This article first appeared Yahoo.com, and was written by Rachel Metz.

What if nearly everything you usually keep on your computer - photos, documents, music and software - was stored online? Your machine would be speedier and perhaps less vital because you could simply use another machine to recoup your digital life should you lose your laptop.

This premise - somewhat scary, yet liberating - is behind Google Inc.'s upcoming Chrome OS, which will make notebook computers more like netbooks than most actual netbooks.

The software powering Chrome OS, which is based on the search giant's eponymously named browser, serves mainly as a tool for connecting your computer to the Web. That's where nearly everything you use is housed and linked to your Google username and password. It's a concept known as cloud computing.

A peek at the upcoming operating system and its vision of cloud computing shows a promising idea that could make computing faster and more convenient. But it still needs a lot of work.

Google expects the first computers powered by Chrome OS to be released this summer, and initially they'll be made by Acer Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

For now, though, Google is operating a pilot for some individuals and companies to test an unbranded laptop that runs Chrome OS. The company lent The Associated Press one of these machines, which aren't going to be sold to the public.

The laptop itself, called the Cr-48, doesn't really deserve to be critiqued, because it is a stripped-down machine that is chiefly a frame for Google's OS oeuvre. The shell is entirely matte black plastic, without a hint of branding. It has a webcam, a screen that is about 12 inches diagonally and a full-sized keyboard with a search key in place of the caps lock key.

The machine also has 16 gigabytes of flash memory for storing files, if you feel absolutely compelled to download something. Downloads are obviously discouraged, though; my music collection alone would nearly fill this allotment.

Moving on to the main event, Chrome OS brings a few clear benefits: Starting up the notebook takes just seconds - roughly 13 of them, according to my stopwatch - and waking the closed notebook from "sleep" mode is as quick as opening it up (almost too quick, as the notebook couldn't regain its wireless service quite as fast). By contrast, my Windows machine at work takes more than two minutes to boot up.

After you sign in with your Google account, the same username and password you would use to access Gmail, you can pull up a home page showing all the apps you've installed from the Chrome Web Store. Assuming you're connected to the Web, you can just start using apps and surfing the Web right away.
There were plenty of free and paid Web apps and browser extensions available when I tested the notebook. Some are only for the Chrome OS; others also work with Google's Chrome Web browser for other computers.

I installed a range of the free ones, some of which seemed to be just links to existing Web pages. The apps I snagged included Web-based office suite Google Docs, the chatting service Google Talk, Aviary's Advanced Image Editor and balloon-popping puzzle game Poppit.

As with smart phones and tablets such as Apple Inc.'s iPad, publications are also making Chrome apps. USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are among them.

On my work computer, it can take ages to open up applications that are stored on my hard drive. With the Cr-48, I could immediately start editing a Google Docs spreadsheet or tweak the colors in a photo using Aviary because the programs are all running online. I only needed a strong Internet connection.

Surfing the Web was a pretty normal experience, with most websites loading speedily, though the Cr-48 was not that good at displaying Flash videos.

But I felt constrained because I had to use the lone browser that comes with the system and the Web-based apps I obtained. Apps loaded slowly when my Internet connection wasn't stellar. This wouldn't be a problem with programs stored on a regular computer's hard drive.

If a Chrome OS-based laptop becomes my primary computer, a data plan would be a must.

I feel anxious just thinking about the possibility that I couldn't access my documents at any time, and I don't even keep anything that important on my own laptop.

I mostly used the notebook with Wi-Fi at home and at the office, though I also tried out its 3G network service, which is provide by Verizon Wireless.

So what happens if you don't have any Internet access? The Cr-48 is pretty useless.

I could still write in an already-open Google Docs document, add notes in Scratchpad and look at photos I'd downloaded. But I couldn't use apps that are not yet opened because they're all connected to the Web.

If you lose your connection while using an app, you may be able to view some information that has been temporarily stored in memory, as I could when browsing The New York Times' app. But you'll need to get online as soon as possible to really use the machine. Faced with this situation, I'd probably just search frantically for an Internet connection or simply put away my laptop.

In its current state, the Chrome OS is far from ready to take over as my main computer, even if I were using it on a more powerful machine than the Cr-48.

Sure, I spend most of my time on the Web already, but I'm not quite ready to rely on having Internet access to do almost anything with my computer.

I can imagine getting comfortable with that in the not-so-distant future, though, and I'm curious to see if Google can make it happen.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on BrightHub.com, and was written by Bruce Tyson.

Thin client notebooks are powerful alternatives to traditional computers that can improve the effectiveness of a mobile workforce, enhance corporate security, and improve the utilization of IT dollars as part of a thin computing infrastructure.

What is a Thin Client?

In ways resembling dumb terminals from decades gone by, thin clients have no inherent processing power: they primarily receive inputs and display outputs from applications running on server computers. They are sometimes referred to as PC over IP technology since the traditional computer functions are performed remotely. The client display presents the operating system and application interface and its keyboard and mouse send inputs to the system.

A simple way to characterize a thin client is by their lack of physical storage. They are stateless "dumb" devices that rely on host servers for administration, configuration, storage, and infrastructure. Thin client computers uses Remote Desktop Protocols (RDP) to access network services and configuration information so their capabilities are determined by user credentials.

Thin Computing

Modern thin clients can be used to perform routine computing operations with speeds that make them difficult to distinguish from "fat" clients. Thin clients engage host servers through client software such as VMware View, Microsoft Windows Terminal Server, Citrix XenApp and XenServer, and Unix/Linux and run applications on the host using inputs transmitted from the client.

Thin computing can fill virtually any role as traditional computing, provided network access is available. Call centers, accounting roles, CRM, and CAD are just a few roles that thin computing can support.

Thin Client Laptops

Thin client laptops take advantage of the thin computing model, only in a portable configuration. With high speed wireless LANs in place and high speed 3G and 4G wireless data connections through cellular networks, a thin client laptop is something that only in recent years has become feasible.

Most commonly available thin client laptops come equipped with a ROM-based embedded operating system such as Windows Embedded. This operating system provides essential services to the thin client, enabling it to set up connections to a server host. Once connected, the capabilities of the thin client reflect those configured for it on the host.

An example of a thin client notebook computer is the Dell E5400X Safebook. Like most thin client laptops, this model comes with an embedded operating system and is equipped with end point security and built in wireless networking.

Applications for Thin Client Laptops

Because thin client notebooks are very lightweight and have very long battery life, they are ideal for mobile employees working inside and outside the corporate environment. Since applications and data are hosted on the corporate host, problems such as insufficient disk space are eliminated. When mobile employees need access to a new software package installed, the installation is performed at the corporate office rather than mailing CDs to a remote location. Centralized control of software resources also facilitates corporate compliance with licensing requirements.

Thin Client Notebooks and Security

Proprietary information and access to corporate networks is routinely compromised by the mobile workforce. Laptops left in taxi cabs, airports, buses, hotel rooms, and rental cars often fall into the hands of people looking for information to sell, not to mention the laptop computers that are stolen for their resale value alone. Thin client laptops can solve the majority of the security problems associated with hardware, network, and data vulnerability.

Since the thin client laptop relies on network storage, important product, customer, and vendor information is not lost when the computer is lost or stolen. Without appropriate credentials, the thin client notebook cannot access any information within the enterprise, nor can it be used to access corporate network services. Basically, when a thin client falls out of the control of the corporation, corporate information remains secure.

Corporate espionage involves more than stealing resources from a competing company: it means that people within the organization can retrieve corporate information for personal or competing use. Thin clients help keep corporate information secure because there is no convenient way to transfer corporate data to a storage device. Since all data transactions are managed through centralized servers, an audit trail exists that can detect unauthorized data access and transmission, giving management the opportunity to react quickly to internal abuses.

Finally, with computing processes hosted by the corporate network, security policies for all thin clients can be implemented at the host. This means that antivirus, malware, and other threats encountered online will always be met by appropriate response. In other words, companies implementing thin client notebooks don't have to worry about a user disabling virus scanners or allowing virus signatures to expire.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Thin computing is a green technology because of its low energy demand. By powering only essential hardware, the savings in electrical costs for a company with one hundred computers can exceed $6,000 annually. Thin client laptops have the additional benefit of extended battery life that can power devices for an entire work day on a single charge.

A study published by IDC revealed that switching to thin computing can reduce hardware and software costs by as much as 40%. Additionally, overall IT operating costs can be reduced by nearly a third. The study also found that outlays for computer hardware and support can also be reduced by significant margins by implementing thin computing.

Thin computing brings with it increased productivity that helps make it even more profitable to business. Studies have shown that fewer support, maintenance, and repair issues help make IT staffers more than 50% more productive than those in traditionally equipped departments. Meanwhile, the increased uptime and reduced support issues combine to make mobile users more productive with thin client laptops, adding even more to the corporate bottom line.

Thin clients have a lower acquisition cost, a lower maintenance cost, and a lower incidental cost. Because the devices have fewer parts, there is less to break. Also, thin clients save money by combating obsolescence. Since the processing power is hosted on remote servers, whenever those servers are updated with new software, every thin client is automatically up to date. This saves hardware costs because thin clients won't have to be replaced with every advent of new technology. No more tossing laptops every year or two only to replace them with new ones that too will become obsolete. Direct and indirect cost savings resulting from the use of thin client notebooks make the technology a "must" for consideration.

Comment (0)

Ever wonder how many PC's are sold per year?  What about per day, hour, minute?  These numbers are astonishing and frankly hard to really see how big they are.  So, we've done our best to show you a visual of the numbers and a few other amazing computer statistics.  We hope you enjoy, and please do SHARE!

Click To Enlarge >>

Click To Enlarge >>

 PLEASE SHARE

Comment (0)

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein 

For those of you that are following the blog, you may be interested to know that I am writing this post from my new Latitude E4300. Overall, I am fairly impressed with the combination of speed and portability. Usually you have to sacrifice one for the other. But I will leave that review for a different post. For anyone who has purchased a computer from I.T.NOW in the past year, you will truly be amazed by my next confession. I am running Vista on my new laptop. I also must confess that this is my third attempt at converting to Vista. Rumor has it that there is currently a pool going on at I.T.NOW betting on when I will switch back to XP (email Jason if you want in on it).  So why do I run Vista when I tell all of my customers to steer clear of it? I guess it is just one of the things I have to know. I can walk anyone through pretty much all functions of XP without having a computer in front of me, so it is time to achieve that same level of familiarity with Vista. That and when I try to install XP on my laptop, the solid state disk appears to cause a blue screen, in spite of how many things I have tried (and I have sadly tried several times).

So, what am I doing differently this time to ensure that I get a different result and don’t go insane? Here are a few tips for those of you who for one reason or another are on the Vista bus.

·         Don’t complain about it in front of your Mac friends. They will just talk to you about the latest “I’m a Mac” commercial and make you regret your decision.

·         Feed the beast. If you don’t have 4GB of memory, upgrade. If you don’t have a video card, consider adding one. If you can use a faster hard drive (10,000 RPM Raptor or a Solid State Disk), you won’t regret the price.

·         Unvistafy Vista. Part of what makes Vista more secure than XP is all of the extra layers of security, which means you have to click a lot more than you would have to on an XP machine. The technician in me has to warn you that this will make Vista less secure. But you wish you had XP, so this isn’t that big of a deal. Wired Magazine has a great Wiki on some steps you can take to clean up Vista.

·         Relax. In less than two years, you will get to do it all over again with Windows 7

Comment (0)

As computers progress and get cheaper, it is often easier and cheaper to replace a computer than it is to fix it. Some of our clients aren’t used to this approach. Many have been using computers since they cost $5,000 and are accustomed to maximizing the investment by getting as much use as possible out of the computer. Here are some of the reasons I give when I tell clients their money would be better spent replacing a problematic PC older than 3 years:

• Productivity. Almost everyone who gets a new computer talks about how much faster it is compared to the old one. For business owners, that means your employees can be more productive, and hopefully make you more money.
• Data protection. While it is always good to test your backup strategy, doing so by experiencing a failed hard drive is not what I would recommend. A 3+year old hard drive is in some cases a ticking time bomb. It is much easier to replace a computer before the hard drive dies.
• New programs and features. Often times, companies contact us when they have a new program they want to install that won’t run on the computers they are currently using. This means that if they want to run the new program, all computers need to be upgraded or usually replaced.
• Warranties. As a machine gets older, it is often more difficult to find replacement parts for some components. By being covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, we can typically receive all necessary parts next business day, free of charge.
• Budgets. When you drive a computer until the wheels fall off, it is difficult to predict what the expenses will be. Computers often die a slow death, requiring on-site visits to replace failed components and employee downtime. If a company decides to replace all computers every three or four years, it is easy to plan in advance, before yearly budgets are created, which machines will need to be replaced during that year.

{sharethis}

Comment (0)

Dell doesn’t change platforms that often with their corporate customers, so when they do, it is a pretty big deal. The seven-year-old latitude D series will be phased out by the end of the year being replaced by the E series. Here’s why I will be ordering one as soon as possible:

• Dell Latitude ONTM. Sometimes when I am traveling with my laptop, I need to get something on the internet real quick, or I need to check my e-mail. I don’t necessarily need to wait for Windows to start up to do simple tasks. Latitude ON allows you to pretty much instantly boot into a simple operating system (Linux based) to access your e-mail, calendar, contacts, or browse the internet. Since it is not using your system’s main processor or hard drive, it dramatically improves battery life.
• Style. Some people say style shouldn’t matter for corporate computers, but when it comes to laptops, size and looks count. The new laptops are around 1 inch thin, and start out at around 2 lbs. This means you won’t feel inadequate sitting next to someone using a Macbook.
• Speed. The new laptops use faster DD3 memory, faster processors, and are available with the latest solid state disk drives (sorry, I had to use a little geek speak, I am talking about a computer after all.

I am holding out for the Latitude E4300 due to be released in the next few weeks. It is the smallest Latitude available that uses full-size laptop components.  This means you don’t have to sacrifice speed for size.

{sharethis}

Comment (1)