Author Topic: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive  (Read 11729 times)

ergophobe

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2019, 04:58:18 PM »
I went a month trying to use an ASUS flip C213 as my main machine.
But I couldn't do it.

I'm not really trying to use it as a main machine. The impetus for this was having an issue arise on a trip where I had brought only my phone and was trying to type and organize. Mostly it was a bunch of email and communication and I wanted something better for typing.

I was using Terminus on my phone, but didn't really do it. I have a Chrome app for SSH that seems okay for what little I've used it. I can also, of course, SSH in from my Linux shell as well. If it's public/private key auth, then that wouldn't be too painful.

Rupert

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #16 on: January 08, 2019, 07:53:54 AM »
Tom,
Lucy has this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MEH09CD/
Acer Chromebook R13 CB5-312T - (MediaTek MT8173, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, 13.3 inch HD Touchscreen Display, Google Chrome OS, Silver)
bought March 2017, so nearly 2 years old and still in regular use.  no requests for a replacement or an Apple :)


added... we paid £330 for it, its now £399 for the same unit NEARLY 2 YEARS AGO. (currency)
« Last Edit: January 08, 2019, 08:25:58 AM by Rupert »
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Chunkford

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #17 on: January 08, 2019, 11:11:54 AM »

I'm not really trying to use it as a main machine. The impetus for this was having an issue arise on a trip where I had brought only my phone and was trying to type and organize. Mostly it was a bunch of email and communication and I wanted something better for typing.

I was using Terminus on my phone, but didn't really do it. I have a Chrome app for SSH that seems okay for what little I've used it. I can also, of course, SSH in from my Linux shell as well. If it's public/private key auth, then that wouldn't be too painful.

It was something I wanted to try and do as back then I had enough of Windows and I've sold my soul to Google.
Needless to say, as a quick out and about system yea, it works, but 'back at base' I've fully embraced Linux and wish I did it sooner! :)
"If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions"

ergophobe

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #18 on: January 08, 2019, 06:54:25 PM »
I've fully embraced Linux and wish I did it sooner! :)

One of my takeaways is how few Windows-only apps I actually use now and only a couple of those are ones where I have not already identified good Linux replacements

no requests for a replacement or an Apple :)

Ha! Until I got the Chromebook, I did not appreciate what a threat they are to Apple. The one thing that made Apple appealing to me was BSD under the hood.

littleman

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #19 on: May 09, 2019, 09:11:33 PM »
All future Chromebooks will run Linux within a native VM.  I'm curious about performance.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/all-chromebooks-will-also-be-linux-laptops-going-forward/

ergophobe

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #20 on: May 09, 2019, 11:02:39 PM »
Are you curious about a specific app?

All I've done is use the linux shell. No idea how my low-memory, low-power processor would do with GIMP or something.

littleman

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #21 on: May 10, 2019, 12:25:41 AM »
I guess like how would it perform with LibreOffice and a browser open for hours at the same time.  How would it handle memory management?  Can the Chromebooks actually be usable with Linux heavier applications?  It is a bit different than just running them.

ergophobe

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #22 on: January 17, 2020, 05:24:37 PM »
>>my idea was a laptop so cheap that I wouldn't mind breaking it...

Or LOSING it. I left it on the plane. Stupid!

Once I realized that I could replace it for $172, that there was just a couple paragraphs of writing on it that hadn't synced, and that I could de-authorize it so it would require a strong password and a second factor to get logged into, I felt pretty glad I hadn't done it with my laptop.

Of course, my laptop being a fairly heavy brick, I would have noticed that it was not back in the pack.

littleman

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #23 on: January 17, 2020, 06:05:39 PM »
Sorry you lost your Chromebook, but those are some very nice features of cloudcentric computing.  How about those questions I asked in the above post, did you ever get the chance to use any heavier Linux apps on it?

rcjordan

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #24 on: January 17, 2020, 06:43:08 PM »
That painful, but at least it was only $172 painful.

>cloud-centric
Louise once lost her Samsung Note in a cab in Hanoi.  I spent a couple of hours back in the hotel trying to shut down any services that I thought might be vulnerable. What a PITA that was.

ergophobe

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #25 on: January 17, 2020, 06:43:51 PM »
Actually, I didn't. I'm goign to replace it though. I'll load up GIMP and see what happens.

ergophobe

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #26 on: January 17, 2020, 07:23:41 PM »
That painful, but at least it was only $172 painful.

Actually $167 painful in the end. If I had wanted the lower end (2GB vs 4GB of memory; 16GB SSD vs 32GB), it would have been $140.

ergophobe

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #27 on: January 31, 2020, 03:29:59 PM »
Turns out Theresa is getting her own Chromebook. AA said they would look for it for 30 days. So I bought a new one when the 30 days expired. And then, today, I got notification my Chromebook is in a Dallas warehouse.

Had to spend $39 to have it shipped to me by the cheapest option (Fedex Ground), but Theresa had been debating getting a light, travel machine with a long battery life. So now we have his and hers Chromebooks.

Rupert

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Re: Chromebook crush? - tough + Linux + not too expensive
« Reply #28 on: January 31, 2020, 04:10:00 PM »
Lucky Theresa :)
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