"Why Chromebook Pundits Are Out of Touch"

[tubemonkey]

More impressions about the C720:

Battery -- really long - getting over 9 hours
Speakers -- still impressed - don't need external ones
Missing Keys -- still annoyed that they're missing - adds a burden that isn't justified
Chrome OS -- still taking time to get used to
Audio Files -- still need Windows in order to deal with audio files Chrome can't handle (WMA)

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

More impressions about the C720:

Battery -- really long - getting over 9 hours
Speakers -- still impressed - don't need external ones
Missing Keys -- still annoyed that they're missing - adds a burden that isn't justified
Chrome OS -- still taking time to get used to
Audio Files -- still need Windows in order to deal with audio files Chrome can't handle (WMA)

Wow, 9 hours! I've seen some really good reviews for the C720, too. I hope that you enjoy your device.

This sounds like a very good library work laptop for someone like me or a travel laptop. I might pick one up for my mom at some point and see how she likes it - she really wants a laptop, but she would really only use it for video calls, surfing the internet, looking at family photos and saving recipes. I think a full fledged OS would be overkill for her, especially as she does not have much experience with using computers.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

Wow, 9 hours! I've seen some really good reviews for the C720, too. I hope that you enjoy your device.

This sounds like a very good library work laptop for someone like me or a travel laptop. I might pick one up for my mom at some point and see how she likes it - she really wants a laptop, but she would really only use it for video calls, surfing the internet, looking at family photos and saving recipes. I think a full fledged OS would be overkill for her, especially as she does not have much experience with using computers.

Sounds like just about the right match!

(I'm not sure about the video calls though?)

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

Wow, 9 hours! I've seen some really good reviews for the C720, too. I hope that you enjoy your device.

Next week, I plan to test it with videos and music to see how long it lasts. One day I'll stream movies and the next day i'll stream music.

[kennyc]

Answering my own question....

Video calls....apparently no Skype but:

https://support.google.com/chromeboo.../3217430?hl=en

https://support.google.com/chat/answer/161986?hl=en

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Answering my own question....

Video calls....apparently no Skype but:

https://support.google.com/chromeboo.../3217430?hl=en

https://support.google.com/chat/answer/161986?hl=en

Thanks for the links and info!

[Graham]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Video calls....apparently no Skype

Yes, unfortunately with Skype we're entirely in the hands of Microsoft, who don't seem eager to release a pure web app version.

They've built it into their cloud version of Outlook, but that needs a Windows plugin.

However, Google Hangouts works as well if not better, and you can have more than two people in the video call - the problem is more having to shift the people you want to converse with over from Skype.

There are also other video chat options in the Chrome web store if Google Hangouts isn't for you.

Graham

[forsooth]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

More impressions about the C720:


Audio Files -- still need Windows in order to deal with audio files Chrome can't handle (WMA)

Convert wma to mp3. Convenience!

[Graham]

Originally Posted by forsooth

Convert wma to mp3. Convenience!

The monkey's problem is with Overdrive wma library audiobooks. Conversion's not an option unfortunately.

Graham

[forsooth]

Originally Posted by Graham

The monkey's problem is with Overdrive wma library audiobooks. Conversion's not an option unfortunately.

Graham

I do not understand problem.

Is the audiobook file format wma?

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by forsooth

I do not understand problem.

Is the audiobook file format wma?

Protected WMA.

[bullet]

I am trying to get my new HP Chromebook 14 (4GB Ram, 32GB SSD) to play properly with a sesame usb for LastPass. I have it dual partitioned fat32 and ext2 so sesame routines can be seen by windows and linux os in 32 and 64 bit installs. Chrome OS does not know how to open the files. If Chromebooks cannot use 2 stage authentication via LastPass sesame, it has to go back to Costco. All my other computers, android and IOS devices work just fine with sesame/LastPass. Anyone else use LastPass for security with a chromebook? This is a show stopper for me. It does seem odd not to have LibreOffice and Thunderbird or a decent file manager around, but I appreciate the attempt to provide an internet mostly, inexpensive, simple device.

[=X=]

Chrome books are not for everyone but in the right use case they are excellent.

For instance a youths sport organization I coach for was in need of several devices Internet capable devices to run their tournaments. Since cost was an issue I recommended chrombooks. They were reluctant at first since they where use to their windows/mac laptops but eventually they listened to my counsel. It ends up the chromebooks have been trouble free and have worked out greatly, which is not the case for their windows and macs.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by bullet

I am trying to get my new HP Chromebook 14 (4GB Ram, 32GB SSD) to play properly with a sesame usb for LastPass. I have it dual partitioned fat32 and ext2 so sesame routines can be seen by windows and linux os in 32 and 64 bit installs. Chrome OS does not know how to open the files. If Chromebooks cannot use 2 stage authentication via LastPass sesame, it has to go back to Costco. All my other computers, android and IOS devices work just fine with sesame/LastPass.

LastPass works fine on the Chromebook (I use it myself), but Sesame is an application written for Windows, Mac or Linux. There isn't a version that executes for ChromeOS.

However, if you need two stage authentication, and don't mind paying for an additional device, a YubiKey looks as though it will work. YubiKey's website states:

[T]he YubiKey works by emitting an one time password (OTP) by emulating a USB keyboard. As USB keyboards are supported by almost all modern computers, the YubiKey requires no additional client software. (Windows, Linux, Mac, iPad, Firefox, Chrome, etc.)

Note, I haven't tested this as I don't have a YubiKey.

Graham

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by bullet

I am trying to get my new HP Chromebook 14 (4GB Ram, 32GB SSD) to play properly with a sesame usb for LastPass. I have it dual partitioned fat32 and ext2 so sesame routines can be seen by windows and linux os in 32 and 64 bit installs. Chrome OS does not know how to open the files. If Chromebooks cannot use 2 stage authentication via LastPass sesame, it has to go back to Costco. All my other computers, android and IOS devices work just fine with sesame/LastPass. Anyone else use LastPass for security with a chromebook? This is a show stopper for me. It does seem odd not to have LibreOffice and Thunderbird or a decent file manager around, but I appreciate the attempt to provide an internet mostly, inexpensive, simple device.

Did you try using it in Crouton?

Without enabling developer mode, you can't run software anyway, right?

And since google search says ChromeOS is now based on Gentoo not Ubuntu, there is no Sesame version for Gentoo, so you might hit a little trouble there anyway, unless you use it in crouton or get LastPass to create a Gentoo version.