- cross-posted to:
- hackernews@lemmy.bestiver.se
- cross-posted to:
- hackernews@lemmy.bestiver.se
The End of Windows 10 is looming. The world needs a simpler, easy, quick, snackable alternative
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Is ChromeOS even that successful? Hasn’t it been merged with Android already? Seems to me nobody wants “snackable” OSs…
Second best selling consumer Linux platform on the planet, second only to Android.
Is ChromeOS even that successful?
I think this probably makes sense from within your “bubble”, that of being the sort of technical user that’s on a Linux forum on the internet. Chromebooks are incredibly popular in education, and ChromeOS has held a marketshare of 5-8% over the last few years, only dipping to 2.5% in the last six months.
Linux already will run on a literal brick, we just need an OS that is web-first and locked down for high school kids in a way where educational institutions will want to buy it in bulk. As for device, we really need something built to be a modern netbook. The Framework 12 could have been that, but it starts at $1244 in fully base spec with an i3-1315U, no Windows license and DIY. What we need is a Framework 10 without expansion cards, without a digitiser/touch, running the barebones Intel N100 4c/4t, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD. Make it as repairable but single SKU and pre-built. Partner with someone like Universal Blue for the OS, who they already have as an official partner for other devices with Bazzite. It also needs to be sub-$600 to compete.
By the way, ChromeOS being folded into Android isn’t a negative reflection on it. Google are trying to mimic Samsung DeX with their Pixel devices and it just isn’t a smart business decision to develop two parallel desktop experiences when ChromeOS already runs on the Android kernel anyway. Android also has more brand recognition, and overall it will probably encourage developers to make proper desktop kb+m versions of their apps (which can exist in the same apk). A way for Linux to compete there would be strong system integration of Waydroid but that’s probably mostly a “bonus feature” if they manage to succeed with everything else.
You’re being downvoted, but you’re right.
People want something simple. Something that just runs the basics and automatically backs up online and invisibly.
The vast majority of people don’t need to have the choice of 17 different browsers, or 43 office suites, and they certainly don’t need the terminal or Powershell, or anything else. They just need a browser and a way to maybe write a letter and view photos. Maybe a way for the kids to do their homework. If their laptop spontaneously combusts, they want to be able to sign into a new one and have everything put back as it was automatically.
ChromeOS is perfect for them, apart from being a Google product. It’s something we tend to miss because we’re technically minded, but most people don’t care about computers, and don’t want what we want. They want an appliance. If someone created that system with privacy built in, it could be great :)
You’re absolutely right. We need to have many different options for many different people.
I think you’re still missing the point though. People that see a computer as an appliance don’t want or need many different options and can be overwhelmed by the choice. We need a Linux Basic of some sort that all of us coalesce around to recommend to non-technical users, that is designed to be absolutely bulletproof and unbreakable. I’d say it should be immutable to prevent any accidental fluffery, have flatpaks as the main software installation method (snaps can go to hell and appimages just suck for updating) and come with a productivity suite pre-installed as well as typical codecs so things like streaming services work OOTB. Mint could have been such a choice, but it’s just still too niggly for users with no technical skills and no inkling to learn them. We need an “it just works” distro goshdarnit!!
No, we shouldn’t be encouraging people to use tools they don’t bother to understand how to use.
People have lives ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s awesome that us tech-minded nerds can get under the hood, mess with it and customise to our preferences. We can then make it simple and easy for the folks that just need a computer.
If we want Linux to succeed more broadly, than it needs to be accessible to everyone.
It’s already in datacentres all over the world. It’s the primary server platform. Linux doesn’t need to succeed more broadly, it already has. If you’re talking about Windows users and gamers… we are way better off without those simple people.
we are way better off without those simple people.
ew.
More like it just needs a company to grow as a non-server OS vendor. Intel dual core era as the Ultrabook is long over as well as the spinning disk HDD laptop era. The bottom performance is incredibly good now for what chromebooks are meant for. No we don’t need a new ChromeOS or a new FirefoxOS. Web apps have not displaced native applications on desktop nor mobile nor television. They all coexist.
Stop acting like users need something as handholdy and restrictive as ChromeOS. People can do as they’ve done for decades, use the web browser if thats all they wanted with a laptop/desktop. And recent times, they can stick to the pre-installed application store. Its life exists as an easy to manage/restrict solution for primary schools. It’s literally on the path to deprecation for a standard Android desktop mode. Chasing ChromeOS is chasing a design that its backing company isn’t even hiding their plans to replace
The most popular desktop OS that individuals choose to buy is Windows. The second is MacOS. Why would you target a ChromeOS analogue rather than just improve a standard Linux’s fleet management software? Far third place is not the model to aspire too. It did not succeed how Google wanted. It’s high end Chromebooks did not lead to them being competitive with MacBooks. It did not bloom a great software ecosystem of ChromeOS specific applications.
On desktop people browse the Internet with Chrome and Firefox. They play video games off Steam. Kids want to get into art. They edit videos with Davinci Resolve, Premiere Pro. They grow up wanting to get into video games studios regardless of how ill advised that is. They learn after affects, blender, FL studio, krita, Photoshop, illustrator, InDesign, Maya, etc. Some want to learn tech stuff. They’ll learn podman/docker, they’ll learn how to program, they’ll learn verilog or something. 3D printers, again desktop software to model stuff to print.
Desktops don’t need to be mobile OSs with windowing applications. People haven’t seemed to want that. They buy Windows and Mac’s. Peoples primary Internet browsers are their phones. Chasing ChromeOS is like trying to pitch a revolutionary idea for the desktop in 2010
Here’s what would be good. A company focusing on OS support for other companies general consumer hardware devices. Focus on streamlining Flatpak permission management. Maybe like Fedora atomic distros in structure. Company focuses on bug fixes regarding hardware support and capability to distribute driver updates as they come in. That will earn hardware platform wins for the OS. That will lead to more famous commercial software to port over
Really emphasize that chasing ChromeOS or FirefoxOS is a waste of time. The casual user is on mobile. The laptop/desktop market is work - school or professional, high hardware requirement entertainment like games, aspirational stuff like professional creation software
the existing immutables will do
