Chromebooks

[boxst]

I have had to go somewhere for a month and didn't really have time to pack my Macbook Pro.

So yesterday I went to the local CEX (Computer Exchange) and picked up a second-hand Samsung Chromebook for £90. It only has 4gb and 32gb SSD. I'm amazed at how good it is. I'm only using it for what I use my Macbook for 90%+ of the time: Mail, Docs, Numbers, internet browsing and it's fantastic. Apart from scrolling the 'wrong' way with the trackpad of course.

That other 10% counts (Final Cut Pro, Photoshop etc..), but for day to day use it appears to be great value for money. Plus I can probably sell it for £70 when I get home

[JimbobVFR]

You'll love this then, there is a setting to change the trackpad direction on a Chromebook.

I recently bought an 4 year old Pixel Slate 2nd hand, mines an Intel M3 processor but it does have 8GB of memory. Being able to use Android and Linux in addition to the native Chromebook stuff is brilliant.

I find mine to be quite a good compromise between a tablet and a laptop.

[C5_Steve]

Yeah they are generally excellent value for as you say 90% of what you need a laptop for.

When my sister was looking for something for Uni work I pointed her at a Chromebook, did her well for 9 years! (Open Uni course)

[boxst]

JimbobVFR said:

You'll love this then, there is a setting to change the trackpad direction on a Chromebook.

Enable reverse scrolling -- thank you didn't know that was there

[leef44]

I'm on my second chromebook. First one was £99 refurbished, lasted two years. This one I bought new from Tesco.

I didn't know about CEX and that there's actually a store in my time. I am so out of touch

[s2kjock]

I bought a couple, one to use as a back-up and to try and wean my Dad off his creakingly old single digit Windows laptop (not yet succeeded), and another for myself as a back up if my desktop goes down. I use it most often for Teams meetings as I can have that sitting to one side and my dual display desktop on remote access for reports/work applications at the same time.

As you say, does 90% of what I normally do with a Windows set up, and no faffing about with updates - also handy to use certain Android Apps on my phone that I can't use on my PC - battery life is a bit of a revelation too.

The higher memory and high spec ones are surprisingly expensive though in comparison to a Windows laptop.

[Corso Marche]

I switched over to Chrome OS in 2015/16 (when android was also added) but always kept a dual-boot Linux/Windows machine as a backup, in case I needed something more. I've never needed it though. I boot it up maybe every 12-18 months and update both the Linux and Windows installations and then put it away again.

Chrome OS does everything I need securely without needing any of my time for maintenance or updating etc and I just find G Drive works better with Chrome OS and Android than OneDrive on Windows. Remote simultaneous (live) file storage is a big thing for me.

It does everything I need - 95% of my use is with web-apps/services of some description, and I use a few Linux desktop apps and Android apps at other times, so it's kind of a 3-in-1 for me which covers all my needs/uses.

[GolfDragon]

I bought a Chromebook a year back because it was cheaper than buying a new laptop.

I love the functionality, fast loading time and lack of bloatware on it but it's annoying how quite a few apps are mobile versions.

I ended up buying a new windows laptop eventually because I needed the full version of Microsoft Teams and tend to use that now.

The battery life is impressive as well. Chromebooks are great for most things, but Teams isn't one of them.

[paulrockliffe]

I was going to say that, the kids' Chromebook is great, but it's such a missed opportunity that they've not found a way to really run Android apps as a single cohesive ecosystem where you're not made painfully aware that the app is a phone app. I mean, great that most of them work, but getting that right would have pushed the market to develop more apps for the larger screen and had bleed-through to Android tablets as well.

As it is I think Samsung DEX might be a better OS in some ways and with Windows slowly starting to get the Android sub-system working the app advantage over Windows may narrow over time. I have a few small Raspberry Pi touch screens and plugging them into my PC and putting Android Apps onto them full-screen is pretty neat for stuff like my central heating, or Music players etc, it's not very user friendly to setup, but that will improve over time.

[somouk]

Chromebooks and Chrome OS are excellent. We've put chrome OS on some old macbooks and iMacs to extend their life for people and it works really well.

[C5_Steve]

somouk said:

Chromebooks and Chrome OS are excellent. We've put chrome OS on some old macbooks and iMacs to extend their life for people and it works really well.

Yeah I did this with Mum's old laptop, sped it up no end.

[rodericb]

GolfDragon said:

I bought a Chromebook a year back because it was cheaper than buying a new laptop.

I love the functionality, fast loading time and lack of bloatware on it but it's annoying how quite a few apps are mobile versions.

I ended up buying a new windows laptop eventually because I needed the full version of Microsoft Teams and tend to use that now.

The battery life is impressive as well. Chromebooks are great for most things, but Teams isn't one of them.

Anything Microsoft on a Chromebook is awful. I had hopes of using my Samsung Chromebook Plus in lectures a few years ago, downloaded the microsoft office android apps and they were woeful. Tried to use the online versions of the apps - awful too. Thought I would be able to mark up powerpoint presentations and pdf files like the ads - nope, you could scribble over them but save? Naah. Back to printing and a pen and notebook and using my work laptop for assignments.....

But for general internet type stuff and some android games it's great!

[Cloudy147]

Ive always considered Chromebooks to be perfect computers for people who need a computer but don't particularly want one.

They do all the basics really easily and keep all the maintenance and complicated stuff out of the way.

Purchased one for my mum years ago to replace a windows machine and the need for my tech support stopped immediately, and hasn't been needed since!

Great machines and suit their purpose well.

[leef44]

rodericb said:

Anything Microsoft on a Chromebook is awful. I had hopes of using my Samsung Chromebook Plus in lectures a few years ago, downloaded the microsoft office android apps and they were woeful. Tried to use the online versions of the apps - awful too. Thought I would be able to mark up powerpoint presentations and pdf files like the ads - nope, you could scribble over them but save? Naah. Back to printing and a pen and notebook and using my work laptop for assignments.....

But for general internet type stuff and some android games it's great!

I do hate Microsoft so much. For work computer, I would have software updates up to three times a week. Sometimes it's difficult to fit them in between reporting deadlines. Then after they do their software updates and you've rebooted the PC, it then says it needs another restart to fully install updates within the next couple of hours.

Some of the updated programming is counter intuitive. My work involved a lot of spreadsheet work and the user interface is just getting worse. Cursor position highlight disappeared, button fonts constantly changing, customised macros removed.

Emails are getting more difficult to read because the icons are growing in size after each upgrade so you have so little room on the page for the content. The programmer clearly loves using phone apps but has no idea the important bit of email is the content.

And then you have to re-install your personal options on each function after they are reset after each update.

/rant over

[boxst]

To finish this thread for me, this little seemingly under powered computer has been fantastic for just doing normal stuff for the last 6 weeks.

I have to get back to some serious work, so just ordered a Macbook Air, but for £90 (second hand) this has done everything that quite a large portion of people need to do without a hitch (Google Docs, You Tube, Web browsing, Netflix, Email etc..). I'm actually impressed.

[the-norseman]

They are good to give to people who often call you asking for IT support. Got my mum and sister one and had no issues since.

[Kermit power]

Surely I can't be the only person wondering how on earth you can end up having to go somewhere for a month without having time to pack your laptop???

Are you Mohamed Bazoum?

[boxst]

Kermit power said:

Surely I can't be the only person wondering how on earth you can end up having to go somewhere for a month without having time to pack your laptop???

Are you Mohamed Bazoum?

To be brutally truthful, hospitals, no family and emergencies were involved.

[s2kjock]

the-norseman said:

They are good to give to people who often call you asking for IT support. Got my mum and sister one and had no issues since.

I bought a chromebook for my father to use as a back-up for his windows laptop hoping he would migrate to it after experiencing the fast start up, much longer battery life, bigger screen etc but no joy, so I still get the IT support calls Older people take more persuading away from what they now.

I was hoping the elderly windows machine would slowly creak to a halt and one of the periodic windows updates would finally cause it to give up entirely, but it keeps coming back from the dead - I think I need to accidentally drop it next time I am visiting ..............

[the-norseman]

s2kjock said:

I bought a chromebook for my father to use as a back-up for his windows laptop hoping he would migrate to it after experiencing the fast start up, much longer battery life, bigger screen etc but no joy, so I still get the IT support calls Older people take more persuading away from what they now.

I was hoping the elderly windows machine would slowly creak to a halt and one of the periodic windows updates would finally cause it to give up entirely, but it keeps coming back from the dead - I think I need to accidentally drop it next time I am visiting ..............

Some people like desktops, got to admit I'm typing on a "desktop" now, put ChromeOS on the desktop bet hell use it then.