

Google: Go ahead and hack the Chrome Book - MatthewB
http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/11/hack-chromebooks

======
cristoperb
This is good. But it's a little bit sad that we are at a point where companies
have to assure me beforehand that I'll be allowed to, you know, use their
products if I buy one.

------
cosgroveb
Not surprising to me as a CR48 beta tester: [http://www.chromium.org/chromium-
os/developer-information-fo...](http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-
information-for-chrome-os-devices/cr-48-chrome-notebook-developer-
information/how-to-boot-ubuntu-on-a-cr-48) Pretty awesome though that they are
bucking the trend of locking down consumer devices.

~~~
jrockway
"Bucking the trend"? I can't think of a single x86 laptop in existence that's
locked down.

~~~
cosgroveb
I'm talking about consumer devices in general. XBOX, PS3, iPhones, carrier
locked Android phones, iPads, you name it.

Also, this is not an ordinary x86 laptop. I think most people would assume
that considering that you cannot by default install _anything_ on it, and that
it has a verified boot sequence (will not boot an unsigned OS by default) that
it would be completely locked down.

~~~
jrockway
I think your list is the end. I can microwave metal. I can put a newspaper in
my toaster. I can submerge my hairdryer in water and be amused as it pumps the
water around.

Most consumer devices can do whatever you want. It's just gaming consoles and
phones that can't. Everything else... do whatever you want.

Hell, handguns are still legal in the US, and you can use those to do some
mighty antisocial dealings.

------
stcredzero
What really matters isn't what people can install or not. What really matters
is if people can remotely verify if it's still locked or it's jailbroken. This
gives organizations and users a choice to install whatever they want, or to
have a verifiable environment.

It also gets you out of Sony's losing position, where you get neither security
and you piss off people who have the technical knowledge to make your life
harder.

------
evangineer
As someone who's enjoyed building my own customized distros & livecds with
homebrew packages, I'm looking forward to being able to put my own customized
chromiumOS build and other distros onto a Chromebook.

