Any opinion on Chromebooks?

[Yellow Fang]

My mum needs another laptop. I upgraded it to Windows 11 and now it takes half an hour to boot up. She says she only needs it to access her emails, access her crossword puzzle, google and ebay. She's not going to use Microsoft Office, play PC games (if people still do that), write or install software. I looked in Currys. Laptops with Windows 11 start about £250 up to about £800. Apple Macbooks start about £900. Chromebooks are about £200. I wondered whether a Chromebook would be adequate for her needs. She is not that good at tech. If she is used to Windows then could she easily get the hang of a Chromebook?

 

[Psamathe]

Also consider privacy.

Plus, with my parents it was always very difficult to appreciate how good/bad they were with tech as they could give the appearance of coping OK but that was actually because they knew how to do the few things they often did. Any change really threw them and became a nightmare.

Ian

 

[sungod]

chromebook should be fine for that, just avoid old old old stock as it may have limited support life

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Paging @raleighnut!

 

[Yellow Fang]

I looked up some advantages and disadvantages. Chromebooks do most things in the cloud, so you need a good internet connection. Most stuff my mum does on her computer relies on the internet. Disadvantages include not being able to edit music or videos easily or use Teams. That may have been a problem to my stepmother, but not my mother. An advantage with Chromebooks is you don't have to install software, worry about viruses, or upgrade the operating system so much. The source I read said you only have to replace your computer every 5 years instead of every 2-3 years. I might persuade my mum to get one.

 

[biggs682]

Gets my votes and it's what we have used for 5+ years

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I had this conversation a night or two ago on the 'Chain' thread:

Nah I'm not on a computer these days, just a crappy tablet thingy....................Can't post links

Youtube, though?

Nah can't access it without signing in and also signing into a G=mail account (which I don't have) at least I can get on here to post drivel interesting things

But you just go to the site and click 'share'.

I don't quite understand, you don't need to sign into Youtube

You do on a 'Chromebook' since google bought youtube.....................just another way for google to collect information for 'targeted adverts'

If someone posts a video on here say in 'The Chain' or Friday night is....................Then I can watch that but if it's a link to Youtube I can't

My W7 laptop packed up and it was £400+ for a new laptop or sub £200 for the chromebook...........didn't know the problems with the chromebook back then but I was skint and people on here thought I'd done a 'flounce' when I hadn't posted for 3-4 weeks.
Don't really use the computer for much anyway and neither do most of my mates (well the ones who are still alive) likewise I don't have a mobile phone anymore (Marian has one for ringing Cabs etc when we are out though)

 

[Psamathe]

The source I read said you only have to replace your computer every 5 years instead of every 2-3 years. I might persuade my mum to get one.

I switched to Mac (from Windows) about 15 years ago and my Mac laptops last normally 6 years (and I do a fair amount of photography (Adobe based) and some video so even the 6 year old models are still coping with eg Adobe AI based noise reduction (all based on device not internet).

So Macs are more expensive but I consider they last a lot lot longer.

(You can also trade in old ones to Apple, last Mac upgrade I got over £200 off trade-in from Apple the 6 year old Macbook which reduced the higher costs a little more).

Ian

 

[swee'pea99]

She says she only needs it to access her emails, access her crossword puzzle, google and ebay.

She'll do all of these exactly as she does now, or very close, in Chrome. The learning curve will be not much longer than it takes to open the lid. The only real difference being, it'll all be there the instant she does: boot up time - zero, to all intents &. It'll also probably be significantly lighter than her old laptop, which won't hurt. For her needs, Windows/laptop would be pointless, clunky and costly.

 

[Yellow Fang]

She'll do all of these exactly as she does now, or very close, in Chrome. The learning curve will be not much longer than it takes to open the lid. The only real difference being, it'll all be there the instant she does: boot up time - zero, to all intents &. It'll also probably be significantly lighter than her old laptop, which won't hurt. For her needs, Windows/laptop would be pointless, clunky and costly.

Sounds good. I don't suppose there is any difficulty setting up desktop shortcuts.

 

[Drago]

I have one. In essence it's like using an android phone, very simple.

If it's main use is Web surfing its ideal and inexpensive.

 

[postman]

Asus Chromebok user here.Currys a few years ago.I watched it for a while,at a good price,then for some reason it went through the roof in price,no not for me.then one day i was waiting for a bus near Currys PC World,in rain and freezing wind,so i will go get warm and go in Currys to waste time.Hells bells for just a few days they had reductions how about £30 less.got it for for £99 i think.It does what i needs.Papers FB CC eBay Youtube for football.Beard meats food.I love it speed is ok also i am 75 and it suits me fine.

 

[Psamathe]

I have one. In essence it's like using an android phone, very simple.

Maybe that raises the option of a tablet? Easy to use. Light. Can do stuff locally. If she has an Android smartphone then she already knows how to use it or, if she doesn't maybe learning to use Android would be long term useful for a mobile phone as well. If keyboard is important, you can get bluetooth keyboards pretty cheaply that work with tablets.

Not "suggesting" it as I have no appreciation for capability, etc. but maybe a consideration for OP in addition to Windows/Mac/Chromebook?

Ian

 

[Drago]

You can do stuff locally on a Chrome book, albeit my slightly older model requires a memory stick or SD card to do so.

Cecil.

 

[Chris S]

Why not install LINUX on your mother's laptop? I'm running it on what was originally a Windows 8 laptop.

You can download it for free and burn it on to a USB:
https://lubuntu.me/downloads/

Alternatively you can buy one preinstalled for about £10:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315237489541