My new computer

[Pale Rider]

I am the recent but so far pleased new owner of an Asus Chromebook.

Mine is 11.6", plenty big enough for my portable web surfing and emailing needs.

It's surprisingly thin - shades of a MacBook Air - and light.

Plenty of connections - no shades of anything Apple - including full size and mini usbs.

Quaint I know, but I like to use a usb mouse.

Start up time is literally a few seconds - by the time I've typed in my Gmail password I'm online.

Shut down is even faster, only marginally slower than turning off a lightbulb.

Best of all for me is battery life.

I've used it connected to my mobile's wi-fi hotspot for two working days, each time it used about half of the battery.

It will need charging most days, but being able to leave it on and use it all day is very convenient.

Presumably, the Chrome OS is limiting in some respects, but I can't think of anything I want to do that can't be done in a web browser.

There's a handful of apps installed, most of which I will never use, although Gmail offline might come in handy.

The cost of all this personal computing loveliness was just £149.

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5993923

Here's a few pics of the computer in its natural habitat.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Quaint I know, but I like to use a usb mouse.

I'm with you there. Those touch pads drive me up the wall and I use a wireless mouse on the laptop.

 

[r04DiE]

Nice....this is my computer. State of the art ark, I think you'll agree

View attachment 150581

FTFY

 

[r04DiE]

Looks very nice @Pale Rider and what a bargain!

 

[Mrs M]

I love touch screens, really not keen on the laptop

 

[Hill Wimp]

That's a superb price. My current laptop is on its way out so I may have to look at one of those.

 

[Pale Rider]

That's a superb price. My current laptop is on its way out so I may have to look at one of those.

Certainly worth a squint.

The limiting factor may be everything locked down to the Chrome OS and browser.

That has lots of features now, and I suspect many laptop users are like me - they don't do much else other than web browsing, email, maybe watch the occasional vid, all of which a Chromebook will do.

No doubt there are some things a Chromebook can't do.

In your case, you'd need to check you can do your modding duties without any special programs in addition to a standard web browser.

Storage isn't enormous - 32gb on mine - not a problem for me as I don't want to store lots of stuff, but some people like to store hours and hours of video which takes up lots of space.

 

[Bollo]

Nice....this is my computer. State of the art, I think you'll agree

View attachment 150581

That's got a virus. Send me your bank details and I'll sort it.

Oh yeah, I work for Microsoft or something.

 

[Drago]

My missus has a Chromebook. She loves it, and for general surfing, emailing, and note taking it's not proven deficient in any way.

 

[Hill Wimp]

Certainly worth a squint.

The limiting factor may be everything locked down to the Chrome OS and browser.

That has lots of features now, and I suspect many laptop users are like me - they don't do much else other than web browsing, email, maybe watch the occasional vid, all of which a Chromebook will do.

No doubt there are some things a Chromebook can't do.

In your case, you'd need to check you can do your modding duties without any special programs in addition to a standard web browser.

Storage isn't enormous - 32gb on mine - not a problem for me as I don't want to store lots of stuff, but some people like to store hours and hours of video which takes up lots of space.

My technical computer knowledge can be written on a postage stamp.

All I need my laptop for is surfing,skyping, and the odd letter.

 

[Pale Rider]

My technical computer knowledge can be written on a postage stamp.

All I need my laptop for is surfing,skyping, and the odd letter.

Funny you should mention skype.

A quick google suggests there may be a bit of jiggery pokery needed to make it run on a Chromebook - depending on the model.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...efox-b-ab&gfe_rd=cr&ei=a3sjWJfRC7CN8Qf0_4D4Cg

 

[Hill Wimp]

Funny you should mention skype.

A quick google suggests there may be a bit of jiggery pokery needed to make it run on a Chromebook - depending on the model.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...efox-b-ab&gfe_rd=cr&ei=a3sjWJfRC7CN8Qf0_4D4Cg

That's could be the killer for me as I need to be able to have the video and the sound.
Shame

 

[mjr]

That's could be the killer for me as I need to be able to have the video and the sound.
Shame

Time to move from Microsoft Skype to discord, spreed, Talky, Jitsi Meet... heck, even Facebook video calls are more open. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft Skype prefers Microsoft systems. It'll probably end up punished by the EU market competition regulators again eventually, but it would be better if users punished it first IMO.

 

[Pale Rider]

I tried to fire up Skype on the Chromebook.

Seems to work OK on voice in what I believe is called a web app.

There's some stuff online about video being in the pipeline, and it appears Chrome OS and Android is moving ever closer together.

Seems likely at some point all Android apps will work on Chromebooks.

 

[Chris S]

Can you install another Linux OS on a Chromebook, either by itself or as a dual-boot?
I need to do a remote desktop connection to my computer at work. This is easy using Remmina but would be difficult using the Chrome software.