Need v/s Want

Can a Chromebook be used offline? Most think not, but they’d be wrong. There is an entire suite of offline apps Chrome OS makes use of. We can create a Google Drive document offline and there are quite a few games available.

Let’s also be honest about our internet connection and how they relate to our computers. Setting aside the OS argument, when was the last time you considered a computer useful without an internet connection? If we’re being truthful, most of us will admit we don’t think computers in general have much use when offline. What would we use them for without a connection? Create a document, maybe a presentation, play a few games. All that can be done within Cloud OS.

Gaming is also migrating to the web ever so slightly, so in a few years’ time this won’t be a concern for most. . As the Chromebook Pixel becomes a tool more developers pick up, we can expect more tools to be coming to Chrome OS. Some immediate needs or wants aren’t met right now, and that’s to be expected with a fairly new OS like Chrome.

Figure showing Layers of the current OS and cloud server OS

 

Cloud OS is better with a web connection, but it’s not mandatory. For most people, offline productivity won’t change. If a web connection is something you can’t live without, there is always a 3G or LTE version (Pixel only) of the Chromebook available. It may require a different method of accomplishing things, like using Drive rather than MS Office, but that could end up being beneficial.