The Consumerization of IT
There's no doubt, BYOD is a disruptive trend and...
Bring Your Own Device eGuide
As more and more CIOs are beginning to see...
The Consumerization of IT
There's no doubt, BYOD is a disruptive trend and...
An Interactive Guide: Bring Your Own Device
As more and more enterprises begin to see...
Bring Your Own Device eGuide
As more and more CIOs are beginning to see...
An Interactive Guide: Bring Your Own Device
As more and more enterprises begin to see...
The Consumerization of IT
There's no doubt, BYOD is a disruptive trend and...
Bring Your Own Device eGuide
As more and more CIOs are beginning to see...
The Consumerization of IT
There's no doubt, BYOD is a disruptive trend and...
Bring Your Own Device eGuide
As more and more CIOs are beginning to see...
Today's announcement that Lenovo is making its first Chromebook represents the latest bit of fallout from Microsoft's mishandling of the Windows 8 launch.
Lenovo introduced a new ThinkPad running Google's Chrome OS. It is designed for and will only be sold to K-12 educational institutions. But I would bet that this is just a first step for Lenovo. If successful, look for Lenovo to introduce Chromebooks for the broader market.
The move helps Google take advantage of Microsoft's weakness as the software giant struggles with introducing a new, redesigned version of Windows.
Maybe It's Time To Get Rid Of Your IT Department
CITE Goes Live! Register for the CITE Conference & Expo, June 2-4, in San Francisco.
While it's been a challenge to parse through Windows 8 sales data, the consensus is that it's done fine but not outstandingly. Potential buyers have complained about a lack of inspiring new hardware designs, particularly with touch screens. The few models that are innovative – including Lenovo's Yoga PCs -- cost too much.
As the market hesitates while faced with too few interesting options or steep price tags, Google will start offering the classic ThinkPad design at a much lower price.
Volume pricing starts at $429, which is quite a bit more than other Chromebooks, but less than many of the Windows 8 laptops on the market so far. Chromebooks are often in the $250 price range and new Windows 8 machines are in the $1,000 ballpark.
The new ThinkPad will run Google Apps for Education, so young people with these computers will be using Google Apps instead of Office and Outlook. It will have three USB ports plus HDMI and VGA connections. Lenovo claims the battery will last an entire school day. In a press release, Lenovo cites an IDC study showing that Chromebooks are easier to deploy and manage than other machines.
The ThinkPad is one of the most commonly deployed laptops by enterprises. So it's a major departure for Lenovo to start offering a version that runs Chrome. But if sales of Windows 8 machines aren't living up to expectations, it makes sense for Lenovo to try something new.
It's possible that sour grapes are at play here too. Microsoft surely angered some of its closest OEM partners, like Lenovo, with its decision to build its own hardware.
Nancy Gohring is a freelance journalist who has been writing about mobile networks, cloud computing and consumer electronics for more than a decade. Read Nancy's bio
Getting off Apple and going all Google has increased my respect for both companies. I've come to realize that the very best mobile experience right now is built on a foundation of Google services on Apple hardware. I wish only that these two companies could get along better, and that Apple will allow more Google integration on the iPhone.
New data visualization apps for Excel 2013 could help Microsoft hang on to customers looking for better data visualization tools.
Surface has been a stiff so far, but Microsoft reportedly has big expectations for its next fiscal year. Here's why the company may not be crazy.
Brandon Porco, the chief technologist for defense contractor Northrop Grumman, says that IT will have to try lots of different things and move quickly to keep abreast of evolving employee needs. "Google has it very well-patterned: Launch and iterate."
Although Apple is often accused of not being an enterprise company, it's only in the last few years that Apple has abandoned its enterprise-oriented products. The real story may be that Apple's discovered that making enterprise-focused efforts simply don't deliver a huge return on investment.
