Chrome OS, defining an era. Too limited to ever become successful

Recently I was reading an article on Sony Insider regarding an upcoming Chrome OS Vaio, which prompted me to write this article.
This whole internet and 'have everything everywhere' era has simply occurred so quickly, I remember a time when taking your files around meant making sure it was on your laptop hard drive or a USB stick, and doing some random internet searches meant crashing at home or the library where you can get a connection and checking something on the computer. Only a mere five or so years ago, there was no iPhone or Android, and when we thought of smartphone, we thought of a suit dressed gentleman with a Blackberry. Today, consumers are laden with devices and connectivity, hop on a train and more than half will be carrying smartphones, updating their Facebook status 'sitting next to fat guy who takes up the whole seat', checking up the train timetables, or simply killing the time on the train by watching some videos on YouTube. And suddenly, if you're carrying a dumbphone, you're...you're the odd one out.

You're probably wondering what all this has to do with Chrome OS, the thing is, Chrome OS takes this general concept one step further. Instead of only checking up on things and updating your Facebook status through the net though, now Google have decided that it's a good idea to simply put everything on the net, your documents, photos, videos, you name it. The general idea, is you can log in to your Google account on any Chrome notebook, anywhere, and wallah! There you have it, all your files and applications in front of you. It simply stores your content on the web.

In theory, this sounds like an astonishing and marvellous idea, however, burdened by its limitations, Chrome OS looks destined for failure, or at best, dissolution. Its hard to counter the fact that netbooks are simply being bulldozed by the popularity and scale of the new but saturated tablet market, for their prime purpose, netbooks were perfectly adequate however tablets could do the same things in a far more personal and efficient way. Chrome OS takes a step back and brings us back to the sad old days of netbooks. However, Chrome won't be sluggish like typical netbooks, since the OS is really light and efficient, we can expect Chrome to be fast even with a slow processor. Sounds good and all, however consumer attention has shifted, low end computers are no longer high on the buy list, but tablets are easily top spot. There is nothing particularly wrong with netbooks, but the trend has shifted, and Google should follow.

Which brings me to my next point, with Android all guns firing, why would they bother with Chrome OS? Google insists that Chrome OS and Android will suit different markets, but both are no doubt going for low end computing, I doubt we will ever see a Chrome notebook running Crysis or doing any heavy video editing, as far as we can see, tablets won't be doing any of that any time soon either. Hypocritically, Sergey Brin says that in some point in the future, Android and Chrome OS will most likely merge anyway. Android can be customised and upgraded easily to do the exact thing that makes Chrome OS unique, syncing files with the cloud. Additionally, with Android and its vast ecosystem of applications, tailored collection of devices and brands and of course, the more efficient and personal tablet form factor, there is absolutely no compelling reason to pick up Chrome OS over an Android tablet.

There is an old saying that goes - 'Don't fix it if it ain't broke' . I'm not going to lie, I think this is a very stupid saying since things don't have to be broken to be fixed or improved. Thus if we all lived by this saying, we would never progress. However, I think this phrase applies appropriately to what Google is doing here with Chrome OS, being able to sync all your files over the web and to be accessed on any Chrome computer isn't going to be a major selling point.
Don't get me wrong, I do believe that the 'cloud' is the way of the future, however as a primary selling point, it's simply not enough. 
On paper, it's a great idea, however its real world practicality and usefulness is questionable. With a brief look on the Chrome OS website, Google keeps telling us that even if we lose our computer, we can simply log onto another Chrome notebook and our files are safe and sound. I don't think there are many people who can actually proudly say that they've 'lost a computer'. Additionally, I hope Google realises that people actually don't mind having hard copies of their files stored on the hard disk, and the comfort of knowing that we can access them without a constant internet connection as is required on a Chrome notebook is worth noting. Also, knowing that our files are tangible and not just ghosts floating in a cloud also provides subtle assurance. Presently, the cloud is great, however it's not yet an essential. Thus selling Chrome OS simply with its cloud capabilities is much like saying that the main selling point of an apple is the colour of its skin. Consumers need more than that.

Put simply, Chrome OS is a brilliant concept, grabbing your files and applications on the 'cloud' sounds like a fun, efficient and inviting experience. However, its limitations far exceed its usefulness. As a stand alone OS, Chrome will never make it, but combining Android and the general cloud concept of Chrome OS, Google could have a winner.

Vaio Nostalgia: A shadow of its past. *tear*

Here I am, enjoying some alone time sitting on a park bench with the wind peacefully blowing and the sun gradually setting, having a think over some things like you do when you're enjoying alone time. I think about school and my science project on biological warfare, I think about life in general, more importantly, with my Vaio Z blinking it's amber power light next to me, I have a think about Vaio's. 

What do I come up with? I see a dying brand.

I remember a time when the Vaio name meant premium class computers, innovative, versatile and powerful. 

I used to respect Vaio as a brand synonymous with high-end computers, which were able to be tough as nails, and as powerful as god, yet achieve this in such grace and style. The only Vaio that embodies this description today is the new S series, and the Z depending on whether the computer has been discontinued in your country or not. 

Don't get me wrong I'm still a fan of Vaio's, being a Sony fan, however I am disappointed at best with the way the Vaio brand has ended up the way it is today. Many factors have contributed to the way I now view the Vaio brand, and the way consumers see the Vaio brand and the way Sony has used the Vaio brand. Long gone are the TT, TZ, TX and SZ series Vaio's which were created in a period, which I believe was the epitome of the Vaio brand, the TT, TZ and TX were simply marvelous computers, and dare I say, compared to similar notebooks today, are still comparable if not better.

Some people get nostalgic over there childhood, others get nostalgic over past events, I get nostalgic over the old Vaio spirit. The old Vaio spirit was one of creation, innovation and non-conformism. Now, I don't see a spirit at all in the Vaio brand, I simply see a brand falling into the same old corporate trap, the deathly spiral of money and greed.

Basically, more than anything, the Vaio lost its spirit.

I've always viewed the most successful consumer electronics companies as the ones that are run through the desire to create and inspire, rather than simply to make money. Henry Ford famously said, 'a business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.' This quote is written in the 'About Me' section of my blog, because it is simply so instrumental to a companies success, and so true, hence why it's my favourite quote. The old Vaio that I used to love, embodied this phrase like no other, the UX Vaio, was creative, innovative, but so niche it was almost useless. But the fact that it was useless and didn't sell that well, doesn't matter as such, since it alluded the Vaio spirit of non conformism, back in a time when Sony weren't afraid to go out on a limb and create something just completely different, and insanely creative. It said a lot about the Vaio brand.

Old favourites like the TT, TX, TZ and SZ are the yardsticks of the Vaio I once loved - premium, expensive and uncompromising. All, have been replaced by inferior and more generic models.

Now, I grimace as I write this, the E series, perhaps it’s just a personal hatred, but the E series represents the lowest of the low for the current Vaio line-up. Bland, fat, and poor battery life, the E series completely defies the legacy of the vastly acclaimed ‘T’ (TT, TZ and TX) models. Don’t get me wrong, they are perfectly adequate computers, however apart from being blindingly colourful, they don’t offer anything of value to live up to the ‘Vaio premium’, or the ‘Sony tax’ as others call it. It is appropriate to argue that the E series is better value than the X series or the P series which are both, in a pure performance for price ratio - inferior computers. But both the P series and X series are unique one-of-a-kind machines, and are incomparable with computers from competing vendors, the E series on the other hand, is hell deep in the sea of sameness.

Perhaps it was just natural evolution to have the Vaio degrade in such a way, maybe Sony themselves haven’t even noticed what has happened. But I think this sudden and unbidden alteration winds us back to the usual suspect: targeting a larger market. This general mentality is frowned upon in many industries, in the music industry it’s called ‘selling out’. In consumer electronics it doesn’t have a specific name, but it’s frowned upon nevertheless. Microsoft did it with the Kinect, and is Sony doing it with the Vaio? I think so. The Vaio brand as we knew it previously provided high-end and expensive computers that catered for the people who wanted the lot with absolutely no compromises. This in itself created a brand image of premium, high-class quality computers - when we thought of Vaio, we thought of a man in a slick tux chilling in a boardroom, or an elegant woman gracefully clasping a Vaio in her hands. Now our thoughts range from a young teen with a colourful Vaio, to a businessman with a jet black Vaio to your classy and fashionable lady with a sleek gold Vaio. In other words, a case of brand dilution.

I'm not saying that Vaio's should only be bought by snobby rich people, but having a certain image to which the Vaio is associated immediately gives it value. The Vaio of old meant premium, so if someone found a Vaio of equal spec and price to a competing vendor, Vaio would be the logical choice simply because of the brand. My basic point is, a strong brand, helps boost sales too. In trying to cater for a larger market, Sony have damaged it.

We look at Vaio now, and yeah maybe they are making more money than before, and in a purely business sense, more 'successful'. I cannot help but reiterate Henry Ford's philosophy once again, 'A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business'. If Sony are here simply to make money, then why do they try? Why do they continue to create amazing products like the Playstation, why do they bother with 3D when it's not making them that much money? In consumer electronics, you can't survive with the philosophy of just making money. I hope Sony are here because they want to create, to innovate and to touch the hearts of consumers and make lives better.

How does it feel to be no different from your competitors? Right now the Vaio brand doesn't hold much against its competition, but it used to. There is nothing more shameful and degrading than to be drowning ass deep in the sea of sameness. The Vaio still has enough brand equity to make a comeback. The simple fact is, Sony has shown in the past with older Vaio's, that Sony definitely can be better than the competition.

So why waste their time being like everyone else?

Kazuo Hirai for the top job? I think so.

Is Kaz the man for the top job at Sony? You betcha.

Top bloke

It's been about six years since Sir Howard Stringer took the honour of CEO and Chairman of Sony Corp from the tornado of destruction who was Noboyuki Idei. Some people won't agree with my views on Idei, he did do some good things in his tenure, but doesn't everyone? Being nominated as one of the worst managers of 2005 by BusinessWeek magazine pretty much sums up Noboyuki Idei's heretical 6 year reign at Sony.

No doubt though Stringer has done great things heading Sony since 2005, streamlining operations and building a more organised product line-up. Definitely one of Stringer's most instrumental contributions to the company has been breaking down the 'silo walls' within the company and creating a more unified and focused corporation, building a company that feels like one, instead of acting separately in several different subsidiaries and groups. Stringer and I (and I'm sure many others) share this philosophy, that unity in everything, within the product line-up, within separate areas of the company and software and hardware most importantly, will pave the road to success.

But of course, to spoil the party, nothing lasts forever. So of course, Stringer's time as CEO and chairman of Sony will come to an end, and he is already considering who will succeed him. My bet? KAZ HIRAI

Hirai is best known for his showing at E3 2006 and has developed an almost celebrity prominence across gaming enthusiasts on the net after his infamous 'Riiiiidge Racer!' line, whilst desperately trying to entice enthusiasm out of the crowd at E3. More importantly, Kaz turned the Playstation business from the money loser when he was appointed, to the cash cow that it is now.
Nevertheless, clearly Kaz is in the lead for the role, which was made even more clear with Thursday's announcement that Kaz will be promoted to a new position that will have him head all of Sony's consumer electronics products, personal computers and of course, gaming - which will be effective from April 1. Breathing down Kaz's neck for the position is Hiroshi Yoshioka who will run the remainder of Sony's, dare I say less creative side of the business, consisting of boring things like semiconductors and batteries. There are several reasons why I believe Kaz is the right man for the top job, which I will list in number form charitably for your reading pleasure.

1. PASSION: If there is one character at Sony that displays passion, it is Kaz Hirai. Love is what drives the hardest workers, love is the reason for the most momentous decisions in life, it would only be fitting that the next leader has to love the brand. Sony needs a person who loves consumer electronics more than their life, who would work 40 hour days, and realise at 24 hours that a day doesn't even last that long. Nothing tells the future better than history, and history has told us that the most successful business were run by leaders who loved what they were doing, not because it got them money, but because of the passion for their creations and achievements. A modern day example, is Apple. Steve Jobs is the epitome of a passionate leader, despite his health condition he quoted at his surprise appearance at the iPad 2 launch - "We've been working on this product for a while, and I didn't want to miss today" - iPad over health? I think so. With Kaz's desperate and dignity destroying 'Riiiiiiidge Racer' moment at E3 2006, I think it's appropriate to infer that Kaz really does love Sony.

2. MEDIA PRESENCE: Currently, Sony doesn't occupy nearly enough time in the media to garner the appropriate amount of hype and fanfare for their product releases. I know that I always mention Apple, but the simple fact is Apple is almost flawless in every aspect of their business that everything that Sony must dream of just leads them straight back to Apple. Steve Jobs is what we would call a celebrity CEO and his every move immediately attracts media attention, which essentially provides Apple with free publicity, thus put simply, free advertising. Kaz being the most well-known of Sony's exec would be the most appropriate in this respect, though not quite up to the level of Jobs, Kaz would definitely attract more attention from the press than the other possible candidate, Hiroshi Yoshioka.

3. EXPERIENCE: In an industry like consumer electronics, experience matters, it takes a long time to learn the trends and minds of consumers, to learn how to appropriately market a product. In consumer electronics corporate culture and brand image matter as much as the products that the company rolls out. Both Hirai and Yoshioka are yardsticks of experience, Yoshioka entered Sony Corp. in 1979 and Hirai, 5 years later in 1984. Yoshioka though, doesn't run a business as instrumental as Hirai. The Playstation business will for a very long time, if not always, be an essential part of Sony's product line-up, providing the core of Sony's digital software distribution and also home/portable entertainment. Having run the Playstation business, Kaz Hirai has the knowledge and experience to take Sony further into this field, a field that has limitless potential and based on current trends is the way of the future. Yoshioka on the other hand, runs the professional side of Sony as opposed to the consumer side. The professional side, though not inferior, is the side of the company that people don't see, it's the side that doesn't touch consumers as such. Kaz's experience with the Playstation business and also NPSG (Networked Products and Services Group) equips Kaz with the appropriate weaponry to take Sony forward. 


Those are the basic three reasons why Kaz Hirai brings the mud to my chocolate cake, the third I believe being the most important. One who runs a core consumer business as opposed to professional devices and solutions is by nature a more appropriate man to run a primarily consumer focused company. No doubt there are also minor reasons which are undeserving of their own paragraphs, one being the fact that Kaz is just generally well respected and a better known face than Yoshioka. People know Kaz and knowing someone makes us feel like we can connect with them better, thus people will connect better with the Sony brand if Kaz becomes leader, which would naturally lead to a stronger awareness and loyalty to the Sony group. 


Don't expect Stringer to be taking the leap any time soon though, he quoted himself that he has 'unfinished business'. He has also mentioned in the past that he would leave the company only when it's turnaround was complete. Better to be prepared early though, than under-prepared later.