Samsung Chromebook. Buy it.

[Red Storm]

Okay so finally got to play around with it... Very nice. My only two real gripes with it are no backlit keyboard and currently no working Netflix.

 

[Bateluer]

Okay so finally got to play around with it... Very nice. My only two real gripes with it are no backlit keyboard and currently no working Netflix.

Haven't researched it, but isn't there a work around with Linux and NetFlix that involves using a Chrome web app?

 

[Eug]

It boggles my mind why people struggle so much understanding the Chromebook concept.

The Chromebook concept on a basic level as product is easy to understand. The hard part to understand is why it must not be able to leverage Android's advantages, since Android's hardware requirements are the same. In fact, I've been saying for a long time they should build a non-touch screen Android laptop, and update the OS to support it. Unlike Windows, Android requires only very light hardware to run well. It's not saddled with the troublesome legacy codebase that MS has to deal with.

I guess the one advantage of Chrome OS is that even though it's been around a long time, adoption has been so low that it's still pretty simple. They can keep it clean and streamlined. Sort of a reboot to Android using what they learned from their experience with Android's market adoption. Plus they get to control everything. No 3rd party Chromebooks makers creating their own unsanctioned versions, keeping things simple.

However that's the optimistic view. My pessimistic view is that there are factions within Google that just don't like each other and prefer not to talk much with each other. They are competing with each other and the leader of one of the groups will eventually be pushed out, sort of like how the iOS-from-Linux faction at Apple was forced out when iOS-from-Mac OS X won out.

 

[Eug]

I've been doing a little experiment with my Jelly Bean Droid RAZR HD. It has HDMI output and switches to fulltime landscape mode when HDMI is cconnected. I have it attached to a 19" TV. Of course, it also supports Bluetooth.

So, I paired my Apple Wireless Keyboard to it, along with my Apple Magic Mouse. Both work fine. The volume keys on the keyboard work too and even the Expose key works, which on Android brings up a screen with icons of recently used apps with tab selection support. The finger gestures on the mouse also work, including up/down scrolling, and sideways swipes on the home screen to choose different pages of the home screen. Furthermore, when I have the keyboard paired, the built-in virtual keyboard does not load up, keeping the screen uncluttered. The only thing that does show up (as set currently) is the auto word suggestion bar. The only real annoyance is when I click on a text entry box, it zooms it slightly, which is useful on a phone, but not a 19" monitor. Sometimes the autoformatting in Dolphin does slightly weird things but that could be corrected.

I've been using Dolphin Browser with the full-screen add-on and what that does is remove the big address bar and the notification bar, so I get the full 720 pixel height of this screen. It doesn't remove the soft keys so I'm missing a bit of the width for the back key, home button, and recent apps button, as well as the menu icon, but that's OK as currently implemented since the back key takes me to the previous page and pressing the menu button once brings up the address bar allowing me to enter a new URL. As soon as finish entering the new URL, the address bar disappears.

What does this all mean? It means that even today one could use Android 4.1 as a desktop surfing replacement for basic users, albeit with some minor glitches. Plus there is the rich Google Play Store full of apps for Android, most of which work fine in this mode.

It wouldn't take much at all to get Android transformed into a full-on non-touchscreen desktop or laptop OS, without having to sacrifice the app store, or mobile functionality. I'd say Android is almost there already. In reality it'd be some minor bug fixes, and some alterations of font sizes and rotation and zoom behaviour which could be done in months... and it would make Chrome OS irrelevant.

P.S. This message was typed on my RAZR HD using my wireless keyboard and mouse.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

why would anyone want a desktop os that can only run one program at a time and that runs applications with cell phone interfaces? no thanks, for a laptop i like chrome os more

 

[ElFenix]

why would anyone want a desktop os that can only run one program at a time and that runs applications with cell phone interfaces? no thanks, for a laptop i like chrome os more

windows 8 *cough*

 

[Bateluer]

why would anyone want a desktop os that can only run one program at a time and that runs applications with cell phone interfaces? no thanks, for a laptop i like chrome os more

Because Android 4.2.2 with a proper dock and the right app would be more usable than Chome OS is now.

The docked Android tablet, budget priced Ultrabook, etc, all do a better job than the Chromebook. Catch is, not for a 250 dollar price point.

 

[OhBoy88]

Has anyone tried playing video files from an external hard drive (mkv, mp4, avi) ?

 

[TuxDave]

windows 8 *cough*

I like windows 8 but most games open in desktop mode so it's like win7 all over again when I game. For everything else, it's really quick.

 

[Stone Rain]

I'm a web designer and I bought a Samsung Chromebook just as a sort of toy, and because I already use Google services for most everything. However, I've quickly ended up using it for most of my coding on-the-go.

My only gripes:
There needs to be a more powerful online photo editor. Pixlr doesn't cut it.
There needs to be support for .VOB and other file formats. Today I tried to watch a DVD through a peripheral drive and discovered I couldn't.

Other than that, the Chromebook kicks major butt. I love it. It's sexy, fast, lightweight, and uber cheap. Plus after lowering screen brightness I can eke 10 hours of battery out of it. Astounding..!

 

[OhBoy88]

Has anyone tried playing video files from an external hard drive (mkv, mp4, avi) ?

 

[shortylickens]

It boggles my mind why people struggle so much understanding the Chromebook concept.

Its an overpriced toy with one bell and no whistles.

Groovy.

 

[Bateluer]

Its an overpriced toy with one bell and no whistles.

Groovy.

Its 250 dollars. Show me another 250 dollar machine, thats new, and without rebates, that even comes close to the Chromebook.

 

[shortylickens]

whoops, wrong thread.
I got confused and thought this was the expensive model.

 

[Bateluer]

whoops, wrong thread.
I got confused and thought this was the expensive model.

Lolz, you want the Chromebook Pixel thread. Which is an overpriced bell with a single whistle. But an extremely purdy bell.

 

[s44]

Netflix works now

 

[Red Storm]

Netflix works now

Nice! All I would need is a torrent app and Chrome OS would be a full replacement (sans gaming).

 

[OhBoy88]

What would be more ideal for school use:
Chromebook (typing) + iPad 2 (textbooks) OR
iPad 2 w/ external keyboard to do both tasks?
I currently own the iPad 2 and I am considering the Samsung Chromebook for school use. FYI: I have a main computer at home (laptop) but it is too bulky to travel with

 

[Bateluer]

Nice! All I would need is a torrent app and Chrome OS would be a full replacement (sans gaming).

What are you going to be torrenting? Its only got 16GBs of storage.

 

[Red Storm]

What are you going to be torrenting? Its only got 16GBs of storage.

TV episodes. I DVR them but don't always feel like sitting on the couch to watch, rather watch them laying down in a comfy bed.

I found a Chrome extension for torrenting, but it's not compatible with the Samsung Chromebook.

 

[TuxDave]

What would be more ideal for school use:
Chromebook (typing) + iPad 2 (textbooks) OR
iPad 2 w/ external keyboard to do both tasks?
I currently own the iPad 2 and I am considering the Samsung Chromebook for school use. FYI: I have a main computer at home (laptop) but it is too bulky to travel with

If I already had an iPad 2, I would just buy a keyboard. I expect it would be overall lighter, cheaper and accomplish what you use it for.

 

[Red Storm]

Do keep in mind that typing on a keyboard that's iPad size is not going to be a pleasant experience. It's like typing on a netbook but even smaller. If you're going to type out actual papers and whatnot, out of the two I would go Chromebook without question simply because of the slightly wider keyboard (that's still a tad too small for prolonged typing IMHO).

 

[shortylickens]

TV episodes. I DVR them but don't always feel like sitting on the couch to watch, rather watch them laying down in a comfy bed.

I found a Chrome extension for torrenting, but it's not compatible with the Samsung Chromebook.

Easier to torrent on your main computer and either stream or copy to a thumb drive.

I was streaming with my laptop this morning. Both computers on Win 7 makes sharing with Homegroups easy. Instead of having 256gig I've got access to 3TB. And can also run Netflix & Amazon Prime if I need to.

Can the Chromebook do Amazon vids?

 

[ponyo]

Bluetooth keyboard with a tablet is not the same thing. Not even close. Chromebook keyboard is full size and very similar to Macbook Air.

Regular Hulu, Amazon Prime, and now Netflix works on ARM Chromebook. Remember it has desktop Chrome with desktop Flash.

 

[TuxDave]

Do keep in mind that typing on a keyboard that's iPad size is not going to be a pleasant experience. It's like typing on a netbook but even smaller. If you're going to type out actual papers and whatnot, out of the two I would go Chromebook without question simply because of the slightly wider keyboard (that's still a tad too small for prolonged typing IMHO).

Personally if I was writing a thesis, I wouldn't do it on the iPad2 or the Chromebook OS. I would use the home laptop that he said he had. That's primarily why I suggested the iPad2 (which is his textbook) instead of juggling two devices at school and three devices at home. I haven't used any textbook software on the iPad but it would be interesting to annotate your lecture notes directly to the textbook chapter so that you don't have to juggle between too many documents.