Chrome in a Box; The Cr48

The Cr48 is the first laptop that is running Google's Chrome Operating System, also known as Chrome OS. The CR48 is not available for the public to purchase yet, but is being given out to selected users by Google to help test. I was lucky enough to receive one of the limited test units from Google for free. This is my initial review of the CR48 after using it for 3 solid weeks now.
I filled out an application right after the Google Chrome OS event, and forgot about it. Then one day at home an unmarked package arrived for me, and I was very confused. Once I opened the package there was a box inside with my Cr48 inside of it. Very simple packaging for a simple laptop and just a card from Google with some quick explanations on the Chrome OS.

The Cr48 is a slick looking all black laptop with no logos on it, its completely unmarked. I quickly opened it and it automatically turned on with in seconds! Can I say that again, it turned on in seconds! The first time it is turned on you are brought into the initial setup, which I unfortunately ran into a small problem. My house wifi is secured with a password and when you first open the device for initial setup you need to sign into your Google account. I could not do this because I could not get onto my network without putting in my password. So instead I needed to sign into the guest account to then set up my network password then sign out of the guest account and then fill in my Google account information. I assume since Chrome OS is still in beta and that the Cr48 is a test device that this small bug will be fixed before they go into full production.

Once I got my network password entered I went in and signed in with my Google account and it automatically asked to take a picture of my via the built in web cam for my account picture. Now when ever I turn on my computer and sign into my Google account I see a nice picture of me showing me its my account. When you sign on you will be very familiar if you are a Google Chrome user already because that is all you will have, and all your bookmarks are automatically pulled into your Cr48.

Browsing the internet and loading videos over wifi is amazingly fast. The speed should really be no surprise since web browsing is all this computer does. There are no programs running in the background, since chrome is all it runs. It does one things and it does it well, because the C448 was designed for the web.

The Cr48 was not just designed for the web because Chrome OS, is all that runs on it. Google went beyond the operating system to optimize the Cr48 for web browsing. A great innovative change that Google did for the Cr48 is that they changed the keyboard! Do not worry though all the typing keys are in their usual positions. But one key that may surprise you is the caps lock key...its actually missing!The button is still there but its is not caps lock button anymore its now has a search icon on it. This is by far one of the greatest changes Google has made! I really hate the caps lock button because I never need it and it is always getting in the way. I always accidentally hit it and type a whole sentence or more in caps lock then have to go back and erase the whole things so I can lowercase it. With it a search button now, it actually becomes useful and not a wasted key. How it works is when pressed it automatically opens a new tab so you can instantly start searching google!

The caps lock key is not the only key that Google changed. At the top of the Keyboard Google changed all the f numbered keys to keys that will actually help with browsing. For example the first to keys are a back and forward button so you can quickly jump back and forward web pages. The next is a refresh button, to quickly refresh a web page you are viewing. Next is a full screen button to quickly and easily change to full screen viewing/ I like full screen for reading the new york times. The last web page optimized key is a change window key. Say you open so many tabs things are getting crazy. You can open another Chrome window for a whole new set of tabs. I think of this kind of like a new workspace in OSX or a new desktop in Linux. Then you just tap the change window key and you can easily and quickly switch between windows.

The Google Cr48 is a great laptop to have gotten for free from Google, and I love using it. I do how ever think to myself that if I paid money for it I may not like it as much. I mean all it really does is surf the web. Yes Google is pushing for Google Webb apps, but in reality they are not up to par yet with real applications. Its a great small, light laptop to use on the go and has Verizon 3g built into it, so if you pay you can have the internet anywhere you go. But the real question is how much would you pay for a browser in a box?