Chrome Challenge: The Results

For a week I've used nothing but Chrome for my every function.  I never once had to use a program outside of my browser, and with a little creativity I actually improved my output by about 25%.  I took a few notes over the week, and if anyone a good tip by all means please share in the comments.

Why is this important?  A few reasons.  First, this is history in the making.  Ten years from now, people will look back at this time as a major turning point.  This is the first time ever that users are free from an operating system.  Whether you use Linux, Windows or Mac, you can use the same services for the same effect.  This means real freedom for consumers, and should drive developers to continue in the open source meta-platform direction.  Once operating systems lose the power to control their users, the users themselves will make choices based on personal preference.  Nobody loses, even the software giants.  People will be happy, and users will be on board because they chose to be, not because .doc format forced their hand.

This also opens the technology up for tablets to make a major presence in the computing world.  Right now they are treated more like toys and lightweight duties, but this will eventually all come together for a superior blend of size and portability.  Right now Google can seize even more power because their Android tablets and phones work flawlessly with all their services, and now via Chrome you get solid work and play performance.  There's no reason to pay hundreds of dollars for office or business software when you can skip it altogether and work via a browser.  Users can collaborate and with some creativity expensive computers can again be replaced with dummy terminals that don't require storage, just a super fast processor and secure network connection.

This week:

I fixed about two dozen bugs in some computer code for RetroMUD.  With ChroMUD I was able to open files and edit them, and save them.  I chatted with friends and spent several hours helping other coders move files.

I wrote 41 pages of manuscript through Google Docs.  I am working on two manuscripts simultaneously, and I organized all my writing with tags and calendar notes so I can easily tell what has been submitted, and  where it is currently waiting for review.  I also created some invoices from an existing template and billed customers, and entered payments into my ledger. I don't do online banking, I use a spreadsheet on Docs.

Some of you have already noticed I am now writing articles for Angry Black Lady.  Her invitation to contribute came as a complete surprise during my Chrome Challenge week.  I did all my research and posting through a Chrome app, and the best I can tell my formatting and other issues were just fine.  I corresponded with my new editor-in-chief through my Twitter app and my email portal.  I now use the Trillian app for Chrome, so I even talked by IM through my browser.

I have to research a subject I have never had an interest in.  I used Catch Notes to organize my notes by source and in chronological order, so I can easily find what I need to know with a simple search, and can access this from my phone (I love me a good voice memo).

Last but not least, I played Angry Birds and Poppit (my two guilty pleasures) between bouts of productivity.  I used Google+ and Facbook to keep in touch with friends and share pictures that were uploaded from my phone's camera.  Because they are always on and updating, I actually spend less time on the sites, and a quick skim keeps me up to date.

In short, my Chrome Challenge was a success. It can't go on indefinitely, but it's a statement that someone who uses a computer about 12 hours a day can keep up on several projects and manage real life through a single launching pad that is nearly universally compatible.  My phone is now an extension of my computer, and if I had a tablet I would be unstoppable (Helloooooo, Christmas).  I went a whole week without using anything that was not a Chrome app or a cloud service.  I was more productive than ever and my security concerns were nil.  Epic Win.