谷歌Chromebook從雲端到現實

When Google announced the Chromebook five years ago, it seemed like a joke. A computer that's only a browser? Really? What's next, a washing machine just for socks? An oven that only roasts chicken?

當谷歌(Google) 5年前發佈Chromebook的時候，看起來就像是個笑話。只能當瀏覽器的電腦？真的嗎？還有什麼，一個只洗襪子的洗衣機？一個只能烤雞的烤箱？

But the browser-based laptops are no longer a laughing matter. While we've become more comfortable in the cloud and the Web itself has advanced, Google made improvements to the Chrome OS that are pushing the simple machines toward taking on 'real' laptops.

但這種基於瀏覽器的筆記本已經不再是笑話了。我們已經越來越習慣雲服務，網絡本身在不斷進步，谷歌也對Chrome OS做出了改進，推動這種簡單的機器朝着“真正”的筆記本邁進。

With larger screens and faster processors, they even look like them now, too. Samsung's $399 Chromebook 2, with a 13-inch high-definition screen, hits shelves next week. Hewlett-Packard's $299 model has a 14-inch screen and Intel's latest processor. Dell's $279 Chromebook 11 is designed to be a student's laptop.

具備了更大屏幕和更快處理器，它們甚至看起來也更像筆記本了。三星(Samsung)售價399美元的Chromebook 2配備了13寸的高清屏幕，將於下週上市。惠普(HP)售價299美元的Chromebook配備了14寸屏幕和英特爾(Intel)的最新處理器。戴爾(Dell)售價279美元的Chromebook 11就設計爲一款學生用筆記本。

Those prices are tempting, but can a sub-$400 Chromebook do the work of a PC or a Mac? After testing Chromebooks for the past week, I can say they deserve to be taken seriously. But there are plenty of things I'd rather do on my 'real' laptop.

這些價格具有吸引力，但一款售價不到400美元的Chromebook能夠承擔PC或者Mac的工作嗎？在過去一週評測Chromebook之後，我可以說Chromebook值得予以認真考慮。但有很多事情，我還是寧願在“真正的”筆記本上完成。

Chromebooks have proven themselves capable as Netflix-playing, Facebook-stalking and Amazon-shopping machines, but before this week, I'd have balked at the idea of putting one on my desk at work. Yet, I was surprised by just how much work I could get done.

Chromebook已經證明它們可以看Netflix視頻，可以瀏覽Facebook以及上亞馬遜(Amazon)購物。但在這個星期之前，我一直對用Chromebook工作的想法心存障礙。不過，現在我卻意外地發現它們可以承擔更多的工作。

If you work with Google Web apps -- Gmail, Google Docs, etc. -- a Chromebook would be a natural fit. But even using Windows and Mac productivity apps is easier than you think: Microsoft now offers all of its Office Online apps in the Chrome App Store and Apple offers solid cloud-based iWork apps, too.

如果你用Gmail、Google Doc等谷歌網頁應用工作，那麼Chromebook或許是最佳選擇。但即便是用Windows和Mac的工作應用，(在Chromebook上)用起來也比你想象的簡單：微軟(Microsoft)在Chrome應用商店提供其所有的Office網上應用，而蘋果也提供基於雲端的iWork應用。

I used Microsoft Word Online to take notes at meetings, PowerPoint Online to edit a slide, and relied on my company's Web version of Outlook for email and calendar. I found Chrome alternatives to other Mac apps, including a photo editor, to-do list app and keystroke- and timesaving text expander. The only app I missed was Skype -- the Web version doesn't work on Chromebooks.

我用微軟的Word雲端應用記會議筆記，用PowerPoint雲端應用來編輯幻燈片，依靠我公司的網頁版Outlook來處理電子郵件和日程表。我發現其他Mac應用的Chrome版，包括圖片編輯軟件、日程規劃應用以及省時的文本拓展器。我唯一沒有使用的應用是Skype，它的網絡版不能在Chromebook上運行。

While Chrome OS and Google Drive need more advanced file management, you can download documents, photos and other files to a folder on the laptop or to the cloud. Even when you're offline, you can edit photos in the Google+ Photos app and work on PDFs in Quickoffice.

雖然Chrome OS和Google Drive需要更爲先進的文件管理，你可以下載文檔、照片和其他文件到筆記本上的文件夾或者存儲到雲端。即便當你離線的時候，也可以在Google+照片應用中編輯照片，在Quickoffice中處理PDF。

Managing apps is easier, too, now that you can put windows side by side, dock favorite apps in the toolbar, download or create apps that don't run in the browser, and swipe up on the touchpad to see all open apps. Google says it will add more multitasking features soon.

管理應用也更加簡便，現在你可以並排設置窗口，把常用應用固定在工具欄上，下載或創建無法在瀏覽器運行的應用，在觸控板上向上滑動以查看所有打開應用。谷歌表示，他們很快會增加更多的多任務功能。

All those things make Chromebooks highly productive for me, though my MacBook's advanced organization and multitasking tools make me more nimble. And I did encounter a significant obstacle: There are 'virtual private network' tools for accessing your office intranet remotely, but my company doesn't support one that works with Chrome OS.

所有這些都給Chromebook帶來了更高的工作能力，但Macbook先進的組織和多任務工具卻讓我覺得更加方便。我也的確遇到一個顯著的障礙：虛擬專用網絡(VPN)是用來遠程接入公司內部網的，但我的公司卻不支持Chrome OS的VPN。

Here's a secret: While I do have my head in the cloud, I like reviewing work on paper. Apparently, Chromebooks want me to kick that habit because you can't just plug in a printer.

這裏有個祕密：雖然我在雲服務上進行思考，但我卻喜歡審閱打印出來的工作。顯然，Chromebook希望我改變這個習慣，因爲你不能光添加一個打印機就能打印。

Instead, you must configure wireless printing through Google's Cloud Print, which only works with select printers. There are ways to get other printers to work, but set-up was a hassle. Three days later, I'm still waiting for my document to print.

相反，你必須通過谷歌的Cloud Print設置無線打印，其只適用於特定的打印機。雖然也有辦法兼容其他打印機，但設置過程很繁瑣。三天之後，我還在等待我的文檔打印出來。

I had no problems connecting my external HDMI monitor, USB hard drives and Bluetooth mouse to various models. It was easy to load photos and video on the computers, too. Most Chromebooks come with 16 gigabytes of internal storage, though they have SD card slots and 100 GB of free Google Drive space.

將外接HDMI監視器、USB硬盤和藍牙鼠標和諸多型號進行連接也沒有問題。上傳電腦上的照片和視頻也很方便。雖然大多數Chromebook都內置了16GB的存儲空間，但它們還有SD卡槽以及100GB的Google Drive空間。

In Google-topia, we must use the cloud to sync our smartphones' photos, videos and other goodies with our computers. You can't plug in your iPhone or Android phone and drag over files -- devices don't show up as external drives. You have to sync all your photos to the Google+ social network. For iPhone owners, there's no iTunes for Chromebook for setting up your phone or sideloading files.

在谷歌的王國，我們必須通過雲端來把智能手機上的照片、視頻和其他文件與電腦進行同步。你不能用數據線連接iPhone或者Android手機，然後拖拉文件；這些設備不會顯示爲外部設備。你必須把你所有照片同步到Google+社交網絡上。對iPhone用戶來說，Chromebook沒有iTunes軟件來設置你手機或者拷貝文件。

The biggest issue Chromebooks had in the past was that, without an Internet connection, they were nothing more than rectangular paperweights. Things you expected to do without the Internet -- write a document, edit photos, etc. -- were impossible on a Chromebook. Google has fixed a lot of that, but it isn't perfect.

Chromebook過去最大的問題是，沒有網絡連接時，它們就和直角鎮紙沒什麼差別。你所期待的離線工作，例如寫文檔或編輯照片等等，都無法在Chromebook上實現。谷歌已經解決了這方面的很多問題，但還不夠完美。

To go offline and access your Gmail inbox and Google Docs, you must complete the Google Drive and Gmail offline sync process. If you don't, you can't even get to the apps offline. The Chrome App Store now has an assortment of third-party apps -- from note-taking programs to games -- that work offline. I'm still waiting for offline access to Outlook and OneDrive, though.

爲了離線使用你的Gmail郵箱和Google Doc，你必須完成Google Drive和Gmail離線同步程序。如果你不這麼做，你甚至無法進入到離線應用。Chrome應用商店已經有從筆記軟件到遊戲的各種各樣可以離線使用的第三方應用。但我仍然在等待可以離線使用Outlook和OneDrive。

Chromebooks can't do all the things a Mac or Windows PC can, but they do far more than I expected. That, and a $300 price tag, will be just right for many people.

Chromebook不能取代Mac或Windows PC的所有功能，但它們能做的已經遠遠超出我預期。這樣的電腦，以及300美元的售價，會非常適合很多人。

As Google continues to grow its once laughable platform with new features, offline-friendly apps and higher-quality machines like Samsung's Chromebook 2, the joke might ultimately be on those 'real' laptops.

隨着谷歌繼續爲其曾經可笑的Chrome平臺添加新功能和離線可用應用，並推出像三星Chromebook 2這樣的高品質機器，最終的笑話可能會是那些“真正的”筆記本。