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5 Reasons I Hate Google Chrome OS

Created By: Sean Lind Posted in: Positively Nerd Street, Poker Gadgets and Technology
2010 Jan 14
google chrome ss2

In case you haven’t heard (really?), Google has re-invented the wheel, and is gearing up to release their brand new Operating System.

Until this year (it’ll like be released in the second half of 2010), there have been three choices for operating systems:

 

  • Windows (PC)
  • OSX (Mac)
  • Linux (Geek)

Yes there are hundreds of different flavors and versions, but there really are only three main OS’s being used by any sort of numbers.

That is until Google announced they’re going to change the world with Chrome OS. Since it’s not out yet, it’s not possible to tell you everything about it, but we already know a lot. Here are the facts:

 

  • Open source, this means it’s free.
  • Is built to run on specific hardware with no local data storage.
  • Requires the internet to function.
  • No programs are installed locally; all applications used must be Web Apps.
  • There are no program updates, patches or viruses, since nothing is actually stored on your computer.
  • You can never “lose” data, since it’s always stored on Google’s servers.

Well, instead of writing out all the facts about Chrome, just watch their video:

Here’s a video showing an early “concept” version of Chrome. The actual version is planned to look and function almost exactly like you see here.

So now you know what Chrome OS is. Here’s why I hate it:

5) Privacy

I just had a huge argument with a good friend of mine about this issue. The problem I have is this: Once you’re using Chrome OS, Google now has access to, indexes and stores everything you do in your life. This means they have 100% full access to:

 

  • Your email
  • Your documents
  • Everything you ever search or do on the web
  • Every conversation you ever have with any other person online
  • All Personal information you put online
  • Phone calls (assuming you start using Google’s phone services)
  • All images you have or view
  • Every video you ever search for, or look at online

Now to me, this seems like a gross violation of privacy. My friend’s argument is that even if you don’t use Chrome OS, the same stuff is already happening to you.

Go read the privacy agreement you accepted with Facebook, you’ve given them access to everything but your second born … your first born belongs to them.

Lots of programs you have installed already have the ability to scan every file and process on your computer and send back the information to the owners of the product.

So his argument is “You’re already screwed, so why not get screwed while using a product that actually works?”

My argument is this: Other companies are being sneaky, or are outright stealing information on you. With Chrome OS, you’re offering to give it all to them. Seems like lying down without a fight.

There have been many claims and theories about Google having a connection with the FBI, CIA or other government agencies, but as of yet it has never been confirmed as fact.

Who knows, maybe Google saves records of everything you ever do on your computer just for fun (they say it’s for targeting specific advertising to specific users).

4) Auto Updating

Although some people call this a perk, the fact that since every program you’re using is a web app means you never have to update any program, ever. Once there’s an update the program will be updated. You’ll never have to actually do anything yourself.

Unfortunately, this isn’t really a good thing. Not every update makes a program better; in fact some updates make programs significantly worse. But most of all, I don’t like the idea that absolutely everything I do on my computer is out of my control.

If they decide they don’t like your favorite web app and remove it, too bad, it’s gone. Although this may never actually be a problem it still bugs me.

It’s like when I yell at my roommate when he puts my chef knife in the sink. I’ve never cut off my fingertip before, but just knowing that it could happen upsets me.

google chrome ss2

3) Forced Google Gears Monopoly

The world erupted in a cry of “monopoly” and “un-ethical business practices” when Microsoft first packaged Internet Explorer with Windows.

They said that it created a monopoly, and killed the business of any other browser, such as Netscape (which was kind of big back in those days).

Now with Google OS, you literally cannot use any browser other than Chrome. You can’t use any word processor other than Google docs (until someone else builds a web-based office suite). In fact, at this point, you can’t do ANYTHING on your computer, unless it’s made by Google.

Not only is this about 18 million times worse than what Microsoft did, no one’s putting up any resistance.

Sure, Chrome OS is free, so it’s hard to say that anything it does is un-ethical, but let’s be serious. If no one who purchases a Chrome OS Netbook has the ability to use any browser other than chrome, that seems like the definition of a monopoly.

Finally, Chrome doesn’t even work for some web pages. About 10% of the work I do on the internet is incompatible with Chrome. As much as I like the browser (yes I’m a hypocrite), I can’t function online if it’s my only choice. Yes, these incompatibilities are a result of poorly written code, and web pages using non-standard compliant functions.

City roads aren't supposed to have potholes either, but that doesn't mean you should build a car without struts. I wish everyone who wrote web pages did it correctly, but until that wish comes true, I need access to a browser that actually works.

2) No Local Files

It seems really nice that you never have to backup your data, can never lose data, and any computer you ever sit at (using Chrome OS or the Google web apps) will have access to all of your data.

Seems really convenient right?

Here are the problems:

 

  • The hundreds or thousands of songs you’ve downloaded (and paid for, obviously), are no longer of any use to you. You can’t store them on your computer. To use them you need to carry an external hard drive, and you have to find a web app which will read that HD and play the songs.

    As of right now, I don’t know of any such app.

  • Every video you have, same problem you’ll have with music. There’s no such thing as an in-browser VLC media player.
  • Also, if you can’t store local files, it’s no longer possible to have a database on your computer. This means no more poker hand databases, or player notes.

1) No Local Programs

It’s not really important that you can’t store a local database of poker hands, since you can no longer install any programs. This means a couple of things for us poker players:

 

  • You can only play on sites which offer in-browser online play.
  • It’s impossible to use Poker Tracker, Hold’em Manager or any other poker database/HUD/stats tool.
  • You can’t save player notes on any site which stores these notes on your local drive. As far as I know, all poker sites operate this way.

Even away from the poker world, no local programs means: No local games (shut down your COD:MW2 or WOW account), Photoshop, Video Editing, Winamp, iTunes (ohh yeah, you can’t update your iPod or iPhone anymore), Skype, Outlook, Thunderbird… basically everything you use on your computer every day, well you can’t anymore.

Unless the only things you ever do on your computer are: Email (online email only), Internet browsing and occasional word processing (you must have constant, reliable, internet connection) then Chrome OS is not for you.

In short, Chrome OS is probably the perfect operating system for your grandmother, or your step mother who has never turned on a computer before. But for anyone who uses a computer, plays games, or more importantly plays online poker, stay far away.

Before I sign off, I do want to mention that I absolutely love the idea of Google Chrome OS. It's a huge step forward in how we believe computers should function, and it truly has the ability to change the world via the technology we use every day. I'm glad they came out with it, as I believe it's the first step towards a rather awesome future of technology.

Unfortunately, these first steps are almost certain to include a stumble or two. Until everything we do on a computer embraces the idea of constant connectivity, and 3rd party data management, Chrome OS will never be the best OS choice for the serious computer user.

-Lind

Comments

23

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  1. gigi

    2012-02-03

    why don't you just shut the ****up! I can't find a thing..
    I know you control us but you suck!

  2. Joe

    2011-07-28

    You're reasons you hate Google OS are garbage.
    5 was: I don’t care if people steal from me, just don’t tell me about it. I don’t like an honest thief.
    4 was: I don’t want my programs to auto-update, on the off chance they don’t work (by the way, I’m about to tell you that there are no programs, and that nothing that updates is useful. But I still don’t want them to update).
    3 was: Google monopoly. Yea sure is, if you buy one of the TWO netbooks that run it, or you go get it for FREE. They have a real strangle-hold……. Look up what a monopoly is.
    1 &2 were the same complaint. Nothing Local, which would be bad. IF THAT WASN’T THE POINT.
    If you wanted Google OS to catch up to the abilities of 2-3 decade old operating systems, on its launch, then yea you hate it. What a fail list.

  3. Chris

    2011-04-05

    Chrome is the best browser. DIE IE DIE. I'm tired of writing alternatives for that stupid browser. these are terrible reasons to hate google chrome. fail overall.

  4. No thanks

    2011-03-04

    This would be great on a netbook honestly. My boyfriend has to spend near two hours commuting on a bus. Having an OS like this would definitely help his small netbook run more smoothly. Right now it's so sluggish. This would be great even for someone like my dad who only uses a pc to surf the net, and skype. Plus this might even prevent him from infecting his PC since he tends to download programs to help speed up the PC, to clean up registry etc... I've told him to not touch his new pc at all :P We'll see how long that lasts

  5. FKhyber

    2010-10-25

    Sounds complicated and dizzy especially with the viewer comments, but it more depends on your working situation, if you are involving with Internet a lot i think it is good to use it and if you are not using internet much more like we don't use it in our country (Afghanistan) because we don't have it, it would be to our benefit to stay with windows ... but i like the idea.

  6. Aspie

    2010-10-06

    Um, Google Chrome is not an OS, it's a web browser...

    I only use Mozilla Firefox, it's the best and has the best security, and way better becuase it's more user friendly.

  7. Stephen Miller

    2010-08-17

    Can I clear up just a couple of your 5 gripes?
    5) if you're worried about your privacy go to the Google dashboard in your settings and set all your settings to as private as posible, this means that although Google have your data (as any email provider would have) they cannot use or disclose any of it for any reason other than you're a pedophille.
    4) Don't be an idiot
    3)Chrome OS is open source!!! there are independant developers working on their own versions without any of the Google branding, and people can CHOOSE to use chrome OS whereas everybody uses Windows so Microsoft were worse in that respect
    2)www.psonar.com/ what you do is download the uploader on your Windows device and it scans your hard drives for music or you can specify a folder. that done all of your music is now available in your browser in your own media player. there's also Grooveshark and you could probably use things like Vimeo or whatever you like for videos but I confess to not knowing exactly how the playback video function will work.
    1)try Aviary.com, it's not perfect but it is a very good imitation of an online version of Photoshop, there's a very good photo editor with more features than any other web based editing app. Also a video editing appp, Music editing app and some other stuff.
    Update your ipod on Psonar.com with drag and drop which issomething you can't even do in itunes. Microsoft office live is now up with 25gb storage. Chrome OS also supportsa small hard drive so that if you are using, for example, google docs and you lose wifi for whatever reason, your work is still stored and you can keep working and it syncs automaticallty when the signal is regained.
    COD and WOW gamers will not be ditching their quad core rigs for this so that's a stupid comment, hardcore gamers might take one of these out when they go to starbucks though.
    i will be using the docs and calendarand email and all that for my university lectures as a way of keeping all my notes in check and using it more as a big pda than anything and I suggest that's all it's intended for



  8. Ashish Kalmegh

    2010-06-14

    Your thinking is good !!
    But one advice if you want to use windows as well as Chrome OS then partition the HDD and install chrome on new part or use virtual machine.

    And in term of privacy.We are using Google from more than 4 years. In this time we have already given Google so much data of ours knowingly or unknowingly that CIA and other agencies would need to catch any culprit.

  9. John, Seattle

    2010-06-14

    I just loaded the Chrome browser and hate it.

    The font is terrible on my eyes. I went to some of my favorite web sites and the colors are muted and the font very similar but off just a bit.

    I found an option to adjust fonts "Serif font, San-Serif font and Fixed-width font" with no explanation as to what each font was for but it made no difference, what ever I changed nothing on the web pages I was viewing changed.

    I love intuitive and Chrome seems to be far from intuitive.

    Also, I hate the bookmarks. IE lists all the bookmark folders first and but Chrome lists it all alphabetically with folders mixed in with individual web sites. Yes I can go through and manually adjust it all but I have thousands and thousands of sites bookmarked with hundreds of main folders and even more sub folders. Why should I have to go through it all manually?

    Sorry Google but I hate the Chrome browser.


  10. Name

    2010-04-25

    While Chrome OS will not be usable now, Google is doing a lot of work to make it better. They've run Quake 2 in browser using Chrome OS, and there are services like Grooveshark. A lot of things need to change for Chrome OS to really work though.

  11. R P

    2010-03-05

    Google is not doing anything cool. They really are just putting candy in your faces. Google is trying to take over everything, so f*** their cute little OS. It belongs in the dumpster, just like the rest of their "services". Once again, that was F*** Google!! I hate you all.

  12. John, Sweden

    2010-01-24

    I think that Chrome OS will be perfect for most computer users. Since you can't install programs, you can't install viruses either. Security will be great since web apps are isolated from each other.

    I think chrome os will just be one of many similar light weight operating systems. If you don't like Chrome OS, rewrite the open source code and create Firefox OS etc

  13. Sean Lind

    2010-01-20

    McLaughlin,

    Everything you just said is true, the difference is this:
    On your personal PC, you have the ability to:
    *Use Outlook on a private exchange srever
    *Use local Word, rather than google docs
    *User firefox on a non-creepy search engine
    *use skype for all online convos (Skype is true P2P, your conversations aren't filtered and logged through their server, plus it's encrypted on the fly)
    *Personal information put online is always online
    *Don't use google's phone service
    *Keep all images local, or on your own webpage with a no-access robots.txt
    *don't use youtube.


    I'm not saying these are better options, I'm just saying that you actually have the choice. Use Chrome OS, and you lose the ability to choose at all.

    Then again, lots of sites and programs scan and index your whole computer anyways, so even if you do do all of these, people can still have your information.

  14. b0ll0cks

    2010-01-20

    Cool concept for an operating system, yet the privacy issue really does make you think twice about this O.S. It really is sad that people are no longer concerned with privacy issues. Although you may not have anything to hide, what about discrimination issues, based on religious views, sexual orientation, and even computer interests such as internet security. If anyone was looking into your personal data, you might be surprised at how it could be judged by a potential employer, or even law enforcement agency. Remember we live in the age of terror alerts and paranoia. I could see some uses for this product, but using it as your main O.S. probably wouldn't be a great idea.

  15. McLaughlin

    2010-01-20

    Looking at #5, they already do have access to
    * Your email (gmail posts advertisements related to your email topics)
    * Your documents (on GoogleDocs)
    * Everything you ever search or do on the web (already offer your previous search results when you start typing)
    * Every conversation you ever have with any other person online (FB and twitter are indexed, as are most other social media tools)
    * All Personal information you put online (already do, Google your own name and see how bad you look)
    * Phone calls (don't know anything about this one but had to leave it in)
    * All images you have or view (flikr is indexed)
    * Every video you ever search for, or look at online (at places like YouTube?)

  16. John G

    2010-01-20

    I am a huge nerd beep boop

  17. Wetchman

    2010-01-18

    The easy solution is to not use it. Your concerns are then mitigated.

  18. Sean Lind

    2010-01-18

    Reporter:

    1. Yes, it's designed for mostly netbooks. So if the only thing you ever do on a computer is tweet and look up movie times, then I guess you'll be fine. PS. Your iPhone or Blackberry already does this.

    2. It's a good thing the OS is free, because now we have to pay for 3g data plans as well. That might not be a problem in the US, but for the rest of the world, even Canada, the prices for data plans are outrageous.

    Not only that, but 3g coverage isn't nearly as comprehensive as we would like... hell regular cell coverage isn't.

    3. So you now need two computers, because you can't work on your 100-page thesis. So anytime you want to do work, you need to be at home on your desktop... or on your second computer.

    I see how buying 2 computers is clearly more efficient than waiting 20 seconds for a windows or Mac notebook to boot.

  19. horst

    2010-01-18

    it is very unsettling, that most people don't care about their privacy.

    it's bad enough that there's no real public resistance against the violations of civil liberties occurring on a regular basis under the pretense of national security.

    i think it's even worse if people knowingly and willingly forfeit their most basic rights for mere entertainment and convenience purposes.

    and for everyone who thinks he's got nothing to hide or that it wouldn't make a difference:
    you are not an individual because of the things you share with other people, but because of the things you keep to yourself

  20. Reporter

    2010-01-16

    I think you have a lot of wrong assumptions on chrome OS

    1. it is designed to use as a light laptop. That is, you are not going to do heavy stuff like Photoshop or your nasty poker calculation.

    2. No Internet connection? The connection won't be just limit to wifi. There is 3G everywhere~~

    3. No local Programs? Frankly, most of us won't work on a 100-pages thesis in a coffee shop. Most of us don't need to use heavy program when away from home. What most of us will do is to surf on the web(reading news, twittering, facebooking, checking cinema schedule...) So, we need to fast startup "thing" that brings us up to the internet. Personally, I hate windows, which the startup time takes at least 1-2mins and another 1-2 mins to get login and online (like forever when you are in a hurry), and which a lot of program and browser crashing.

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