Test Drive Chrome

So, I just signed myself up to the Chrome Notebook pilot scheme, it has been a long time since I've had to sit and justify myself on line in 140 words of less.

Especially after having had to follow a series of questions which had very little to do with the kind of net activity I perform.  As such I can only assume I have a snow balls chance in hell of getting hold of one of these devices.

I mean, in the "justify yourself" section I did feel like putting, "How about because I'm in the UK and you clearly don't expect to hand any out to us poor foreign follow-ons", for the vast majority of the questions my answers were "other", but nothing on the screen was asking me to explain what those "other" options were.

For instance, in the generic category of user, I selected "developer", but then all the items in the list related to usage of a computer were related to web usage.  Not really development.

I mean, when the Chrome OS comes along, I really do hope there are a range of compilers for the system, first off I'd like to see C++ (being a bit of a fan boy of that language), but later I'd like to also see some sort of porting of .NET (just like mono for Linux) to the Chrome platform, simply because of the power of .NET as a way to prototype other applications.

I'd also like to develop on the Chrome OS to investigate its graphics abilities, to understand its file handling and security subsystems.  Mainly to see how it might hold up as a gaming platform or a mini-web server in its own right... But absolutely none of that came across from the questionnaire as posed.

And of course, the final nail in the coffin was that in the "Address" section it insisted I select a U.S. State... even though I had opted for the country of "United Kingdom".... and they can't blame my using an incompatible web browser for this annoying faux-pas as I was, and am right now, using the Chrome browser... I love google kit, I just hate that questionnaire.

So good luck to anyone who fills in the answers and to those who get a look at Chrome OS and the netbooks I hope we get lots of insights from you....

If anyone at google is interested and tracks this blog down (cus they can from the info):

  * I use an O2 XDA smart Phone

  * I use BBC iPlayer as my main source of on-line TV

  * I use SkyPlayer as my main source of on-line movies

  * I listen to music with Spotify

  * I spend over 8 hours each work day solidly connected to the internet

  * I spend all my personal time (save for time driving) connected to my wireless

  * I operate Windows, Linux and c/PM based computers

  * I prefer to utilise Chrome as my Internet Browser

  * I spend most of my personal time on my computers performing development tasks in C++ and C#

  * I spend all of my working time on computers performing development and debugging tasks in C++ and C#

My wish for the Chrome OS is to investigate its ability as a development environment, its fitness for documenting as a generic C++ platform, its ability as an entertainment platform (game/media display) and finally to have a damn good look at it in general.

The promise asks me to use the Chrome Notebook as my main computer, well, it looks to me that there is no documentation of the platform being able to act as my main platform... it could however take the role of one of my desktops and two of my laptops as my main portal to the internet and entertainment... 

However, I am not your typical internet junkie...