Its very difficult to see the keys unless working in very bright light. Even in moderate light, the letters and symbols are hard to make out.
Also, thanks for sending me this CR-48! It was an awesome, incredible, brilliant, awesome, awesome early Christmas present!!!!1! (I probably would have typed that last bit in all caps, but, well, you know - no caps lock. Hurray for good design decisions saving me from making a fool of myself!)"
I'll let you know if hear anything back from it.
Day One Observations
Well, the first day with the CR-48 is nearly over and I was able to use it today, but not as much as I would have liked. While at work, I activated the included, free 3g data plan through Verizon. Then I checked email, did a few web searches and created the first entry in this blog. All of that ate through 8 megs of the 100 included in free plan. If I don't pace myself away from home, I'll be burning through those 100 megs a lot sooner than I'd like.
In case you didn't know, you really can't do anything with the CR-48 unless you have a connection to the internet. Really. So, sadly, I guess I won't be using it much at work as I can't connect the laptop to the networks there. *sigh*
Now, on to more pressing issues. My job and a hobby of mine is developing software, but... How the heck to I do that on the CR-48?!? I can't access the local file system to create and edit source code files. And, even if I could, I can't install the compilers/interpreters to execute the code. I suppose this is going to require a bit of research to solve. I'll come back to this another time here, but I expect there are some through-the-web solutions out there that I'm just not aware of.
The other issue that occurred to me today was about games. Specifically, how do I play games on this thing? Computer games are another hobby of mine. The paradigm of the CR-48 is "do everything through the web" and I wasn't expecting to be able to install World of Warcraft or Civilization 5 on it. So that leaves me with games I can play through the browser. Most of those that I am aware of require Flash, which did come installed. However, the hardware on the laptop doesn't seem to be powerful enough to smoothly run the Flash games I've tried so far. I guess I shall have to seek my entertainment through other means.
If anyone has any programming/development suggestions, or game playing ideas, I'd really like to hear about them!
--Scotticus
In case you didn't know, you really can't do anything with the CR-48 unless you have a connection to the internet. Really. So, sadly, I guess I won't be using it much at work as I can't connect the laptop to the networks there. *sigh*
Now, on to more pressing issues. My job and a hobby of mine is developing software, but... How the heck to I do that on the CR-48?!? I can't access the local file system to create and edit source code files. And, even if I could, I can't install the compilers/interpreters to execute the code. I suppose this is going to require a bit of research to solve. I'll come back to this another time here, but I expect there are some through-the-web solutions out there that I'm just not aware of.
The other issue that occurred to me today was about games. Specifically, how do I play games on this thing? Computer games are another hobby of mine. The paradigm of the CR-48 is "do everything through the web" and I wasn't expecting to be able to install World of Warcraft or Civilization 5 on it. So that leaves me with games I can play through the browser. Most of those that I am aware of require Flash, which did come installed. However, the hardware on the laptop doesn't seem to be powerful enough to smoothly run the Flash games I've tried so far. I guess I shall have to seek my entertainment through other means.
If anyone has any programming/development suggestions, or game playing ideas, I'd really like to hear about them!
--Scotticus
Day One - Selected!
I got an early Christmas present yesterday, courtesy of Google!
Waiting on my front porch was a strange box which I had initially assumed contained a present ordered for my in-laws. I set it aside for a while as I took care of other things. Finally, I got around to opening it to see if it was something in need of wrapping. When I opened the outer box and saw the lid of the inner box, resplendent with Rube Goldburg style line drawing involving mouse, mouse helmet, wheel, and jet engines, I immediately knew what it was!
Without email or other form of notification, opening this box was how I found out I had been selected for the Google Chrome OS Notebook Pilot Program!!!!! Stunned, then exuberant, then stunned once more, my excitement was through the roof!
As part of the pilot program, Google had asked that I use it as my primary computer and to throughly kick the tires. I thought that, hey, beyond Facebook and email, what would be a good way to test their wondrous device? A blog! So, I've decided to blog my experiences using it, any bugs I report, changes I suggest, and anything else worth mentioning.
Yes, I do realize that you can probably find 1,000+ reviews of the CR-48 out there. That's not what this is about. I'm going to blog about what its like to live with it over time and how it holds up in real life. Part of it may be "reviewish", but mainly its going to be about living with the system after the review.
What can it do? What can't it do? What could it do better?
Let's find out!
--Scotticus
Waiting on my front porch was a strange box which I had initially assumed contained a present ordered for my in-laws. I set it aside for a while as I took care of other things. Finally, I got around to opening it to see if it was something in need of wrapping. When I opened the outer box and saw the lid of the inner box, resplendent with Rube Goldburg style line drawing involving mouse, mouse helmet, wheel, and jet engines, I immediately knew what it was!
Without email or other form of notification, opening this box was how I found out I had been selected for the Google Chrome OS Notebook Pilot Program!!!!! Stunned, then exuberant, then stunned once more, my excitement was through the roof!
As part of the pilot program, Google had asked that I use it as my primary computer and to throughly kick the tires. I thought that, hey, beyond Facebook and email, what would be a good way to test their wondrous device? A blog! So, I've decided to blog my experiences using it, any bugs I report, changes I suggest, and anything else worth mentioning.
Yes, I do realize that you can probably find 1,000+ reviews of the CR-48 out there. That's not what this is about. I'm going to blog about what its like to live with it over time and how it holds up in real life. Part of it may be "reviewish", but mainly its going to be about living with the system after the review.
What can it do? What can't it do? What could it do better?
Let's find out!
--Scotticus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)