Hands On With HP's Chromebook 11 And Thinkpad's Chromebook For Education
Alexander Michael Gittens
There are two articles
here. The first one, which bookends the brilliant one, is about some new
computer from some random company and this I acknowledge wi [...]
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I love Chromebooks. I’ve used them as my primary laptop
since last year when Samsung released their exynos powered Macbook Air
lookalike.
When I bought my first Chromebook it was an experiment. At first, I was nervous about not having Microsoft MSFT +0.11% Word because I’m an academic. Could I survive with just Google GOOG +13.8%
Docs? When not blogging, I write stuff with footnotes, quotes and
complex grammar. Unlike most people, I actually do use a lot of the
specialized features in Word. So, when I made the switch to ChromeOS, I
kept my old Apple AAPL +0.87% laptop hooked up as a desktop–huge monitor, external keyboard, and the magic trackpad.
Now, I use that computer only about once every few weeks.
Turns out almost everything I do on a normal basis can be done in a
browser.
When Google and HP announced the Chomebook 11
last week, I ordered one immediately. It was the micro USB charger that
convinced me. Carrying around just one charger for every device is a
kind of emancipation.
When the HP Chromebook arrived, I was immediately struck by
the packaging. There’s a story in it. This box isn’t just for shipping.
It also begins a relationship. Like a proposal, or an engagement, the
packaging asks me to commit to this machine. The white curves mimic the
aesthetic of the computer. I was excited for the slick plastic curves
before I had even seen the real thing.
The corner-less cardboard box is also reminiscent of a giant pill capsule. It reminds me of The Matrix.
By being a consumer of this Chromebook I’m crossing a threshold into
the Cloud–away from the tangible, material reality of physical memory
and into an ethereal, virtual, and untethered experience.
There’s a mythology of freedom that surrounds Chromebooks.
We’re freed from the burden of bloatware, freed from the long wait of
the typical start-up time, freed from updates and upgrades, freed from
the data back-up anxiety, freed from troubleshooting.
Then, on the other side, we’re reminded that the liberty of
the cloud comes with the internet’s shackles. I’m reminded of Randy
Newman’s great song, “Rednecks”–I’m
free to be put in a cage. Like most computing products, each new
sovereignty comes with a flipside. When I sign into this Chromebook, my
data becomes available to Google. No more privacy. All the immunity that
comes with anonymity is gone.
Oddly, the internet is the only place I can think of where
being caught in a web is considered a good thing–where a net promises
freedom more than it signals imminent capture.
Imagery like this manifests out of the collective
unconscious with intention. There’s meaning behind it. It is not just a
superficial accident. There’s a reason we didn’t name this new networked
reality the World Wide Tapestry. The cloud is not just an intertwining.
A network is not a braid. Not knitting. Not crocheting. Not
intermingling.
On the contrary, nets and the webs are technologies of
prey. The only freedom is the predator’s ability to capture and feed.
Devouring spiders and patient fishermen reign here. They bait their
spoils with aesthetics, beauty, and perhaps the promise of a tasty worm.
What’s most thought-provoking, however, is that we’re not
fooled. We are all aware of the dangers. And yet, we jump in willingly.
We are excited to see how reality looks on the other side of this
transition. What will it mean when the privacy of personal identity–the
individual self as we know it–is devoured completely? We want to know,
and so we let ourselves be caught.
In this case, we’re lured in by shiny new hardware.
The HP Chromebook 11 is hot temptation. The attractive
smooth white case feels good to touch. I keep discovering myself rubbing
the sides while I’m reading blogs. I’m fondling it, petting it. It just
feels good.
The glossy screen is pure pleasure to look at. They say
that this particular IPS display is not as high resolution as the one on
the Pixel Chromebook, but honestly, it is stimulating enough.
As promised, the sound is both rich and crisp. Much stronger than any of the other Chromebooks.
The trackpad is just as responsive as the Samsung’s. But
the HP keyboard feels slightly better; there’s a little more spring in
these chiclets.
From a sensory standpoint, this HP Chromebook trumps all
the other cheap ones. In terms of performance, the HP Chromebook 11
struggles when I have too many browser windows opened. But that seems
true of all the budget Chromebooks. I haven’t tried the Pixel, but I’ve
used the Samsung, the Acer Acer, and the Lenovo Thinkpad.
Among all the options I have tried, the Lenovo Thinkpad X131e Chromebook for education
has the best performance. That’s not surprising, it has a Thinkpad
keyboard, Trackpoint nipple navigation, and a better processor than all
the others. However, it is also big and heavy because it is built
ruggedly for schools–“to withstand enthusiastic typing, bustling group
work, and everyday school adventures.” I use it at home when I’m more or
less stationary. I wouldn’t want to carry it around in my messenger
bag. It is just not built for mobility beyond classroom use. The X131e
is not designed for consumers, it is only available to institutions.
Still, I fantasize that one day Lenovo will build a thin X series
Thinkpad Chromebook for everyday use. I’d pay a premium price for it
quicker than I’d buy the Pixel.
For now, the HP Chromebook 11 is my everywhere computer. It
is cheap enough that I can throw it in a bag and travel without
worrying that it might be damaged.
I bought the one with green trim. It is pretty. It is light. It does everything I need.
And it is guiding me, for better or worse, into the next phase of human consciousness.
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