Why we are using Chromebooks to power Ariolix

In everything I do I have a tendency to look for a tool to do things better. I experiment a lot with different tools, methods and softwares in order to find the most efficient way to work.

The problem is that I realised that I was spending a lot of time configuring, testing, debugging, maintaining these systems. I a sense, all this time spent playing around with my computer was highly inefficient.

I was for a long time a Windows user, then a Linux user (Gentoo, Ubuntu, Mint, Lubuntu, …), and now a Chrome OS user.

I started using Chromebooks in 2012. Most of the tools we were using for Ariolix were already web based, so why not go completely cloud powered 🙂

Chromebooks are super light machines, inexpensive, fast and robust. You don’t have to play around dozens of settings, you don’t have to install software that you desperately need and to uninstall junkware, malware and other softwares you don’t want. It’s something that seems obvious but you only realize the importance of that when you go back to Windows.

For one of our customer, we received a brand new Windows 10 PC, and I offered to my client to configure it before delivering it to him. I was absolutely amazed of the time I had to spend on the machine just to “configure it”. After hours of installing softwares, uninstalling pre-installed ones, installing the Windows Updates, I realized how much more sense a Chromebook makes.

I can already hear you telling me that you need so much more than a browser to work. I agree that if you need special softwares to work (Illustrator, Catia, …) there is no other way than to use a machine on which the tool is available, but I maintain that most companies could use only a chromebook.

We are doing everything on our chromebooks and chromeboxes : presentations, reports, business plans, financial projections, market studies, accounting, images modifications, business process mapping, pdf annotations and modifications, project management, videoconferencing …

So when I hear or read “chromebook is getting ready for work” I’m smiling, if not laughing. Chromebook is more than ready, and now with the announcement of linux apps available and more and more androids apps that you can use on your Chromebook, and wonderful machines to play with what more are you waiting for ?