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Does anyone use a Chromebook?

Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 10:39 pm
by rammy100
I am looking to buy a new laptop/notebook and I'm thinking about a Chromebook.

They seem to offer everything that I need in that I will use it mostly online and, apart from the odd bit of word-processing, I surf the net, stream music, tv and films online, send emails....the usual sort of stuff. I use android-based tablets and phones, and Chrome is the search enging I use anyway. They also seem fairly light, which is useful as I travel a lot.

They don't stock them in the shops in Berlin so I can't get to try one out so if you use one, how do you find it?

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 7:45 am
by French Cricket
I use one, but as a secondary machine to the bigger Windows laptop I have. I use it for travelling, and when I'm over at our other cottage, and I have to say I love it. The biggest plus is the battery life - mine has around 8 hours; it's very light and very fast. The downside is that it's only useful for online kind of stuff - any work with files (other than Google docs) and photos can't be done, and there's effectively no storage capacity, which means using externals. The sound and graphics are basic too.

I'd never be able to use it as an 'only' machine, but as a second notebook it's fantastic - far, far better than a tablet. I'm putting Chromebooks in our guest accommodation next year too, pre-linked to all the house and local information.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 7:47 am
by e-richard
I bought one a few months ago for Mrs E-r and its a beautifUl machine. Its light, battery lasts all day, SIMPLE - so very little to go wrong.

The only downside is for those who are long in the tooth with Microsoft. There is no Word/Excel/Powerpoint etc. Its all Google docs online. No Skype, you have to use Google meetings, no Internet Explorer yay! You need to get used to doing everything in the cloud, and this means having and always-on good quality Internet connection.

So for email, browsing, searching and shopping I'd thoroughly recommend it. Go out and buy one NOW. If you need to do more, then just think about it a tiny bit more.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:23 am
by NeatandPicky
Love mine too. PC has been getting slower and slower (new one arriving today, hopefully) so I use the Chromebook for most things (surfing, email, website and listing updates, LMH, PIMs, social media). Also have tablets and smart phone, and use cloud-based applications like DropBox, Google Docs, Google Drive, Evernote to keep my files synced across them.

Completely agree with previous comments - you still need a PC for Office-based applications, but so much can be done on the web with Chrome and Chrome extensions.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:31 am
by NeatandPicky
Following on from e-Richard's comments:
I saw something v recently saying Skype have just launched a new web version. Not sure of details.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:38 am
by Mouse
Interesting comments.. We supply one for the guests to use and it seems to be very slow.
Maybe thats us.....but the ipad and samsung tablet we both use are fine.

Mouse
x

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:47 am
by French Cricket
Oh, that's odd, Mouse. OH and I both have Acer Chromebooks and they're both very fast, even on our slow connection speeds. I also have a Samsung tablet, running on Android, and that's pitifully slow.

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 6:49 pm
by Hells Bells
I replaced my tablet with one when I dropped it last spring. I tend to use my laptop at home, but travel with the Chromebook. I'm posting here using it now. Mine's an Acer. If I open too many browser tabs it sometimes slows to a halt, but is fine here at the moment.

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:51 am
by rammy100
Thank you all for your replies.

It's interesting to hear that, as a rule, you seem to like them as secondary machines. That defeats the object for me really as I'm looking for a replacement laptop as mine is reaching the end of its life. I already have a tablet but, to me, it isn't much more than a toy, albeit a useful one. I'm wondering whether a Chromebook is a sort of halfway house between a tablet and notebook.

Thanks again for your thoughts, I appreciate them.

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:10 pm
by Hells Bells
It is, but I think if I used it more, I would get used to it as my main device.