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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: Ghetto Caps on Wed, 29 January 2014, 21:54:14

Title: Chromebook.
Post by: Ghetto Caps on Wed, 29 January 2014, 21:54:14: Who here owns a chrome book?

Opinions/Thoughts?
I want to buy one so I'm asking for opinions before i get one

thanks!

:D :D ;) ;) :) ;) ;D :) :) :D :) :D :D :) :D ;D
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: demik on Wed, 29 January 2014, 23:44:09: shoot a PM to CPTBadAss, I believe he has a chromebook. or maybe he'll see this thread.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: Hak Foo on Thu, 30 January 2014, 00:06:08: I got one a few months ago when they had the refurbished Acer ones for like $130. It's a 1100MHz dual-core Celeron IIRC with 2Gb of memory, but it doesn't feel particularly bogged down as a reddit-on-the-couch station.

It's definitely worth $130, though not much more than that, as a browser-in-a-box. There are a few moderately usable addons-- I think a SSH client and an IRC client-- that can be added to get you closer to a real computer, or theoretically there's also Crouton
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 30 January 2014, 00:51:20: Do these run real operating systems i.e. to turn them into general purpose computers?
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: Hak Foo on Thu, 30 January 2014, 00:52:42: Not really; there's a packaged Linux distribution but I'm not sure about compatibility with all models.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: nkzt on Thu, 30 January 2014, 02:16:25: I'm using Samsung ARM Chromebook now.
Chrome OS is good. Crouton (fakeroot Ubuntu) is nice. Hardware is great and precious because it has no cooling fan! Perfectly silent!
I love this notebook. But only LCD is not good. I recommend HP ARM Chromebook now.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: sth on Thu, 30 January 2014, 02:17:50: chromebooks are cool :)
so are thinkpad x60/61, if you don't mind the resolution. and you don't have to do very much to get most linux distros/windows to work.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: Ghetto Caps on Thu, 30 January 2014, 17:50:52: Im planning to DSL or ubuntu
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: CPTBadAss on Thu, 30 January 2014, 18:30:00: Quote from: demik on Wed, 29 January 2014, 23:44:09
shoot a PM to CPTBadAss, I believe he has a chromebook. or maybe he'll see this thread.

I have a CR48.

So I got rid of my laptop a while back when I got my rig but I missed having a computer to really just surf the net with, check email, and spam GeekHack with. I'm really not into tablets and ultra PCs are too expensive for what I'm looking to do. I literally wanted something that was an internet browser with a keyboard and some extra features.

For me and what I wanted, a Chromebook was the perfect solution. I like the stripped down OS. It pushes the browser first with some apps and I really like Chrome and the...Apple-esque simplicity of the OS in general. There's a few icons and it just works for the exact purpose I wanted.

Plus you can put Linux on it and I want to learn Linux.

Only issue? Chiclet keyboard :(.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: iMav on Thu, 30 January 2014, 18:52:48: I like the look of the HP Chromebook 11. I have a thinkpad x120e that serves my netbook needs nicely...but I am sure I'll pick up a Chromebook at some point to play with.

(STILL a bit miffed that I was never selected for one of the freebies) ;)
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: iMav on Fri, 31 January 2014, 22:59:18: Anyone own a Chromebook Pixel? That screen looks NICE!
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: Novus on Fri, 31 January 2014, 23:54:05: I might get a cheap one for my Grandma and aunt so they can hook it up to a tv and use it as a mediaserver/mediabox for some online shows they like to watch.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: Wildcard on Sat, 01 February 2014, 00:05:07: My brother-in-law is a director at a large non profit that is highly integrated with Google apps. He has a Google Pixel Chromebook, and while it's pricy, it's one nice device. His model has the integrated 3G which I tried out.

It's very durable, very well built, and has a very solid feel. I could never justify the cost however. But it really does a good job showcasing ChromeOS on a high res display.

For the price though, I'd prefer a full featured laptop.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: Ghetto Caps on Sat, 01 February 2014, 17:44:46: well.. no more chrome book for me, I just broke my phone :(
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: jalaj on Thu, 06 February 2014, 19:02:32: Note, when referring to tablet, I'm speaking of Android and Apple devices.

The Acer c720 chromebook currently looks like a viable alternative to tablets.
I find that tablets are great devices for personal entertainment, not so great for productivity applications.
However in the business world, the end users are expecting tablets to be viable portable replacements for the traditional desktop/laptop, which they are not and only causing pain for admins to find a feasible alternative solution.
If MS sells future Surface Pro iterations at lower price points then the product can supplant Android/Apple tablets in the business sector.
But for now, in business world, maybe the chromebooks (with viable CPU) is a better device than any tablet.

I cringe seeing people attach a KB to a tablet. Just buy a freaking ultraportable, Surface Pro, or a Chromebook.

/rant
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: billnye on Mon, 13 October 2014, 21:17:00: Big necro here.

I ordered a Toshiba Chromebook 2 yesterday, mostly for taking notes in class and because I wanted to learn more about Chromebooks in general.

I'll let everyone know how it is once I get it!
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: hwood34 on Tue, 14 October 2014, 12:57:55: Wow, necro day it is. Never used a chromebook until today. This is the worst thing I've ever used. Slow, layout is pretty funky so I miss stuff all the time, the switches somehow feel worse than other scissor-switches. There isn't even a right mouse button.
edit: right mouse = 2 finger tap
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: billnye on Tue, 14 October 2014, 13:02:19: Quote from: hwood34 on Tue, 14 October 2014, 12:57:55
Wow, necro day it is. Never used a chromebook until today. This is the worst thing I've ever used. Slow, layout is pretty funky so I miss stuff all the time, the switches somehow feel worse than other scissor-switches. There isn't even a right mouse button.
edit: right mouse = 2 finger tap

Which model did you use?
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: hwood34 on Tue, 14 October 2014, 13:05:12: Quote from: billnye29 on Tue, 14 October 2014, 13:02:19

Quote from: hwood34 on Tue, 14 October 2014, 12:57:55
Wow, necro day it is. Never used a chromebook until today. This is the worst thing I've ever used. Slow, layout is pretty funky so I miss stuff all the time, the switches somehow feel worse than other scissor-switches. There isn't even a right mouse button.
edit: right mouse = 2 finger tap

Which model did you use?
samsung
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: TacticalCoder on Tue, 14 October 2014, 21:50:26: Quote from: rowdy on Thu, 30 January 2014, 00:51:20
Do these run real operating systems i.e. to turn them into general purpose computers?

A friend of mine has a Chromebook Pixel and he ditched the locked-in ChromeOS (?) to install Arch Linux instead. I take it other Linux distros would do it too. I was very impressed by how nice that Chromebook was.

So, yes, as of now they can still run a real OS and be used as real computers.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: blackbox on Wed, 15 October 2014, 08:13:10: Have to chromebooks for testing at the office. Havent used them much but they seem nice.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: rowdy on Wed, 15 October 2014, 16:35:33: Is there much involved in installing a conventional operating system in this type of device?
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: TacticalCoder on Thu, 16 October 2014, 08:07:27: Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 15 October 2014, 16:35:33
Is there much involved in installing a conventional operating system in this type of device?

I just emailed my friend asking him if it was straightforward or not to install Arch Linux on his ChromeBook Pixel and I'll let you know once he answers.

Btw is that what you meant by "conventional" !? Compared to ChromeOS I take it Linux is "conventional" :)
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: jdcarpe on Thu, 16 October 2014, 08:18:28: If you want to replace the ChromeOS completely with another Linux, you need to flash a new BIOS firmware that doesn't look for ChromeOS. Otherwise, you can install as a dual-boot setup with no problems.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: TacticalCoder on Thu, 16 October 2014, 09:57:47: Quote from: jdcarpe on Thu, 16 October 2014, 08:18:28
If you want to replace the ChromeOS completely with another Linux, you need to flash a new BIOS firmware that doesn't look for ChromeOS. Otherwise, you can install as a dual-boot setup with no problems.

Apparently you're not forced to flash : you can press "ctrl-l" everytime you boot and that allows to boot an unsigned OS !?

My friend is telling me that besides some ALSA patch to get the sound working correctly (without clicking nor popping) it wasn't too hard to get Arch Linux running fine on his Chromebook. Suspend-to-ram needs some hackery too apparently.

So it works but it still looks like it's not as easy as, say, installing Ubuntu on a desktop PC.

The keyboard layout seems a bit too weird to me that said so I'm probably not going to buy one anytime soon.

Moreover someone in the family has a free MacBook Air which gets no love anymore so I should own it soon :)
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 17 October 2014, 08:50:55: DON'T BUY A CHROMEBOOK

BUY THIS INSTEAD
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/151323783186?lpid=82
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODk3WDEwMTE=/z/5VYAAOxyrx5TlfKY/$_57.JPG)
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: blackbox on Fri, 17 October 2014, 09:05:04: Quote from: microsoft windows on Fri, 17 October 2014, 08:50:55
DON'T BUY A CHROMEBOOK

BUY THIS INSTEAD
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/151323783186?lpid=82
Show Image
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODk3WDEwMTE=/z/5VYAAOxyrx5TlfKY/$_57.JPG)

open IE and exit explorer.exe and you have a iebook.
Title: Re: Chromebook.
Post by: cinnamonrollz on Sun, 19 October 2014, 13:21:28: Been considering a Chromebook for a while. I think I would be a little more inclined if It had more upgrade options.