With the first Apple iPad coming out in March, many Mac users are in a tablet frenzy. The iPad, starting at $499, offers mobility and a laptop-like device in a price range better suited to desktop Apple users looking for a secondary computer.
But certain limitations mean that the iPad is not for everyone. The Google Chrome OS, coming out on netbooks in the fall, offers an interesting alternative for those who need a secondary computer but can't stand Windows.
Netbooks Run More Applications Than the iPad, and May Provide a Friendlier Interface
Though any review of the Google Chrome OS at this point is only speculation, Google has provided enough information to make an initial comparison. One of the big complaints about iPad is that the tablet, like an iPod Touch or iPhone, will only run Apps approved by Apple, and will not support Flash. If it won't run on an iPhone, it won't run on an iPad, so those who rely on Google Docs for word-processing, for example, are out of luck.
Google Chrome OS, on the other hand, is a web-centric operating system that will debut on netbooks (a smaller version of a laptop with a price range similar to the iPad) in the fall and allows the user to run any web-based applications. Of course, it will play well with the massive Google Suite, and is designed to get users away from their hard drives, instead using applications like Google Docs or Spreadsheets.
Both devices allow for easy synching with a Mac desktop—the iPad will plug into the computer and synch like an iPhone, while using web applications on Google Chrome OS means that documents can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. Google Chrome OS probably won't allow users to download regular applications like a Windows netbook would, but it is well suited as a second machine, with software applications housed on the desktop.
Some Types of Users Will Find a Netbook Easier to Use than an iPad
Apple users have often shied away from purchasing a netbook, despite the lower price, because of the clunky Windows operating system. Some of these same users, however, may not like the iPad/iPhone/iPod interface, even though they love Apple. Google Chrome OS is likely to be more like using a computer than the iPad, with a regular keyboard and an experience centered around familiar web browsing.
The Google Chrome OS setup on a netbook will be friendliest to users who plan to use their secondary computer in locations with a wifi connection (iPad does offer a 3G model starting at $629 + monthly data plan). Since the OS is based on an Internet connection, it won't work well for users who spend most of their time on a train, for example. But it does work well for literal laptop use—the iPad offers a special keyboard dock with a full-sized keyboard, but that only works on a flat surface. Users who need to type a lot will probably prefer a netbook to an iPad.
Google Chrome OS will not be for everyone. Mac users who never liked the Google Suite in the first place are unlikely to jump ship when Chrome OS comes out. Those who need to be able to access the web anywhere will want to shell out some extra cash for a 3G iPad and a data plan. But for many Mac users, Chrome OS on a netbook will be the way to go.
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Judith Faucette - Education Judith graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2006 with an honors Bachelor of Arts degree in History ...
