Chromebook

tomreid10

HI Just curious, has anyone got their hands on the new Chromebook?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0052JBIPK/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=computers

I'm very techy (spent many years living and working in Silicon Valley) so no need for anyone to explain the technology to me.

I was just interested in how you found the user experience and what you how the systems worked for you.

I'm mainly interested in having a nice mega reliable machine to replace the very old and tired macbook pro I'm using now.

Mainly just need a machine to download and edit photos from my SLR and basic word and spreadsheet functions. And of course, web browsing.

Lack of Skype seems to be the only real miss, I'll never persuade my wife's family to shift to Google Chat after years of trying to get them onto Skype.

If you've bought one and you love it or hate it, I'd be interested in hearing.

Although I am very techy, I have 2 little children and almost no time to download updates, drivers, etc etc, which makes the simplicity of the Chromebook really appeal to me.

Thanks all.

RobTang

If you just open chrome full screen, that's pretty much what a chrome book is.

So you can pretty much try and see how you'll get along with it.

I don't have some but I did boot it up in parallels and tried to use at as my primary OS for a while.
If you stick to google's stuff and what it can do its great, anything else is not really worth the hassle vs maintaining a normal computer or tablet.
You have to think a bit differently to use it and this does mean leaving something behind... which I am not willing to-do.

Honestly Android or and iPad with a real keyboard is much nicer and you don't loose things like Skype.

alanrowell

It's possible to run Chrome OS on a normal laptop from a USB stick.

But for what you require it for I can't see whey you are considering it unless you want all your life in the Cloud as the inability to access local storage, let alone network storage is a big limitation.

If you want to have something usable & cheap then install Linux.

Notmyrealname

tomreid10 wrote: »

I'm very techy (spent many years living and working in Silicon Valley)

What as, a swimming pool cleaner?

Anyone who uses the word "techy" usually doesn't have much of a clue.

Chromebooks - great until you have no internet access at which point they become about as useful as a door stop.

bob_a_builder

Rather than asking a random group of people ..
There are currently 45 user reviews on Amazon which might help you