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Right now I'm thinking of the Samsung Series 5 3G Chromebook (Artic White), without the 3 year contract.
5 Chromebook Reasons:
1. Going Mobile: For work reasons, I now need to be constantly online. And not just available by cell or via a smart phone. I need access to a full browser and keyboard, and a connection to the LMS and e-mail. The MacBook Pro seems just too bulky to bring everywhere. The size of the Chromebook seems right for grabbing and running. The 3G model will ensure I'm hooked into the wireless chain at kids' soccer games and airports, and all the places in between.
2. Backup Machine: I'm dead in the water if my computer dies. This is not a matter of backup (Time Machine and Carbonite), but productivity. The Chromebook is cheap enough to justify as a spare machine, a second computer.
3. Student Thinking: The subscription model of $23 a month has gotten me curious. How much sense does this make to either offer (or require) of students? How much is saved in set-up and support, and what advantages could be realized by having a common and consistent platform? No way to answers these questions without spending quality time with the Chromebook.
4. Future Scoping: Maybe not this year or next, but the future belongs to the Chromebook. Or if not the Chromebook, the model of cloud based storage and Web apps is destined to supplant local apps and local storage at some point. Not for every user, and not for every use, but for the majority of the things we use a computer for the Chromebook model will eventually win out. It is good to spend some time living in the future.
5. Google Engagement: I'm disappointed that Google has not really focused on higher ed. I'm frustrated that Google refuses to take any real risks in higher ed. I'm saddened that Google seems to be fine with the status quo in higher ed, and is not using the company's infrastructure, brains, and resources to create new models for creating and delivering education. I think education will be the most important global business of the 21st century, and I think Google is missing a huge opportunity. Perhaps having a Chromebook will allow me to engage Google in other ways, to come up with ideas that connect Google with education.
What's your Chromebook plan?
