Chromebooks

[Vince]

Is anyone using a Chromebook?

The last I heard, Chromebooks were devices purchased by people who didn't know what they were doing. Recently, I was amazed to learn how popular these devices are. If most of your activity is online, Chromebooks actually give you a better value than Windows laptops. For the first three months of 2016, they outsold Macs, although most of the sales were to schools.

Does anybody, pro or con, use a Chromebook?

 

[tim-from-pa]

My next "laptop" may be a chromebook I want to give a try. Wonder why people don't give it more credit? This laptop is 10 years old now and is finally slowing up -- now not excessively mind you, just a little, but I had an old clunker desktop I built in 2002 I just retired that was VERY slow I suspect because the video card was very old --- would not run flash any longer and even the better HTML 5 was choppy (now anything can run that!) Besides this laptop, I'm down to an iphone, Nexus tablet and I also have another Android desktop computer. For a desktop, if this one takes a dive (but it will be awhile yet) I'd also like to try a Google Chromebox.

All I do is surf the web, email, forums, FB and watch youtube videos, maybe a handful of local apps. That's it. And Chrome can do all that. Besides, I always wanted a Solid State Hard drive for 10 years now, but even today they don't make them big memory-wise. This is so that you have to pay for online storage is a way to get away with these cheap computers.

Realistically, it would be nice to put an operating system on a stick and then install it on 10 computers of various types so they'd all be the same, and they all have large storage. But to get anything larger than 16GB costs $$$. Even over 10 years ago hard drives were 40-80GB were the norm then.

 

[Vince]

Tim, here in Mexico I can buy a new Chromebook for less than a used Windows laptop. Unfortunately, my wife is on my case about buying her a new recliner first. Since pesos don't grow on cacti, my Chromebook will have to wait.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Tim, here in Mexico I can buy a new Chromebook for less than a used Windows laptop. Unfortunately, my wife is on my case about buying her a new recliner first. Since pesos don't grow on cacti, my Chromebook will have to wait.

That reminds me of a post on my wall with the same moral conclusion. "When you wife walks in from the store with a new broom, do not ask if she broke the last one in a hard landing!"

I have not the funds to test much since I fell off the side of my truck and can no longer work. And this stupid Multiple Sclerosis has put me in bed with hands that tremble so bad I can no longer build units to make money either. All of that to say, I have known a couple of people that picked up the Chrome Books and love them.

I do know the Google Team took the Ubuntu OS and customized it to look as they wanted and then, as do all the teams round the world, did some customization on it. I would recommend going to http://getchrome.eu/download.php and downloading the system, it should come in an iso file. Then go to https://www.virtualbox.org/ and download the version, I believe you need windoze, and install it in your machine. After it is installed created a new Virtual 8gig hdd and in that get ready to install from the selection, virtual hdd and navigate to the extracted iso file and it will install for you in less than one third the time windows does and allow you to see if you want to deal with it.

I do not know the system because I have been busy testing others but if Wine does not come installe, make that your first task because it enables the operation of most Windows software. I have one game that does not run but for that I have a copy of CrossOver. It is free to try but costs $60 for the license if it works for you.

Tim and I both are linux techs and will be happy to either help or to point you to sources if needed.

 

[Mike]

We have a Chromebook, and it's great for our purposes which is pretty much web browsing and watching videos. For that, it is very capable. Using my phone as a hotspot, it's very convenient to tote around and be mobile with it.

I don't know how nicely this would fit in if we were into video editing or even big word processing jobs. At Google IO, they announced plans to integrate Google Play Store into Chromebooks so that you can download all apps. As it is, you're limited to specific apps that are compatible with Chromebooks and coded for them.

Love the long battery life and quick time to fully charge. They boot up in seconds, even when applying software updates. Very thin and light weight.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Hi Mike,
I edit and compile videos for the Church exclusively with Open Shot. And Chrome being a modified form of Ubuntu there should be no issue that I can see using it in Chrome. I do think I might set Chrome into a virtual machine and try it if I can remember it when I get off the lap top and back to my bigger machine.

 

[Mike]

th1b.taylor that's good to know. I probably won't be doing any of that, but it's good to see its capabilities being stretched. It blows my mind that people will spend what they spend for a Macbook Pro when you can buy a good Chromebook for a fractions of the cost, and they're not all using the Macbook for reasons that demand it. More money than sense, IMHO. A lit up image of an apple with a bite out of it isn't worth $1500 to surf the web, is it?

 

[th1b.taylor]

th1b.taylor that's good to know. I probably won't be doing any of that, but it's good to see its capabilities being stretched. It blows my mind that people will spend what they spend for a Macbook Pro when you can buy a good Chromebook for a fractions of the cost, and they're not all using the Macbook for reasons that demand it. More money than sense, IMHO. A lit up image of an apple with a bite out of it isn't worth $1500 to surf the web, is it?

I did some this morning and I found out that for a virtual test I need to download only a certain form of the OS and then only from one source. I will try it later but I searched for testing chrome os to find it.

You think that's bad? My wife, my daughter, and I all were using 3 to 4 hundred dollar Bill Taylor builds but we bought my Granddaughter a 1500 dollar Mac Book for college because she wanted! Don't ever let you baby girls get into your hip pocket, there is no mercy nor will you cry for it. LOL!

 

[Mike]

Don't ever let you baby girls get into your hip pocket, there is no mercy nor will you cry for it. LOL!

They're already there, but they know how I feel about Apple. They can get them. All they have to do is pay for them. Now, if I could just get them to stop putting their Droids in their own hip pockets! I've told them I will have no mercy and they will cry when they hear the crunch. Droids aren't falling off trees, either. ehmmm..... I've gone off topic.

I misread your earlier post to say you are using your Chromebook for video editing. I'll be very interested to hear how that goes for you. Music and video editing seem to be the things I hear most of the time that have legitimately separated Macbooks from the competition, but that would be exclusively for high-end power-users.

 

[th1b.taylor]

They're already there, but they know how I feel about Apple. They can get them. All they have to do is pay for them. Now, if I could just get them to stop putting their Droids in their own hip pockets! I've told them I will have no mercy and they will cry when they hear the crunch. Droids aren't falling off trees, either. ehmmm..... I've gone off topic.

I misread your earlier post to say you are using your Chromebook for video editing. I'll be very interested to hear how that goes for you. Music and video editing seem to be the things I hear most of the time that have legitimately separated Macbooks from the competition, but that would be exclusively for high-end power-users.

I have run into a snag, the download requires some sort of registration with the writer of the software and i cannot wrap my thick head around and I am about to give up. But with any of our Linux operating systems 256MB is the starter RAM and their lack of the use of resources is what makes them so fast.

I might join the forum and ask about to find the solution to the download.

 

[th1b.taylor]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2691209/5-powerful-things-you-didnt-know-chromebooks-could-do.html


Searching I found the link above and number five says that the newer Chromebooks will run two operating systems and the noted system is, of course, the second most popular OS in the world, Ubuntu. And I have yet to find work I cannot perform on my Ubuntu. Ubuntu, a derivative of Debian has, the last time I looked better than 40,000 free packages enabling just about anything one can dream of. It describes flipping a switch and I am thinking some form of dual boot. It certainly makes a Chromebook much more valuable.

 

[Vince]

My wonderful adorable wife agreed today to let me get a Chromebook. Reading these posts, I see that I have a lot to learn. Which is great, as I enjoy geeking around.

Taylor, I'll be praying for your health and your finances.

 

[th1b.taylor]

My wonderful adorable wife agreed today to let me get a Chromebook. Reading these posts, I see that I have a lot to learn. Which is great, as I enjoy geeking around.

Taylor, I'll be praying for your health and your finances.

Please not for my health, okay. Finances, I would love to buy my wife a new Desktop but that is not a requirement.

But please buy the chromebook and if you have any issues getting Ubuntu on it let me know. as I understand the answers to my queries and the faqs I read the older chromebooks had a switch on them also but it had to do with the hardware on board. On the newer ones this switch enables a dual boot mode but as I understand it without a normal dual configuration but, as I understood, flip the switch to select the system and normal boot.

 

[Vince]

Thanks, Taylor. I happily went online to Walmart in Mexico and found that they had discontinued all their Chromebooks, which they had been selling four days ago. However, they might restart.

The local Walmart tells me that they are not allowed to order a Chromebook for me.

I contacted the Chromebook forum for help in locating a store in nearby Guadalajara that actually had Chromebooks in stock. They explained that even stores with Chromebooks on display often don't have them in stock, so the best way to get one is online.

I would prefer to deal with Acer, for whom I used to be a forum writer. They explained that they do not ship to Mexico.

sigh Not giving up, yet, though.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Thanks, Taylor. I happily went online to Walmart in Mexico and found that they had discontinued all their Chromebooks, which they had been selling four days ago. However, they might restart.

The local Walmart tells me that they are not allowed to order a Chromebook for me.

I contacted the Chromebook forum for help in locating a store in nearby Guadalajara that actually had Chromebooks in stock. They explained that even stores with Chromebooks on display often don't have them in stock, so the best way to get one is online.

I would prefer to deal with Acer, for whom I used to be a forum writer. They explained that they do not ship to Mexico.

sigh Not giving up, yet, though.

Wow! Do you live close enough to the border to rent a PO Box for a month?

 

[Vince]

Wow! Do you live close enough to the border to rent a PO Box for a month?

I live far enough from the border to expect Customs to steal any packages I get.

 

[th1b.taylor]

I live far enough from the border to expect Customs to steal any packages I get.

Ya just gotta love Central America! A missionary friend in Guatemala has me copy disks onto blanks and label them in pen with "of no value" to prevent their 100% import tax.

 

[Mike]

Searching I found the link above and number five says that the newer Chromebooks will run two operating systems and the noted system is, of course, the second most popular OS in the world, Ubuntu.

Chromebooks are making slow progress forward. I don't understand the resistance to making them more compatible. I realize Android is at its root a Linux kernel, but I'm more interested in Google making them more compatible with Android devices than Ubuntu.

 

[Vince]

Yesterday I turned down a chance to buy an Acer Chromebook with an 11.3" touchscreen. A laptop doesn't need a touchscreen, and cheap laptops definitely don't need them. However, when Chromebooks become able to install Android apps later this year, they will need touchscreens to use most of them.

Incidentally, you cannot download the Chrome OS. You can download the free open-source Chromium OS.

I am also intrigued by the fact that a Chromebook can probably run Linux better than a Windows laptop can. Taylor, after I get through geeking around my new Chromebook (when I get one), I might take you up on your offer to help me dual-boot Linux.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Yesterday I turned down a chance to buy an Acer Chromebook with an 11.3" touchscreen. A laptop doesn't need a touchscreen, and cheap laptops definitely don't need them. However, when Chromebooks become able to install Android apps later this year, they will need touchscreens to use most of them.

Incidentally, you cannot download the Chrome OS. You can download the free open-source Chromium OS.

I am also intrigued by the fact that a Chromebook can probably run Linux better than a Windows laptop can. Taylor, after I get through geeking around my new Chromebook (when I get one), I might take you up on your offer to help me dual-boot Linux.

Yes, in spite of what I read my conclusion is that the OS cannot be downloaded also, unfortunate. And the dual boot is almost impossibly simple with Ubuntu but if what I read on the CB forum is correct they have eliminated the necessity oof an actual dual boot with an onboard switch on the device.

I dual boot as many machines as I am permitted to and all I do is go into windows and disable fast boot and and shrink the windows partition, then reboot and
go into the UEFI by hitting Escape on my HP or F2, F11, F12 or the blue Think Pad button on other machines as they are early in the Boot Cycle to enter setup. There I also turn Fast Boot off and then, in my HP, I hit the Escape again followed by F9 and select the CD Drive. Then reboot and Ubuntu will ask if you wish to install alongside windows or do you wish to replace it. Select along side and it becomes Dual Boot automatically. Then Never Reinstall Windows without backing anything you need to save on the second partition because it will disappear.

Fairly straight forward varying in the entrance into Setup by machine brand but not much.