I've always thought this is what I wanted too, and until now, never thought that maybe this makes the Chromebook the right platform going forward. Though still 'first class citizen' machines, they're probably the thinest client available, which kinda gets to where we're going.
This is where I am now. I have been lucky enough to get started on a Chromebook for free and have expanded from there. For me, the Chromebooks and tablets are ways for me to access webapps, particularly Google Apps. Additionally, Chromebooks have a fully-featured SSH terminal built on NaCl and a remote desktop app in form of Chrome Remote Desktop. For me, they are just windows into my cloud applications and back to my full-featured workstations (both home and work). I don't feel restricted by them except in the rare cases where I don't have access to the internet, which is increasingly rare, and even then the Google Apps are working better and better offline.
My tablets I mostly use as a web browser, an email client, an eReader and a remote control for my television. They really aren't the way I want to work, just sometimes a good form-factor for relaxing.
Or maybe Microsoft (with that shiny new CEO) can deliver on the streaming OS vision and truly provide I/O focused devices http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/streaming-os-micr...