Google Chromebooks have not taken off in New Zealand

Given the importance of everything cloud, you might ask yourself why Google Chromebooks have not taken off in New Zealand.

Part of the reason is that the devices have never been formally launched in New Zealand. Some models have been available in retail outlets, but there was never a "hey we are now selling in New Zealand" moment.

That tells you there isn't any serious marketing.

Think of Chromebooks as modern thin clients

Chromebooks are low-cost laptops designed for use with cloud applications. Think of them as  thin clients.

Physically most Chromebooks sit somewhere between the traditional laptop and the Ultrabook format. Typically they have low-end processors and small solid state drives (SSDs). Many have built-in 3G data modems.

Chromebooks run Google’s lightweight Chrome OS. The operating system is effectively a swept-up version of Google’s Chrome browser. That makes it idea to use with cloud applications, especially Google Apps. They can’t realistically run anything other than cloud apps.

So why bother?

What Chromebooks do, they do well

Because they make life simple. There’s nothing to maintain or setup, Google does all that for you.

You switch on and go. It takes just 8 seconds to boot. Any updating happens automatically in the background. All your data is stored in the cloud. You don’t have to worry about making back-ups. And their design makes them secure when compared to other small computers.

This makes them great for businesses run by people who can’t or don’t want to bother with traditional computers and all the support they need.

But then so are tablets. And that’s why I’m not in the market for a Chromebook. Are you?