| layout | title | date | comments | categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
post |
57期 - 我的观点 |
2012-09-22 13:34 |
true |
issue57 my-opinions |
#我的观点
Written by Allan J. Smithie
作者：Allan J. Smithie
翻译：黄博財 陈鹤心
I got into a conversation with Chromebook Enthusiast (CE) over on my blog where we disagreed on the implications of the recent Chromebook price cut. 'CE' wrote:
通过我的博客我和Chromebook Enthusiast（CE，Chromebook迷）进行了一次深入的讨论，对博客上关于Chromebook近来价格下调的影响，我们没有达成统一的意见。‘CE’ 写道： The Chromebook is a great concept as a thin client... for education, in the classroom, with Internet access, and access to my VDI infrastructure, it’s a very compelling solution. The total cost of ownership is really nice. They’re also not throwing in the towel just because the price is dropping. They’re actively developing new products, enhancing the operating system and management systems."
“作为一个瘦客户端，Chromebook具有很强的概念……在教育方面，教室互联网的接入和访问到我的VDI基础设施，它是一个非常引人注目的解决方案。总体花费真的很划算。他们并没有因为价格下降而认输。他们正在积极地开发新产品，提高操作系统和管理系统的性能。”
I grant the concept is sound, particularly where the infrastructure is in place to support the Chromebook with reliable, always-on Internet connectivity. You may be right in that the education market may save it -- but only if it achieves momentum through market penetration. It has to reach into education, business and consumer in order to continue. I recall from my education we had the RM Nimbus and the BBC Micro, neither of which could resist the home and business market domination of the IBM PC clone. Perhaps that's a bad comparison, but one sector by itself will not guarantee continued sales.
我承认它的概念是健全的，尤其是在基础设施上支持Chromebook提供可靠的、不间断的互联网连接。你认为教育市场会保留它也许是正确的 —— 但这只有当它达到通过市场渗透的势头才行。要继续发展它必须渗透教育、商业、消费者领域。我记得自从我上学我们就有RM Nimbus和BBC Micro，这两者都不能抵挡具有家庭和企业市场统治地位的IBM PC。也许这是一个不恰当的比较，但说明了一个部门本身并不能保证其持续的销售。
We know that Chromebooks are under pressure from the tablet market, hence the price cut. Tablets are not only 'cool' but do have sufficient internal storage to take out and about. We know Chromebook owners (Ed Hewitt, reviewing in Full Circle #52) who have hit the limits of the platform in terms of access and storage, at which point they take flak from friends and colleagues who then taunt the embarrassed Chromebook owner by saying "you paid how much for that?"
我们知道，Chromebooks因为平板电脑市场的压力下而降价。平板电脑不仅是“酷”，确实还有足够的内部存储的需要。我们知道Chromebook的所有者（Ed Hewitt，可以回顾Full Circle 52期）已经指出了就访问和存储而言的平台限制，在这一点上他们采取远离朋友和同事，然后嘲笑这个尴尬的chromebook主人说：“买这个你花了多少钱？”
For sure, Google is not yet pulling out, and, if any company has the staying power to develop a mature platform, Google is it. However, without manufacturing the devices itself, Google is reliant on the likes of Acer and Samsung to put hardware into hands. How long they will stay in - if profits, shareholder and market confidence drop - is a different question. Volume over time enables price cuts, anything else is at the expense of margin; the hardware business is tight on both right now. Conventional workhorse laptops and shiny tablets-cum-e-readers are the fashionable stars of the day. With public spending cuts, the education sector has its work cut out to make the case for non-standard kit in 'niche' platforms. Only if the total cost of ownership is compelling, with the politicos keeping out of decisions, can the education sector stay on board. I'm all for freedom of choice, but economics and marketing may yet lose the day for the Chromebook.
可以肯定的是，谷歌尚未放弃，再说，如果哪家公司有持久力开发一个成熟的平台，那就是谷歌。然而，如果没有制造设备本身，谷歌只是依赖于像宏碁和三星这样的企业取得硬件。他们会维持多久 —— 如果利益、股东和市场的信心下降，情况就不同了。随着时间的推移使得其价格下降，其他的东西都在牺牲利润；所以硬件厂商对此紧张都是可以理解的。曾几何时，传统的主力笔记本电脑和闪亮片暨电子阅读器是时尚明星。随着公共消费的下降，教育部门减少了‘niche’平台非标准工具包的支持。只有当总拥有成本是令人信服的，与政客的决定保持一致的，教育部门才可能继续留在船上。我都有的选择的自由，但经济和市场营销因为Chromebook可能有萧条的一天。