If I’m understanding this correctly, this is an officially supported Chrome OS that runs on traditional PCs (e.g. devices that come with Windows pre-installed)
This could be an interesting middle-ground for someone who can’t/won’t use Windows anymore but isn’t quite ready to take the plunge into Linux just yet
I would disagree. Chrome OS is a nightmare to game on, work on, and install any apps. Ubuntu is much easier.
It’s however a delight from a tech-support point of view. Since my parents switched to a Chromebox a while ago, I’ve almost never received a call for help compared to their standard desktop.
I’m currently looking for a Chromebook for my son a this will allow me to reuse an old laptop of mine (instead of letting it gather dust or become e-waste) and I’ll be fairly sure he won’t be able to mess up the OS by accident.
Sure, there are loads of apps/games that don’t have a native implementation for Chrome OS or Android
But in addition to ecosystem, I think foot-guns are something to consider here
With macOS, Windows and Linux, it’s pretty easy to click the wrong thing or run the wrong command and put the system into a broken state: how many of us have had to provide technical support to friends/family in such cases?
Android, iOS, and Chrome OS have a firmly-managed outer shell that is very hard for a user to break, and Chrome OS has the containerised Linux Terminal as a safe escape hatch when you need a bit more freedom