This was due mostly to my schedule for the day, although my inclination to try and understand technology thoroughly also slowed down my adoption of a Chrome lifestyle. One advantage I have with the Chrome Notebook over many other internet users is that I'm familiar with the Chrome browser experience since it's been my main browser for over a year. If my main browser prior to receiving the Cr-48 had been Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari, I'd probably be immersing myself in the Chrome Notebook pilot program even more slowly, just because I'd want to learn all about Chrome.
If someone is considering switching to a Chrome Notebook, they should immediately start using Chrome as their main browser if it's not already their main door to the internet. This applies to home computer users, business users, students, teachers and anyone else who might switch to a Chrome OS machine in 2011. Already being familiar with the Chrome browser will give you a good head start on making Chrome OS your home away from home.
Day 2 started out with a breakfast meeting that doesn't have wifi available and does not involve the use of laptop or desktop computers. An occasional smartphone shows itself at the meeting, but very infrequently. However, one of the meeting participants is quite tech savvy, so I took the Cr-48 for him to look at if he was interested in doing so. He was interested, and after the meeting we spent fifteen minutes talking about and looking at the notebook. I told him he could borrow it sometime if he wants to get a feel for the Chrome OS experience.
The next three hours were spent finishing a job that needed to be done as quickly as possible. Document formatting and work-to-date on the project dictated that the job be completed on my Acer Timeline laptop, so opportunities to use or learn more about the Cr-48 were quite limited in the morning of Day 2.
The Chrome Notebook was taken along to lunch at Antojitos Mexicanos in Appleton, Wisconsin, a restaurant that normally has wifi. Unfortunately their wifi was down, and I was unable to do too much on the notebook without internet access. I haven't activated cellular access yet -- with only 100 MB/month free activity available on the Verizon service, I want to get comfortable with all the features and apps whilst I'm on 'unlimited free' wifi internet. The cellular 'net access will likely be activated this weekend. Since there wasn't much else to do on the notebook without internet access, I poked at Chrome OS settings and system info that's easily reachable just below the surface of the browser interface. Stuff like the Command Line info in 'About Chrome OS / More Info.'
Spent a couple hours in the afternoon looking at the apps available in the Chrome Web Store and installing ones I plan to experiment with in the next few days. Need to do some poking and online searching to figure out if I can rearrange the app icon layout. If the layout is determined strictly by the order of installation, I can just figure out what layout I want, delete all the currently installed apps, then re-install in the right order to give the layout that will work best for me. The installed apps that currently show up on my New Tab (home page?) are:
- Gmail
- Picnik Photo
- Google Docs
- Blogger
- Aviary Advanced Image Editor
- Google Books
- Grooveshark
- Pandora
- Weather Underground
- Evernote Web
- Fiabee
- Weebly Website Builder
- Quick Note
- Sketchpad
- Google Maps
- Youtube
- Scratchpad
The Chrome OS pilot program notebook came along to my ABC / TechAdvised evening meeting with Andy M, the founder of B.R.I.T., a provider of technology services to small businesses in Appleton and the Fox Valley of northeast Wisconsin. We meet weekly for a three hour one-on-one work/discussion session in which we explore a wide range of tech entrepreneurism topics that may have some relevance to us or which may provide new revenue stream opportunities for us. Andy agreed that for certain types of computer users, the Cr-48 would be an ideal portable computer. However, it wouldn't meet his needs for using LogMeIn, for doing large scale CAD drawings or for building websites. We discussed a number of development or innovation opportunities for me to focus on during my time in the Chrome OS pilot program. Those innovation opportunities will be the subject of future blog posts.
Day 2 is now over; Day 3 is looming. Three meetings in the morning and early afternoon, and a holiday dinner party, so it's looking like Day 4 will be the day for making major progress up the Chrome Notebook learning curve...
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