Once again, Google has amazed me at the way they run their business.
A month ago I filled out their survey for the Chrome OS pilot program. Basically, they give you a notebook with ChromeOS installed, and all they ask is that you give them feedback on bugs, features, things like that. I didn’t think they would pick me for the program.
I was wrong.
Last week, a big box arrived, in it was my very own 12″ notebook, preloaded with Chrome OS. Needless to say, I was not prepared for this. I booted up the notebook, which took less than a minute the first time and got to work. Like many others, I use google apps for a lot of things, so working on an OS that used cloud-based apps didn’t seem like a stretch. The first thing I noticed was my settings for Chrome. All of my bookmarks, extension, and even my theme seamlessly showed up. So for the next two hours, I used the notebook. I surfed the web, checked out the apps store, and even tried the video chat feature. This notebook comes with wifi and Verizon 3G. I’m currently using the wifi, but google has given me 100MB a month free for two years. If for some reason I’m out and about and need to send an email or look something up, I can see the 3G coming in handy.
As cool as this notebook is, it’s not a replacement for a standard PC/Laptop. It is however very useful if a lot of your work is in the cloud. I could see using this around the office if it had a VPN-capable connection to my main desktop. ChromeOS is a great system for a web kiosk machine.
Time is ticking down, less than a week to go until Christmas, and there is a shite-ton of stuff to do. At home, we still have the majority of the shopping to do and very little money in which to do it. Work, well, that’s another story. I’m very nervous about things not working tomorrow. The plus side to this week is, we’re only there 4 1/2 days versus 6. I will be very busy and stressed this week, then I have to try and cope with the holiday madness. It’s a good thing I’m not that into drinking or I’d probably be an alcoholic by now!
This past month has been hell for me, I’m in a near panic all day during work, and when I get home I have zero ambition. I burn myself out during the day, and can barely keep my eyes open in the evening. I look forward to next year being better, but something tells me it’s going to be a lot worse.
I’m currently suffering from seasonal depression. I hate being cold, and I have been cold almost constantly this month. Couple my mood with always being broke, and well, you get the picture.
I managed to get picked for Jury duty last week, spent one day in the jury pool and two days in trial. Naturally, I can’t say anything about it, except I now have a better understanding of our legal system. Though it set my workload back three days, I was happy to do my part to keep our system of law going.
One final thought. I’m kicking around the idea of starting a page for Facebook called Tony’s Tech Tips. I enjoy sharing information about technology in general, and perhaps this focus will get me out of the “I’m a worthless N00B tech” funk. I’m going to get it up and running anyways if nothing else than to learn how to make a good Facebook page.
In case I don’t tell you in person, Have a Happy Holiday season!
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