Most people don’t make their work machine their test bed, but my work tends to be my tests. For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be working and blogging exclusively with JoliCloud running on my MacBook and using Google Chrome web apps. What’s the deal?
Not all of us got shiny new Cr-48 Netbooks from Google, but we do have the next best thing for free. It’s JoliCloud, which emulates a lot of the same thing Chrome OS does. The only difference is an Ubuntu base and a lot more access to “under the hood” stuff.
But here’s the point: JoliCloud runs Chromium (the developer build of Chrome) and that means it runs the web apps that Google so proudly displayed. It also has the same “look and feel” web-only cloud-based application processes that Chrome OS is setting out to achieve. So ostensibly, my experience on JoliCloud should translate over to Chrome OS in a snap.
So here’s what I’ll be reporting back on for everyone looking to get cloud-in the IT Channel:
- Usability: Is it really feasible to get ‘real’ work done without local apps on the hard drive?
- Accessibility: Can I get at what I need all the time, or are there compromises?
- Work Flow: Am I working better or worse now that I’m living in the cloud?
A review off the cuff? It feels more distraction free than normal. Since the browser is the heart of the OS, I’m only focused on my tabs and nothing else. No dock, no start button, no nagging updates, no clutter on the screen. It’s actually refreshing.
Post in the comments if there’s something you want me to test out. I’ll be reporting back in about a week.
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As I commented on Distrowatch, someone figuring out how to add and remove apps on the Dashboard would be really helpful.
Hi Guy,
Adding and removing apps on the dashboard is quite easy. You just hover over the app, click the little arrow tab, and select “remove.” To add an app, click the big green “+” symbol. Click and drag to move your apps around from page to page or just to reorganize them. Are you running the latest version of JoliCloud? It’s not too hard to do.
Hi Dave,
Yes, adding something from the app store is no problem. But suppose I want to add gVIM? Or make FFox my default browser so I can use Thunderbird Calendar? I seem to be able to go under the hood to add things directly using Synaptic, but accessing them isn’t necessarily convenient.
I can appreciate newbie friendliness and acknowledge Jolicloud’s efforts in that area. But I don’t like being hobbled if I want to supercharge my desktop.
Great thinking! That really bekars the mold!
Hi Guy,
I think basically the stuff you’re describing is beyond the scope of what a typical JoliCloud user would do. You’re clearly a power-user, and JoliCloud is designed to bury all that “complicated” Linux stuff far far away. You’d be better suited running the latest version of Ubuntu or some other Linux distro, then.
I frequently get asked “what’s the point?” with distros like these, since Linux tends to attract a geekier crowd, but this is very much designed not for geeks.