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Chromebooks - latest news and discussion

Chz said:
It worked well enough inside the LAN, but I found it a bit buggy over a VPN connection. I don't know why, and quite possibly it's been fixed now, but I do see a of lot of reviews that suggest it either works for you or it doesn't.
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I use it over VPN and have had no problems but that's just my experience.

I actually think you should be able to road test chromebooks to make sure everything you use works ok before committing to buying because the main reason people don't go for them is because they 'don't think it will work with x'
 
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Given my fancy ultrabook conked out after a mere 3 years, & I've had hassle recovering data, I'm tempted by one of these. Are they any good for streaming TV, how about importing old word docs?
 
If you've got an Office 365 sub, you can run Word in the browser. Full featured.

What sort of TV streaming? Watching on the laptop? Sending over to a proper telly in the room (you'd need a Chromecast)?
 
Having a duh moment, chromebooks don't run windows do they, they run chrome!

Does this limit the number and type of programs you can run on them?
 
Absolutely! But they can probably fulfil over 95% of the average user's needs. Every time I think there's something the Boy needs that it can't do, it turns out that I'm wrong. A lot depends on whether you're absolutely loyal to a particular program or not.
 
Err.. Skype? I've read mixed things on internet about whether it's compatible or not? Is hangouts as reliable?

Was planning on streaming to separate monitor..
 
Chz said:
Absolutely! But they can probably fulfil over 95% of the average user's needs. Every time I think there's something the Boy needs that it can't do, it turns out that I'm wrong. A lot depends on whether you're absolutely loyal to a particular program or not.
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At the moment I mainly use a browser, Apache Open Office, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and I will want to use more photo editing stuff, I used to use a few web editing tools but they mostly fell out of compatibility when I moved to Win7.
 
Chz said:
Skype works now.

There are photo editing tools (decent ones, even!), but if you're married to the Adobe workflow then you're stuffed.
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You can make Skype calls now? When did this happen? It was just messaging as far as I knew.
 
I've no idea how he did it, but the teenager was definitely videoing us over the Skype network. Not sure if it was the Skype client, but on our end it was Skype.
 
I think a windows laptop sounds easier.
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I'll agree with that on general principle, but it's not because of Office. You want the newest version of Office, you buy a 365 sub. 365 works in just about any web browser.
 
A chromebook is quite utterly useless without an internet connection. I mean, there are few things you can do offline but it's quite limited. Editing some documents is about it.

Edit: As ed says below there's more to it than that. But it's still very limited without net access, no matter how you paint the picture.
 
Global Stoner said:
Do you need the Internet on for this to work?
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You can work offline for most things just like a normal computer.

When you aren't online, you can still do lots of things with your Chromebook:

  • Write emails. Gmail Offline is built to support offline access, allowing mail to be read, responded to, searched and archived without network access. Gmail Offline will send your messages as soon as Wi-Fi is available.
  • View appointments. With offline access from the Google Calendar app, you can view a read-only version of your calendar.
  • View, create and edit documents. The Google Drive app lets you view and edit Google Docs, Slides, Sheets and Drawings files.
  • View and edit photos. Your Chromebook comes with a built-in photo editor, so you can view and edit photos that are saved to your Chromebook.
  • Listen to music. You can play music stored on your Chromebook when you're offline. Copy music files to your Chromebook directly from a storage device like a USB stick or SD card.
  • Watch videos. You can download movies and TV episodes to watch offline with the Google Play Movies & TV app. Find out how to download videos on your Chromebook.
  • View Microsoft Office and Adobe .pdf files. You can easily use your Chromebook to view Microsoft Office or Adobe files without an Internet connection.
  • Take notes. With Google Keep, you can take and save short notes that will save to the cloud the next time you're online.
  • Read offline web pages. If you've saved web pages for offline viewing later, they will open in Google Chrome on your Chromebook.
  • Use other web apps. Some web applications also have offline counterparts, which you can find in the Chrome Web Store. These include The New York Times and Cloud Reader from Amazon.
  • Play games. The Chrome Web Store offers hundreds of games, many of which are also available offline, like Angry Birds and Cube Slam.
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365 by default allows one full PC installation, a tablet and a phone, plus Internet use.
 
Chz said:
A chromebook is quite utterly useless without an internet connection. I mean, there are few things you can do offline but it's quite limited. Editing some documents is about it.

Edit: As ed says below there's more to it than that. But it's still very limited without net access, no matter how you paint the picture.
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But that's pretty much the same for most people's needs on a laptop/tablet, no?

You may have to use unfamiliar ad/or more restricted versions of software but you can do most of the things the same as a laptop without a wi-fi connection, e.g.:

  1. Pocket: Pocket has a neat Chrome app that lets you read articles offline. If you are a Pocket user, there is no need of introduction here. It is the same Pocket experience that you get on iOS or Android
  2. Pixlr Touch Up: Smart, easy offline photo editor. Touch up, clone, crop, resize, rotate, adjust color, add effects, and more.
    offline-image-editor.png
  3. Wunderlist for Chrome: Your beautiful and simple to-do list app, now as a Chrome app.
  4. Any.DO: Another world famous to-do list app as a Chrome app!
  5. Google Keep: The note taking app from Google that we all have a lot of hope on. Google has an elegant Chrome App for Google Keep.
  6. Google+ Photos: Upload and share photos from Chrome. There is a lot more expected from this app as well.
 
Here's a very positive review for the Dell Chromebook 13:

dell-chromebook-13-16.jpg


Dell Chromebook 13 Bottom line
Leaving out the absurdly-priced Pixel lineup, Dell has made the best all-around Chromebook to date with the Chromebook 13. It offers solid performance, long battery life and build quality that should hold up over time, while also offering several different configurations between $400 and $850 to fit people's needs for performance and price. While the different options let you choose processor, memory and touchscreen capabilities, you're getting the same great backlit keyboard, glass trackpad and 1080p IPS display, which are the really important parts of the experience.

Of course the Dell Chromebook 13 is a bit on the heavy side and isn't going to fill your friends with envy when they see the design, but those two small downsides take a back seat to a Chromebook that offers a great overall experience and goes a step above the cheap Chromebooks out there today.

Should you buy it? Absolutely
Assuming that you've already made up your mind to spend a bit of extra money to get a better Chromebook experience, you should absolutely consider the Dell Chromebook 13 over the rest of the field out there. Unless a smaller screen and lighter weight are the highest priorities for you, you can't do better than the Chromebook 13 at the $400 to $650 price level.

The real question is which Chromebook 13 model you should choose. Dell doesn't have complete build-to-order configuration here but does offer plenty of different models, and I recommend you consider one of the first three. At minimum you'll want the Celeron model with 4GB of RAM (retailing for about $429), and optionally you could go for a higher model with a Core i3, 32GB of storage and a touchscreen for $629. Anything above that and it starts to be less of a great value, so be sure to weigh the features against the price before you buy.
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http://www.androidcentral.com/dell-chromebook-13-review
 
NowTV still aren't contemplating getting shot of Silverlight, they tell me, so viewing that on a Chromebook is something future generations may one day enjoy.
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video work fine though.
 
Here's a opinion piece on the top ten Chromebooks currently available.

Top 7 best business Chromebooks and Netbooks of 2016

And here's another listing:
The best Chromebooks you can buy in the UK

Their top three:
3. Dell Chromebook 11



Dell’s debut offering is pretty much exactly what most people want from a Chromebook. It’s fast, easily portable, smart looking, features a great keyboard, and even manages to add in a few bells and whistles like the two USB 3.0 ports. If Google’s vision for a laptop fits your needs, then the Chromebook 11 will make you very happy.



Read our Dell Chromebook 11 review.

2. Acer Chromebook 13



Acer knows how to make good, solid, reliable Chromebooks, and this model is no exception. Performance was always decent, the screen size is a welcome addition, and the long battery life makes it a great option for travelling. It’s just a shame that the display panel doesn’t quite match up to that of the Toshiba Chromebook 2, which is similarly priced but does offer a richer experience. If you can accept the screen though, the Acer Chromebook 13 is a very nice machine that will get the job done.



Read our Acer Chromebook 13 review.

1. Toshiba Chromebook 2

If you're happy to live in the cloud for the majority of your tasks, then Toshiba's Chromebook 2 is currently the best way to do it. The device is light, fast, and that screen is worth the money alone. Chromebooks are quickly coming of age, and this Toshiba model is something that could easily convert a legion of fans to the ever improving ChromeOS universe.

Read our Toshiba Chromebook 2 review.
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