I have been an advocate of Google’s ChromeOS since first trying it in the summer of 2012 (see my personal blog for several posts on Chrome). ChromeOS is still very much a work in progress, but it is maturing in capability very rapidly. Take a look at a presentation on ChromeOS I did for a conference in the fall of 2013 for a good background. I find that there are fewer and fewer things for which I use my iMac. I was very happy to see that ASUS is planning to market a new Chromebox, which will be shipping in March (2014). The two existing Chromeboxes were made by Samsung, but they have been in short supply. Additionally, the price point of the Samsung Chromebox listed the device at over $300 list. Now, ASUS is releasing a Chromebox for $179!
Why is this important? Chrome is a great platform for using web-enabled applications, and most enterprise applications today fall into that category. ChromeOS provides a safer and more secure browsing experience than Windows or MacOS. With virtual desktop technologies, applications that require Windows, for example, can be accessed by ChromeOS users. Virtual desktops allow an enterprise to better segment types of applications, providing much better defense against data loss. The Chromebox, especially one attractively priced like the ASUS, allows the organization to use existing monitors and keyboards and leverage the benefits of ChromeOS with a very low cost of entry. Even when considering the fully amortized cost of desktop virtualization, ChromeOS can offer a compelling financial solution. Think about the cost of buying traditional workstations, and then the cost of securing and managing that infrastructure.
Look at ChromeOS. You’ll be glad you did…