"Why Chromebook Pundits Are Out of Touch"

[Glorfindel]

Which is what makes capitalism so awesome

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by Glorfindel

Which is what makes capitalism so awesome

Yeah, like astronomical mortgage payments.

I considered buying a chromebook, but I'm glad I held off now. For $50-100 more, I'd rather have a windows OS box. For a number of reasons (the need to dual-boot Linux and Chrome, less software, Wine) I decided Linux on a chromebook didn't fit for my needs.

[Sregener]

I did the math. For $250, I got a 13.3 1080p Chromebook. For $250, I could get a cheap Windows laptop with a slow processor. I could buy an SSD for it for $75. Add 4GB of RAM (4 is much too little for Windows IMO) for another $50. Buy antivirus for $30/year. And wait... And wait... And wait...

My Chromebook is fast. Really fast. Light. 12+ hours of battery life the way I use it. Perfect for me.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by Sregener

I did the math. For $250, I got a 13.3 1080p Chromebook. For $250, I could get a cheap Windows laptop with a slow processor. I could buy an SSD for it for $75. Add 4GB of RAM (4 is much too little for Windows IMO) for another $50. Buy antivirus for $30/year. And wait... And wait... And wait...

My Chromebook is fast. Really fast. Light. 12+ hours of battery life the way I use it. Perfect for me.

AVG is free, so subtract $30. But of course, each to his own. The show-stopper for me was the fact that neither Chrome nor Linux can offer the same plethora of software that is available under Windows. Yes, one can run Wine, but Wine itself and the Windows-based programs that run under it may not run so well. In addition, to run Linux easily on a Chromebook, you have install it next to Chrome. That means more limited resources used. Actually overwriting the Chrome OS with Linux is another story and a difficult business that could cause bricking. So it wasn't for me.

[Sregener]

I spend about 80% of my day job removing viruses from computers that have anti-virus software on them. I'd like to believe that free antivirus software is sufficient, but experience has shown me otherwise.

Windows has the most software, this is true. And if you need those packages, then Windows is the way to go. But don't kill yourself by buying a cheap Windows laptop and think you've somehow matched a Chromebook. To get the same kind of responsiveness and enjoyable user experience, you need to spend $750+ on a Windows laptop. The $229 specials at Staples are nothing short of frustrating to work with - and that's when they're working right.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Sregener

I spend about 80% of my day job removing viruses from computers that have anti-virus software on them. I'd like to believe that free antivirus software is sufficient, but experience has shown me otherwise.

Windows has the most software, this is true. And if you need those packages, then Windows is the way to go. But don't kill yourself by buying a cheap Windows laptop and think you've somehow matched a Chromebook. To get the same kind of responsiveness and enjoyable user experience, you need to spend $750+ on a Windows laptop. The $229 specials at Staples are nothing short of frustrating to work with - and that's when they're working right.

My own experience differs from yours, and IIRC, independent testing is with me. The most popular free AV seem to out perform many of the popular paid stuff. Not saying one might not be able to find one paid package that is best of all, but I think most users are as well protected as they're going to be with the best of the free stuff.

On laptops, I disagree as well. For a comparable web-based experience, assuming you don't weigh the Windows machine down with extra bloat, then I think the $350-$450 range specials give a comparable experience to a $200-$250 range Chromebook, except for start-up and shutdown time. But in exchange for that, you get the ability to run all those Windows apps.....

...when it's working right, yes, which is why I also have Chromebooks....

[QuantumIguana]

It is interesting that people now seem to feel the need to defend not buying a Chromebook, while not that long ago the internet was filled with articles bashing it, and people seemed to feel the need to defend buying a Chromebook. Personally, I don't care what anyone else buys, all I know is that it meets my needs. If there is anything I can't do on the Chromebook, I have a Windows machine downstairs, my wife uses that most of the time.

[bullet]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Those are all Chrome Apps, which run as a pluginized extension to the Chrome Browser.

Then there is Crouton of course, as mentioned above.

Since ChromeOS is a derivative of Ubuntu, it is easy (relatively speaking...) to run Ubuntu via a chroot, integrated into ChromeOS by simply running the extra bits via Crouton's magic.

Alternatively you can install Ubuntu the normal way, bootstrapped via ChrUbuntu.

My understanding is Google switched to Gentoo from a Ubuntu base. That caused me problems with LastPass Sesame security. Solution was to switch to dual authentication with my cell phone rather than use a usb stick. LastPass was unable/unwilling to modify Sesame and recommended one of their other 8 or so authentication methods. Their recommended solution worked. Dual authentication works for me even though I live in a non-cell coverage area.

Be certain to backup Crouton install (I use Kbuntu) if you customize. A Chrome OS update will clear out your install. I backup to Google Drive and my 64GB SD slot. That way after a chrome update I can reinstall Crouton/Kbuntu and restore my customizations from backup. All this complicates an otherwise simple Chrome OS, but hey it's linux-be happy.


Here's to this thread never ending...

[ApK]

Originally Posted by bullet

Be certain to backup Crouton install (I use Kbuntu) if you customize. A Chrome OS update will clear out your install. I backup to Google Drive and my 64GB SD slot. That way after a chrome update I can reinstall Crouton/Kbuntu and restore my customizations from backup. All this complicates an otherwise simple Chrome OS, but hey it's linux-be happy.

I've applied Chromeos updates many times since starting to use Crouton, and none have cleared it out.

Most have required me to run the crouton update command to get it working again, but I've never lost the environment or the data, or had to restore anything from backup.

I assume a power wash or switching out of dev mode would indeed wipe it out, though.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Sregener

I spend about 80% of my day job removing viruses from computers that have anti-virus software on them. I'd like to believe that free antivirus software is sufficient, but experience has shown me otherwise.

Windows has the most software, this is true. And if you need those packages, then Windows is the way to go. But don't kill yourself by buying a cheap Windows laptop and think you've somehow matched a Chromebook. To get the same kind of responsiveness and enjoyable user experience, you need to spend $750+ on a Windows laptop. The $229 specials at Staples are nothing short of frustrating to work with - and that's when they're working right.

Well, yes, the problem was of course that every time the antivirus companies make a new idiot-proof antivirus, the world makes bigger idiots.

This is a general rule of life.


That does not mean a paid antivirus will do any better than the free ones, if the user at the helm does something extra user-ish.

[Rizla]

Ultimately my decision to not buy a chromebook and run Linux on ot was that it lacked the software I needed. Software availability and range is where windows continue to dominate. Hardly surprising after years of home computer dominance. This is perhaps where other OSes need to catch up.

[bullet]

Originally Posted by ApK

I've applied Chromeos updates many times since starting to use Crouton, and none have cleared it out.

Most have required me to run the crouton update command to get it working again, but I've never lost the environment or the data, or had to restore anything from backup.

I assume a power wash or switching out of dev mode would indeed wipe it out, though.

My wife has 2 HP Chromebook 14s. 2 b/c the lcd went out on the 1st one. While being repaired on warranty I got another at Costco b/c they are so inexpensive and they nicely serve her needs with Kbuntu. She breaks 'em and I fix 'em. My understanding is Chrome os will update when an update is pending and the machine powers up. For whatever reason she will tell me machine is no longer working. I power it up and it asks for initialization info. At that point I need to reestablish developer mode and do a reinstall involving gmail id/pw and network connection then redownloading crouton and loading Kbuntu. I will pay attention to the new one she seldom uses and see if I can perform an update myself on it to watch what happens. It has happened 3 times in the past year to her. Could be operator error.

I would like to see it work for me as it does for you. In the meantime
"Things go boom in the night".

[Glorfindel]

Uh, Google is farther in than MS.

[Dopedangel]

http://chrome.blogspot.sg/2015/03/mo...-everyone.html

And the race to the bottom continues $150 chromebooks are here.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

http://chrome.blogspot.sg/2015/03/mo...-everyone.html

And the race to the bottom continues $150 chromebooks are here.

Those ChromeOS sticks look fun too, and my wife liked the look of the Asus touchscreen Flip model.

The race upwards is underway as well with the new larger Chromebooks, the higher end Chromeboxes and the Pixel 2.

All good stuff.

Graham