Has anyone tried a Chromebook? I have one on order, the Samsung Chromebook. I need

[RKP5637]

Last edited Mon Mar 4, 2013, 09:56 AM - Edit history (3)

something larger than a tablet and with a real K/B. I'm just using it as my second PC for traveling. I need something simple I can pickup and go with ... also, it's based on Unix/Linux, so that was a big plus for me. On the road I'm only doing email and browsing. One can't beat the price at about $250. On Amazon it has some good reviews. I like the idea of how it manages updates and the security. I got the Wifi version.

Update: I'm looking for users of Chromebook and how they are making out with it ...

Here is an interesting review of the Chromebook ...

http://www.zdnet.com/the-google-chromebook-suddenly-is-an-enterprise-contender-7000006018/

Interesting article (I think).

Low-cost Chromebooks are best for folks who have easy access to the Internet.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2013/03/03/dropbox-picasa-google-chromebook/1951237/

[JayhawkSD]

1. Asking for advice is a good idea.

But you seem to be asking for advice after you have already bought the product. Seems to me you should be asking before you buy the product. Maybe I'm missing the point of your question.

[RKP5637]

2. I've read many reviews. I'm more curious about user issues. I've read where a forced reload of the

OS solves the majority of issues. I don't have the link now, but it looks like the OS is on about a 6 week release cycle. Do you have a Chromebook?

[MuseRider]

3. I will be peeking in

because I am interested in this as well. I have a Samsung tablet and phone and am very happy with how they manage things. I am trying to arrange all my junk into something highly workable for me. $250.00 is a nice price. I do hope you will post something about it after you have used it a while.

[RKP5637]

4. Yep, I will. I spent my life in technology, but there are times when one

just wants simple. If the reviews I've read are any indication, it will work perfectly as another device that's always updated ready to go.

I was always against cloud computing (personal info. reasons), but this is clearly a cloud appliance. Some people lament not being able to work off line with it, but they really should IMO be then using a traditional laptop. Interesting, Google just did another OS release that does allow some off line work. I'm a fan of Eric Schmidt and Unix/Linux, so this is why it caught my attention plus the low cost.

[RKP5637]

13. Here's a review of the Chromebook I found interesting. Mine has arrived

Last edited Thu Mar 7, 2013, 01:20 PM - Edit history (3)

and I find it to be an incredible device for the price "if" one is internet-centric. It's an extension of the cloud to you ... so, for most things you need to have an internet connection. I was struck by the quality of the Samsung. I use mostly email and the web. I have my 2 other Linux systems/desktops churning 7x24, but I really like the Chromebook for portability and it's self-maintaining - no updates - really none of the maintenance required by a PC. One just turns on the Chromebook and uses it. Its portability makes it nice for hot spots. I use VPN and connect. The keyboard is really nice as is the screen. I've been amazed at it all for such a low price.

Let me know if you have questions. Here's the review.

Again, one has to recall what the Chromebook is about ... it connects you to the cloud. It is not meant to be a tablet, laptop or desktop. Hence, I give it higher marks than below. Some corps. have moved all employees to Chromebook for simplicity and cheapness. There are no servers to maintain, really nothing ... than a connection to the internet. Some have no IT staffs. I love it, but no, I'm not giving up my 2 Linux desktops.

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2013/01/samsung-chromebook-3/

PS: If you have lots of passwords and all to synchronize LastPass seems to work extraordinarily well. https://lastpass.com/

[MuseRider]

14. Thanks!

By the time I would need another device I will understand what it is all about. I appreciate this. Thank you.

[Recursion]

5. I've never quite understood the theory. Why not spend a little less for a netbook?

Or significantly less for a Kindle Fire HD?

[RKP5637]

6. Here's an article I found interesting ...

Last edited Tue Feb 26, 2013, 04:19 PM - Edit history (1)

PS: We'll see. I'll get back after I've used it awhile.

... it's probably mostly user needs ... for me, I need to connect to wifi and browse ... and an occasional email and some other stuff wherein a full keyboard is nice. It's purely a secondary device.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/samsung-google-chromebook-notebook-review,19034.html

Keep in mind that a tablet is a content viewing ("lean back&quot device and a notebook is a content creation ("lean forward&quot device. These are two completely different scenarios and as a buyer you need to know what purpose this new computer will have to serve. Mostly content viewing? Go with a tablet. You need to do more writing than just emails? Take a Chromebook, even if it may not the popular choice. So, my answer is that I actually do find this a very mature device that has enough compelling features that I would buy it - if I needed a basic notebook for web surfing and some writing, and if I knew that I would always have Internet access available.

In that sense, the Chromebook feels very much what the netbook should have been and what the netbook should have evolved into.

Criticism

Of course, this device is not without issues. The Chromebook's biggest problem today may be a bit of an identity crisis. It's not as good as a tablet in app usage, and it's not as good as a productivity device as a regular notebook. It feels very much like a compromise. To win more supporters, the Chromebook needs a signature feature that is unique to this device. The Chrome Remote Desktop App is an example, but it relies, of course, on the functionality of another device.

Google's opportunity may be in connecting Android and Chrome OS much tighter than it has so far. Adding a touchscreen and integrating Android support that would allow users to exchange data between Android and Chrome OS more easily could be a feature that would make these devices much more appealing and attract much more interest.

[mythology]

7. I have the Acer version,

but I immediately installed Ubuntu on it. While it's still got a small Chrome partition, I've never really booted into it other than when I first got it. I don't really like the idea of a laptop that only works when you've got network access.

[RKP5637]

8. Thanks for the info. I didn't know you could wipe off Chrome and install Ubuntu. n/t

[Phillip McCleod]

9. that ^^^^^^^ is what i wanted to know.

i'm buying one then.

if you can install ubuntu then you can install just linux. all linuxes are at the kernel of the matter, just linux. sure unity is touch-friendly but..

the chromebook is not a touch device! it's a solid-state computer, and THAT (worthy of caps lock) is why i'm interested in them.

i'm buying one.

ps. plus i'm curious about chrome os. what if linux went all commercial? i'd need a new operating system.

[RKP5637]

10. That, I don't know about ... mine hasn't arrived yet. I had thought Chromebook was permanently

glued to Chrome OS, but apparently not. ... if I Google "install Ubuntu on Chromebook" it looks like one can sure do it ...

[Adelante]

11. I don't have a Chromebook

But I am very interested.

Here is an article I found helpful:

The Chromebook Isn't Bad, Just Misunderstood

The announcement of the Chromebook Pixel has driven something home for me: People don't get the Chromebook—and by people, I mostly mean the tech journalists covering it. Reviewers and pundits have poo-pooed Google's Web-connected laptops almost since day one, harping on the devices for being too expensive, too limited, too reliant on the Web. In the meantime, Chromebooks have gotten astonishingly inexpensive, picked up all sorts of functionality, and greatly expanded that functionality online and off.

The Chromebook is a category unto itself, distinct from regular laptops. And the features championed by Google's Chromebook experiment are already sending ripples through the tech world, with Microsoft's Office 365 offering an answer to Google Docs, and cloud storage services like SkyDrive and Dropbox gaining popularity. Chromebooks may not be for all users in all circumstances, but they still have a place in the market, and are rapidly evolving beyond the devices that formed the basis of many reviewers' first impressions. Shouldn't those opinions be evolving as well?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416124,00.asp

[RKP5637]

12. Thanks for the link!!! Mine should be here sometime this week. For me, it seems

perfect. I'm a techie, but I want something really simple that I can quickly do browsing and email, and I don't want another 'box' to be the administrator for. From what I can see Chromebox administers itself. I'm excited about it ...

Thanks

[RKP5637]

15. Here's an update. I've been using this one for a couple of weeks now. It's an incredible

device. And sooo cheap ... and works so well. There are times when one wants just simple, and this is it ... simple, cheap and works well. This has to be a "lost leader." ... sold with tight margins to spark more interest. Many times my large systems here sit and I use the handy Samsung Chromebook. ... especially in the morning and late at night.

[Old and In the Way]

16. My understanding, I could be wrong, is that the Chrome Book is strictly an internet appliance.

If you are totally cool with cloud storage and online apps, like Google Docs, it's lightweight and lowcost.... but what happens if you can't get online? It's pretty much a brick, I think.

[RKP5637]

17. I've been using one for several weeks now and I'm really impressed with the

Samsung Chromebook for $250. I use it as a secondary device around the house and when traveling via VPN (for mostly email/browsing). My main storage is back on my desktop. It has the capability now to do offline email composing, etc. and some doc editing. I've not used these features, they are relatively recent and hence I can not speak to them. For the price IMO it's an incredible device. Yes, as you say, it's very web-centric ... definitely not for anyone wanting a stand-alone device for a lot of offline work.

[Old and In the Way]

18. Evactly correct

Just remember - no right answer.