[Jazmac]

Link here

This story says that google has found a willing co-conspirator in VMWare to run Windows apps on their browser laptop. Will this matter to Microsoft?

[maclancer]

I would say it will provide to Microsoft more customers, which is a good thing. More power to Microsoft.

[Jas00555]

Seeing how Chrome OS is buggy and awful as it is and VM are usually buggy themselves AND because Chromebooks usually don't have much storage space..... Nope. This just sounds like Google's version of Microsoft running Android app on WP: sounds like a terrible idea, is a terrible idea, and won't come to fruition.

[dkediger]

Might matter, if an enterprise already had/is implementing the VMWare desktop as a service.

In a general sense, in my opinion, the current total costs of a DaaS don't make it compelling for broad implementation. You need some extra ActiveDirectory infrastructure. You still need an "interface device" in front of the user. Google wants that to be Chromebook rather than a Surface or a Macbook.

There's still a Windows desktop and license that need to be maintained on the backend. This isn't running Word directly on ChromeOS.

I always love it when these releases throw out a "Save $$$ over the life of the product compared to what you have."

[tgp]

In a general sense, in my opinion, the current total costs of a DaaS don't make it compelling for broad implementation. You need some extra ActiveDirectory infrastructure.

A form of this is becoming popular in the business environment. However, it's not in the cloud (yet). The virtual desktops are hosted on a server.

[stmav]

But is the virtual desktop the same as a roaming profile in an active directory? Or more apologist lingo?

[dkediger]

A form of this is becoming popular in the business environment. However, it's not in the cloud (yet). The virtual desktops are hosted on a server.

Exactly....the Google rep wants you to believe you'll save $5000 over the life of the Chromebook vs a PC. They're not factoring the backend VMWare servers, VMWare licences, Windows VM setup, licences, the power to run those servers, etc. It doesn't scale except for huge, or very specialized situations.

[Jas00555]

Exactly....the Google rep wants you to believe you'll save $5000 over the life of the Chromebook vs a PC. They're not factoring the backend VMWare servers, VMWare licences, Windows VM setup, licences, the power to run those servers, etc. It doesn't scale except for huge, or very specialized situations.

This.

Plus, lets not forget what these businesses are being pitched: hey, well sell you a completely different set of hardware to so the same thing that you did before. Thats not a very compelling argument, especially when you consider the fact that businesses plan on keeping their hardware for years. Do Chromebooks even last that long? What's Google's support like anyways? I'd think any reasonable business owner would go for business-class PCs from people who know how to make decent long-lasting PCs like HP.

[azcruz]

Glorified terminal emulator

[thatotherdude24]

May as well buy a Windows computer. This is more of a '......uhhhhh what?' moment.