If I’m understanding this correctly, this is an officially supported Chrome OS that runs on traditional PCs (e.g. devices that come with Windows pre-installed)
This could be an interesting middle-ground for someone who can’t/won’t use Windows anymore but isn’t quite ready to take the plunge into Linux just yet
I understand that Chrome OS (and Android for that matter) are built on top of the Linux kernel, but I’d argue that both are far more user friendly than Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution
I would disagree. Chrome OS is a nightmare to game on, work on, and install any apps. Ubuntu is much easier.
It’s however a delight from a tech-support point of view. Since my parents switched to a Chromebox a while ago, I’ve almost never received a call for help compared to their standard desktop.
I’m currently looking for a Chromebook for my son a this will allow me to reuse an old laptop of mine (instead of letting it gather dust or become e-waste) and I’ll be fairly sure he won’t be able to mess up the OS by accident.
Sure, there are loads of apps/games that don’t have a native implementation for Chrome OS or Android
But in addition to ecosystem, I think foot-guns are something to consider here
With macOS, Windows and Linux, it’s pretty easy to click the wrong thing or run the wrong command and put the system into a broken state: how many of us have had to provide technical support to friends/family in such cases?
Android, iOS, and Chrome OS have a firmly-managed outer shell that is very hard for a user to break, and Chrome OS has the containerised Linux Terminal as a safe escape hatch when you need a bit more freedom