Google is building password-free locking and unlocking into Chrome OS

...wow, overreacting a bit?

I have an ARM chromebook as a second device and use Ubuntu with Crouton as needed, but tend to stay on the Chrome OS side for my primary use case.

It certainly has an appeal, especially with battery life, for certain users/uses. (Check Amazon's best selling laptops and there tends to be several chromebooks there, as well).

If we ever end up in the same city, can I get you a beer?

Linus himself has no issues presenting Android as a version of Linux [1], and with undeniable pride at that.

Yes, I'm aware of the clash between him and Stallman about principles and such, repeated eloquently and incessantly here and elsewhere. But if we applied Stallman's filter to HN very little would be left.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFKxlYNfT_o&t=40s

Chrome OS is simply a product that reflects the vision of some of the engineers/organizations out there, and you don't have to get it if you don't want to, AFAIK Google isn't trying to shove it down your throat (sure they do promote it, just like any products from any company).

I really enjoy the tech industry being populated by a portfolio of products with diverse philosophies behind them: easy to use vs complicated and powerful, open source vs proprietary, cool and sleek vs nerdy and efficient.

I really don't understand why some of the strongest proponents of "Open Computing" are ironically so close minded when it comes to offering choices to people.

I'm very happy with the Chromebook in my kitchen, which, by my own definition, has a single function: to just work. And guess what? It just works, quickly and efficiently allowing me access to the internet on a screen bigger than my phone's. That comes in handy frequently and the fact that it requires zero touch for maintenance is a boon. Now extrapolate this into the more general case of kiosks -- call centers, factories, schools, etc.... Computers that need some central management but only basic functionality, which increasingly means the ability to run web apps. There are a number of options of which ChromeOS is one, and frequently a more cost effective one than traditional thin clients or locked down Windows or Linux PCs. One thing you probably don't know unless you've purchased ChromeOS device to use in a Google Apps domain is the vast quantity of settings, flags and toggles available to tweak by admins. It's pretty comparable to the thousand or so Microsoft gives you to configure IE in kiosk mode, and very helpful.

Your point isn't lost on me, but you're aiming your anger in the wrong direction.

What the hell man? Chrome OS has been a God send for my sister in law who's broken every other computer she's ever used within a year either by installing a virus or physically breaking it. While it's a niche market, I think it works well in these cases: user just needs a web browser and family member doesn't want to be IT support every time he/she breaks something.

After getting his hands on a Chromebook Pixel, the father of Linux said:

THANK YOU GOOGLE

With the web as a platform, Chrome deserves all the attention on HN. I do not even understand where your animosity comes from, when reading your post. None of your is even specific to Chrome OS. It would hold true for any fridge or toaster with embedded Linux. Yup, those are consumption-centric as well. In fact, I am a consumer too. Shoot me.

As for attacking the Linux community: Sparked by Android and ChromeOS, Google has soared into the top 10 of Linux contributors and seems very committed to keep Linux healthy.

Because you leave them everywhere and, usually, can't be changed, if compromised.

It's an API; meaning you can integrate it with anything including fingerprint devices.

Fingerprints are usernames, not passwords

And how you change your password (fingerprint) ?

Who says you can't use fingerprints? There will probably be an app for that.