Chromebooks - latest news and discussion

[editor]

I'm still absolutely loving the Asus Chromebook Flip. I think it's the best laptop I've ever owned - and that's before I start loading up Android apps. It's fast, well built, stylish, has a massive battery life with a great keyboard, hooks into the nearest wi-fi almost as soon as I've opened the lid and makes my Windows laptop look like a slow lumbering beast. Best £199 I've ever spent on tech, I think.

 

[BoxRoom]

I'm still absolutely loving the Asus Chromebook Flip. I think it's the best laptop I've ever owned - and that's before I start loading up Android apps. It's fast, well built, stylish, has a massive battery life with a great keyboard, hooks into the nearest wi-fi almost as soon as I've opened the lid and makes my Windows laptop look like a slow lumbering beast. Best £199 I've ever spent on tech, I think.

No surprise that I like this post, am seriously glad you like it. I've never been this happy with a piece of kit I've bought before but I seriously adore the Flip.
Am so glad I bought this while I had a job, couldn't afford it now, and is seriously one of the finest purchases I ever made.
If I had a decent phone that worked I'd be made!

 

[editor]

Full Skype is coming to Chromebooks: Microsoft is Bringing Skype to Linux, Chromebook and Chrome Web Browser - Thurrott.com

 

[chilango]

I've borrowed a long forgotten chromebook from work.

I already use the Google Suite for all work stuff but any tips or recs for games/apps etc.?

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Lexulous Word Game

Unreal Speccy Portable-ZX Spectrum emulator

Cribbage (there are quite a few)

Spark Chess is good - but it just opens the web page in the browser - again there are lots of chess games on there - bookmark Play chess online with SparkChess Lite and you achieve the same

Quite a few apps/games just open a web link I've found

 

[editor]

I guess someone had to do it

 

[editor]

Here's a handy comparison for anyone looking to buy a Chromebook:

Chromebook Comparison and 2016 Buyer's Guide

 

[editor]

Top ten listing: Top 10 Best Chromebooks 2016 - Buy the Best | MobiPicker

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Hey Chromies

I can't see some videos on my chromebook - does anyone else have this issue?

An example is the vids on this page just keep 'loading' - the wheel spins and I never get presented with a play button.

Anyone know why and care to explain?

 

[editor]

Hey Chromies

I can't see some videos on my chromebook - does anyone else have this issue?

An example is the vids on this page just keep 'loading' - the wheel spins and I never get presented with a play button.

Anyone know why and care to explain?

Check what extensions you're running in your browser. Are you using Adblockers or Ghostly? Some won't play unless you turn off the the ad blocking.

 

[editor]

Check what extensions you're running in your browser. Are you using Adblockers or Ghostly? Some won't play unless you turn off the the ad blocking.

Yep, that's it. I turned off Ghostly in my browser and could see the video after getting the same message as you.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Ahhhh right - thanks ed - I do have ghostly and an adblocker
I opted to open the pages I'm struggling with in incognito tabs - same result - all plays

 

[tangerinedream]

I'm quite keen on the idea of a flip style Chromebook. Looking at what's out, the new Acer looks good but underpowered in terms of ram, so maybe the flip would make more sense.

My only concern is I don't think I've ever found a decent option for recording a podcast on chromebook which is one of the primary uses I have for a laptop

That and the fact the boy is desperate for full fat Minecraft makes me think I might not be better buying an old PC laptop and duel booting it with windows and chrome os

But I really like Chromebooks...

 

[tangerinedream]

So I've switched to Google Docs from Word for my writing work. The instant syncing across all devices is a real bonus and it's no problem to send the work to my client as a .doc file - just select download -> Word. The only thing I don't like about Docs is that there's no word count displayed in the bottom bar - I either have to press ctr+shift+c or use a rather clunky add-on.

Apart from that, it's every bit as good as Word.

I like docs a lot but I *heart* slides. I know you can do more with PowerPoint but it just feels horrible and clunky when I open it now.

 

[editor]

I'm quite keen on the idea of a flip style Chromebook. Looking at what's out, the new Acer looks good but underpowered in terms of ram, so maybe the flip would make more sense.

My only concern is I don't think I've ever found a decent option for recording a podcast on chromebook which is one of the primary uses I have for a laptop

You can get a few recording options although not as slick as Windows. Don't forget you can run Android apps on the Asus Flip so there's tons of decent apps in the store.

6 Good Chromebook Apps for Recording and Editing Audio ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
Audacity for Chromebook – About Chromebook

 

[tangerinedream]

Yeah, I've read the latter link several time, each time I think it's going to literally mean 'audacity for chromebook' - I've tried most of those links and they're fiddly at best. Like you say, I'd be hopeful of finding something decent in the android store though.

 

[tangerinedream]

Speaker is probably the best for what I'm looking at doing, I've played with it on tablet and it was fine.

 

[editor]

Speaker is probably the best for what I'm looking at doing, I've played with it on tablet and it was fine.

There's loads to choose from. Selections here:

9 best voice recorder apps for Android
Five of the best voice recording apps available for Android - TechRepublic

 

[tangerinedream]

There's loads to choose from. Selections here:

9 best voice recorder apps for Android
Five of the best voice recording apps available for Android - TechRepublic

Cheers.

 

[tangerinedream]

New Asus (not flip) with more storage than usual as standard. (though I have read elsewhere that it's a 32gb base model)

The New ASUS C301SA 64GB Storage Base Model: Why It Matters

 

[editor]

A Mac fan sees the light!

At the price I paid, this Chromebook is a steal. (Its regular price is £150.) And I’d bet that I could find a Chromebook with a better display for twice the price; or still less than half the cost of the least expensive Apple laptop. I understand now why Chromebooks are so popular, especially in education.

If you put things in perspective, this cheap computer, while not having the design or display of an Apple product, is capable of doing all the tasks that the majority of people need. For people who don’t use a computer a lot, or who need a simple device for the basics (email, Facebook, web browsing), I will have no qualms about recommending a Chromebook instead of an Apple laptop.

A Chromebook revelation by a Mac user

 

[editor]

So I've got a little DJ gig coming up where I have to use my laptop. My needs are ultra basic - just selecting songs from the micro SD card and playing them one after another without embarrassing gaps (a "selecta," if you will!). I've installed the Until AM extension which seems OK, but was wondering if I should try some of the slicker Android apps - which would involve me upgrading my Flip to the alpha channel.

So has anyone done this and found any problems with audio?

 

[editor]

Not so cheap, but it's a lovely looking machine:

HP Chromebook 13 review: Google's Pixel has a rival for best Chromebook ever

 

[editor]

It really does look lush.

In making the Chromebook 13, HP proves that it can achieve what Apple never could. Not only does the Chromebook 13 look stunning, its performance shows that at $499, the laptop can go toe-to-toe with $1,000 Ultrabooks and still hold its own.

HP defied expectations by delivering a premium notebook with solid performance at a price point that no one else is able to match—and it’s far from a piece of junk.

With a build quality that rivals the $1,299 MacBook, the Chromebook 13 manages to beat Apple’s laptop in many ways while coming in at a $499 starting price. Compared to the MacBook, you’ll find more ports, a higher resolution display and a more usable keyboard on the Chromebook 13 in a package with a similar all-metal build quality. For Chromebooks on the higher end of the price scale, the HP Chromebook 13 just might be the new standard.

HP Chromebook 13 Review: You Won't Believe This Laptop Only Costs $499

 

[tangerinedream]

Taken the plunge and ordered a flip...

 

[editor]

Here's some good deals right now. The Asus C100PA (Flip) for £199 is a wonderful bargain
Best Chromebook deals August 2016

 

[tangerinedream]

Well the flip arrived and it's already exceeded my expectations. What a lovely little machine, keyboard is reasonably tight, trackpad nice, just got to get used to its size. The touchscreen is *much* better than I expected and the screen (as in the quality of the image and colours) is nice enough - I am used to apple stuff from work, it's not a retina display, but it's certainly not a bad screen. Even the speakers aren't too bad. It's surprising how natural it feels to touch the screen of of a laptop after years of not so. I was torn about the size of it, but I think it's the perfect size to go in a bag or with me on the bike and do some writing out and about.

It feels like it's more than a gimmick, that it's something that actually has a use to its form. The fact it's essentially a tablet but gives you full web pages and a keyboard so it's a laptop, but it's a tablet, but you get usb ports and that is brilliant.

 

[editor]

A Mac fan is persuaded by the new HP Chromebook:

The $499 Chromebook 13 is, in many ways, the Chromebook you’ve been waiting for. It falls between Google’s glorious, preposterously expensive Chromebook Pixel, and everyone else’s craptastic Chromebooks. Google and HP desperately want to prove Chromebooks can be more than cheap, student-friendly laptops. This is a Business Laptop, a Primary Device, a laptop to use as your only machine.

Yes, switching to a Chromebook takes work, and Chrome OS feels less powerful than macOS or Windows. But almost nobody cares. Most people don’t use Alfred or Atext, or go to great lengths to master Evernote’s global keyboard shortcuts. They just want a good computer at a good price. The HP Chromebook 13 is exactly that.

Review: HP Chromebook 13

 

[Janh]

It's not all roses with these Chromebooks.

My humble Chromebook Samsung 303C has a broken hinge. I've ordered used hinges and a lid - cheap enough - and will be replacing them using this guide

.

Wish me luck.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

you'll have to let us know how it goes Janh

best of luck