My mother is getting a Chromebook

My mom uses an iMac G5 with iSight camera. I have long resented Apple for incorporating the webcam into that model, only to be make it obsolete three months later with the early switch to Intel processors. I bought the computer in October 2005. With this month's release of Mac OS X 10.7 "Lion", she is now two generations behind the current release, since Snow Leopard as well didn't support PowerPC processors. On the whole, for her needs, the iMac would be good enough -- except it has started to fail. Vertical lines now show up on the screen, indicating hardware failure -- presumably the graphics chip -- is imminent. She needs a new computer.

I could buy her a perfectly acceptable Windows 7 laptop for even less than a Chromebook and one with much better hardware. Nevertheless in November 2006, she fell prey to a glitch with Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage antipiracy mechanism, which tagged her copy of XP as counterfeit; it wasn't -- I configured that laptop myself. Months later, afterwards being infected with a couple different pieces of malware, I sent her the iMac and she has been malware-free since. Mum will never use Windows again. That's not meant as a criticism of Windows 7, which I regard to be an excellent operating system.

So, what the hell, why not try something radically new even so surprisingly familiar? As I expected, afterwards asking, mom spends most of her time on a computer in a web browser -- Firefox, which she loves. The default Mac browser is Safari, nevertheless Firefox, which she often calls FoxFire, is her preference. Damn, she would be a good candidate for Mozilla's proposed Gecko-based browser OS. Yet that's years away, and I need something now.

But first, I wanted to make some preparations, starting with switching mom from Firefox to Chrome, so she could become familiar with the browser to cut a long story short I could sync up bookmarks and get her email in order. My sister visits mom once a week, on Tuesdays, and last week she called asking my instructions. Dumb me, I should have seen the problem coming. Sis downloaded Chrome however it wouldn't install. The browser doesn't support that old of a Mac OS version. She did begin the email migration process, after all. Mom needs to make Gmail her primary and forward messages from the other accounts. My God! The woman has accounts on four other services -- her ISP, Apple, AOL and Yahoo. Apple's MobileMe, which is being retired, is primary email service now.

The changes needed to be made to mom's Gmail account

I walked my sister through the changes needed to be made to mom's Gmail account. However she shocked me, when instructed to type in "mail.google.com". She didn't understand. Why not gmail.com? I explained that Gmail is a Google service. "I didn't know that", she answered. Hey, sis, is only months back in the states afterwards doing missionary work with her husband in Guatemala for years. She's a little out of touch. I had her go into settings and make sure IMAP was checked and to change the theme to the exciting new "Preview". She at that time moved on to forwarding messages from the other services and dragging email from the other accounts into Gmail using Apple Mail. That synced the messages to the Gmail server.

Gmail makes sense for another reason. Mom is on my family cellular plan, and she has the original T-Mobile MyTouch. In a few months, when her T-Mobile contract expires, I'll buy her a Nexus S; the phone is $99 with new two-year contract. She'll stick with T-Mobile if the AT&T merger falls through, or I'll switch her to the parent carrier. MyTouch is an Android-based phone, which uses a Google Account to activate.

Mom's needs are basic. She goes on the web or plays games. The kind of arcade games she likes are available from the Chrome Web Apps Store. The Samsung Chromebook should be more than enough for her daily computing needs. She already lives in the browser. I did consider buying iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1. Either tablet would be enough and like as not better because the apps. Nevertheless she has dropped and broken three wireless mice in the last 18 months. The laptop will be stationary. A tablet would be mobile and more likely busted.

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