|
Ok this is probably going to seem like a dumb question first of but important. Work occasionally requires me going to China (like once a year or so). Are Chromebooks totally inoperable there? Are there VPN options with them? It's rare enough it's not necessarily a deal breaker but couldn't find anything immediately online. Secondly, my main use for something like this would be basic email, browsing, etc on the move. Previously I've used a tablet for this which is great for media and sooner browsing but I nearly always need to bring my laptop if I'll be doing any serious typing or even lots of emailing. I'm very envious of a friend's Macbook Air; are there similar lightweight, good quality Chromebook options?
|
#
¿
Nov 15, 2017 19:40
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 23:55 |
|
|
Ok well that sounds like it's not that much worse than another laptop. Any suggestions on small firm chrome books with good build quality then? I'd be tempted with a Macbook Air but I really don't want to get into the Apple ecosystem. Chromebooks all look somewhat bulky but is that just design?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 16, 2017 01:06
|
|
|
Is that the model with the M3 or m7 processor? Trying to figure if £100 extra is worth it for the higher spec processor.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 16, 2017 10:18
|
|
|
Thanks to atomizer again. Sounds like problems with a Chromebook behind the great firewall won't be too different from any other device and there are VPN options, so that's cool. I've looked through the second post and am leaning towards a c101 for price and portability. That said I'm wary of the size as I had one of the early eee notebooks years ago and it was a pain to use. From limited testing the keyboard on this did seem a lot better. I also recall that notebook becoming unusable after about a year due to is bloat and not being able to reformat the drive partitions. The c301 and r13 were both definitely too big but the shop I had a look in didn't have a c302. I am bad at judging size without a physical thing so will try and find somewhere I can actually hold one and make up my mind. If it feels too big to be really portable I'll go with the 101. Thanks again for all the info!
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2017 12:39
|
|
|
Problem I've discovered: the UK is not so great for Chromebook availability, definitely for Samsung. The pro and plus don't seem to be available here. I've discovered eBay based refurb models though so might look into getting the Asus c302 for around £400 after cyber Monday in case there's a good deal.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 20, 2017 16:40
|
|
|
Well black Friday cometh and the c302 was down to £430 on Amazon, the flip was reduced to £300 so I figured I'd go with the bigger brother. Hopefully I don't discover I have the OS but it sounds like it can handle what I use my laptop for and most of my tablet too (except for taking dive log information off my dive computer, which is quite a niche use). Will give a report back in case anyone else is thing of the jump and would be interested in a first hand report. Thought I'd ask as I couldn't find an immediate answer online, the 302 can access the play store, can I use it for Skype through the android app?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 25, 2017 11:09
|
|
|
Welp got it up and running and for the first hour or so it seems really good. Very fast and responsive, android app integration seems to be ok though far from perfect. Airbnb won't run although that's the only app that seems to be really having problems. I'm currently typing this into Awful app that looks great. Form factor is pretty nice, maybe a touch on the large end but easily portable and comfortable to type on. Sound quality is really lacking if used in the self supported tablet mode (where the keyboard props up the screen) as the speakers are on the side the keyboard. In actual tablet mode it's not great but not awful. Need to go through OP's extension recommendations again but KeePass integration for Chrome seems to work really well with KeePass as a password manager. Note Lastpass was fixed with Chrome itself but looks like ChromeOS still doesn't like it. Just in case anyone else here uses password managers. Only 2 issues so far, had a problem with switching to tablet mode disabling the trackpad and not being able to get it back online, required a restart. The other one is needing to enter my Google password to boot up the computer. I've got a longish password that I try to change, are there any other options as it'll be a bit of a pain to have to enter frequently. Edit: I've tried a couple more times and it seems like any time I switch the computer to tablet mode by swinging the screen over, the touchpad goes off. Only way to get it back on seems to be rebooting. Is this a known problem or a solvable one? MrNemo fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Nov 28, 2017 |
|
#
¿
Nov 28, 2017 20:52
|
|
|
Can't speak to build quality comparison but from online shopping, the Samsung has a better screen, the Asus has a backlit keyboard. It sounded like both had pretty good build quality, I'm certainly happy with the 302c after a week or so of use. Quick question after seeing the Pixelbook in action with the pen, is the pen's features (the google seach integration) a Pixelbook only thing or will it work with other chromebooks?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 2, 2017 10:10
|
|
|
I might be easily pleased but I have to say I've been pretty happy with the build quality of the 302c. It's actually been better than my noticeably more expensive Windows Asus laptop. Performance has had an issue, Amazon video was stuttering like hell with a downloaded video. Entirely possible that's an issue with the android app though.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 8, 2017 01:27
|
|
|
Yeah, I don't think that chrome extension would help because other video playback, like YouTube, is great. It's just playing videos inside android apps. They're watchable with subtitles but in fairness I also found the headphone volume way too low so the annoying sound stuttering wasn't as deal-breaking as it should have been.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 10, 2017 23:47
|
|
|
From the experience of using a Chromebook now, the only advantage a tablet would have is, as has been said, form factor is more portable and if he's got a set of android apps he's used to, compatibility is a bit hit and miss (the Skype app for Android does not like ChromeOS apparently). On the other hand something like the c302 works well as a laptop form, good keyboard if he does more than a little typing and browser based stuff will cover all his needs from the sound of things. One thing to note though, if you're not going to be there to help him then figuring out Chrome extensions might be tricky. They seem to have a selection of implementations, some are fully integrated upgrades to browser functionality and others seem to be little more than glorified bookmkars (looking at you Slack). Android apps usually cover things but then you've got cases where there are Chrome extensions and Android apps for the same program with different functionality. If he really does just use the browser and like 2 apps, that probably won't be a problem. If you're getting into more than just super basic usage though the OS feels quite immature and confused. I'm super happy with it but I'm coming from Android and using Chrome so throwing them both together is combining two concepts I'm familiar with.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 15, 2017 00:51
|
|
|
Atomizer posted:
That was me, same problem with non streaming Amazon prime app videos. Weirdly it's not so bad streaming but downloaded video files are nigh unwatchable. Haven't tested with other apps but I did recently try to watch a .avi that had no video displaying and broke down if I tried to skip in MX player and refused to play in movies at all. Android app functionality is generally good but definitely not reliable enough yet to make a Chromebook a great choice for media consumption or general work tool if you use any non Google apps. I'm still pretty happy with it for 90% of what I want to do but there are definitely times when it can't do that. With the c302 I'm ok cause I got it fairly cheap (not quite USA fire sale prices I've seen here). It also does the other 80% of what I want pretty well. If I was having the same issues with a Pixel book though, I would be disappointed in the device.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 21, 2018 10:37
|
|
|
I'm not sure I fully agree that Chromebooks are not worth the money for most people. If what you're doing is web browsing and you're in the Google eco-system (Drive, Sheets, etc.) then they're pretty great value, low maintenance laptops. All my work stuff is in GSuite so I'm very happy with it for work activities too. I'll agree that the Android implementation is pretty hit or miss. If you want to think of them as Android devices then I can understand being extremely disappointed but I'm aware that that is a new functionality for Chromebooks. It's generally ok but it's definitely not reliable. Skype is very, very glitchy for me and the aforementioned Amazon Video issue. If I was looking for a replacement Android device I would not choose a Chromebook as of right now, although I'm hopeful Google are going to improve compatibility as it would make them actually competitive as media consumption/casual gaming devices. It's not a deal breaker but if you assume that you'll be able to do X because there's an android app you might end up very unhappy because it just doesn't work well in Chrome OS.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 22, 2018 21:19
|
|
|
silence_kit posted:
I've bought a CB based around recommendations in this thread and I've reported problems with Android implementation I've seen. The OP is clearly a fan of CBs but nothing in his posts has been misleading. It sounds a lot like you purchased it with the expectation of getting a full fledged laptop or an Android device. Chrome OS is limited and it's tied into browser functionality. Yes, Chromebooks are really quite limited. The upside is that it does browswer based stuff really well, is simple, secure and pretty quick. What the OP was pointing out with the network drive wasn't that you were wrong but that the CB is designed around Google's ecosystem, which is browser based. Your issue then isn't functionality but that you want to implement that function in a particular way that makes CBs not a good choice for you. Should CBs have a better network file share client? Almost certainly. Should they have better Android implementation, considering they're both coming from the same parent company? Again almost certainly. Are those major goals of the format and OS? No. I think the OP has been pretty up front that CBs are a limited product. The responses you've had have been suggestions on how to achieve the functionality you feel are lacking. OP never said they were the best ways to do it or that you're wrong for wanting to do it that way but wanting to do what you're doing in the way you're doing it puts you outside te intended use cases. Unless you feel someone misled you into thinking Chromebooks were full Windows Laptop replacements or laptops with full android functionality, there's really nothing here that suggests to me you were misinformed.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 23, 2018 17:36
|
|
|
Question relating to editable PDFs, can I open these on a Chromebook? The Adobe android app can't open them and chrome doesn't seem to be able to either (just a message saying that if this doesn't open then I should download the latest reader from Adobe) Are there any extensions that can handle this?
|
|
#
¿
Mar 19, 2018 11:23
|
|
|
Yeah, that sounds like it would work but wants to talk everything I'm doing and communicate with other websites? That sounds like more than it needs to let me view PDFs. Thanks though, sounds like it's at least possible, just need to wait for someone get round to making it accessible.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 20, 2018 14:12
|
|
|
Quick update: Just got my C302 back from ASUS' servicing after it stopped accepting a charge. I hadn't had it that long (Black Friday sale) so it's a little concerning that it basically became unusable after a couple of months but they replaced the battery and sent it back under warranty so that's nice. Annoyingly I had a bit of an issue with getting it collected as it took them a couple of days to process RMA request and arrange collection and then had some issues with the courier (turned up way late the first day, he said he'd reschedule on the Friday and on Monday discovered he hadn't so it ended up getting to them just before a the 4 day Easter weekend) that meant I didn't have it for the one foreign trip I've taken this year. Which meant having to do a load of work on my old Windows machine which is slooooooow. I have to admit I'm really, really liking how fast this feels in comparison. Hopefully it's not the start of a series of hardware issues.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 10, 2018 20:12
|
|
|
I'm in the UK, Asus has outsourced RMAs to some small company here and they did a courier collection and drop off. I'd have had to pay if the problem had turned out to be something not covered by the warranty.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 11, 2018 23:19
|
|
|
I've used the pixel book stylus for writing and found it worked really well. I don't know how well that transfers to drawing though.
|
|
#
¿
May 3, 2018 14:57
|
|
|
Having a C302 it's pretty great. Solid construction, zippy enough and good size/weight combo. I had an issue with the battery on mine suddenly not charging and it sometimes doesn't play nicely with my Bluetooth headphones but Asus were good on offering a repair for free and the headphones thing is copeable. Android apps seem to work pretty solidly, doing things like watching downloaded movies in then can be a bit janky but streaming is fine.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 10, 2018 17:08
|
|
|
Heners_UK posted:That'll do me on that front I had issues with the Android Skype app but I've found the Skype web client actually works very well on my Chromebook. The only issue I have is unreliability (like audio works but microphone is dead or vice versa) with Bluetooth headsets but internal or wired audio always works fine.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 1, 2018 20:24
|
|
TBH I'm trying to ween the parents off Skype now as we can get miles better video quality on more or less anything else.
|
Quick troubleshooting questions regarding my C302ca: Twice now it seems to have powerwashed itself. The first time I opened it to a black screen with a 5 minute countdown, I turned it off during that and opened it again to the same countdown (having reset) and instead of a black screen, I had a white screen with the message that 'ChromeOS is repairing itself'. That was about a week ago and the second time was this morning. I didn't get any message but it didn't boot up when opened. I connected the charger and after a few minutes it did open again. Once I could get in, battery was showing at 1% so it had obviously drained itself, I'm pretty sure I had turned it off fully when I closed it the night before but even in standby mode not lasting overnight seems like unusual battery usage. Also when I booted it, it still showed my account details (account photo and name) but didn't have the wifi stored and as soon as I connected that it asked for an account to use for login. It had powerwashed itself again. I'm a fairly ideal usage case for Chrome OS as everything is cloud based, I've got a password manager and so I can get back up and running in a few minutes in these cases but it's still annoying, especially when not planned for as there were a couple of things in local storage that I had for easy access and hadn't backed up yet. Is this some kind of known problem or a warning sign that something bad is in the near future? I had had a problem with the battery on the first C302 I got and Asus replaced it, I'm hoping there's not some other issue lurking.
|
|
#
¿
May 15, 2019 08:29
|
|
|
Just an FYI, I've had an issue recently where on login the Chromebook will ask me to set up an account. i.e when I go to enter my password it will give an error and ask me to enter my account details. First time it happened I did this and it basically power washed the Chromebook, which was annoying. Second time I turned it off and was able to log in normally. Hopefully if this is a thing that saves someone else an unexpected power wash.
|
|
#
¿
May 23, 2019 15:19
|
|
|
Quick update: had my Asus C302 in my bag for a few hours after work having turned it off. I pulled it out and it was hot, opened the lid and it booted up then had the battery warning. I plugged it in to charge and the Chromebook had power washed itself again. Is this any kind of known problem where a turned off device will have a wake lock type issue? It's really annoying having to deal with a machine that will randomly decide to power wash itself, had now happened 4 times in the last couple of months. Googling produced people having larger than expected battery drains in sleep mode or defective batteries.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2019 23:28
|
|
|
Cojawfee posted:Is it possible something pushes one of the buttons on the side to cause it? Would be possible in the bag but previously it happened while left out. I figured it might have been a wake lock thing while in sleep mode but this time it was definitely off and it was hot when I took it out. I contacted Asus previously and they said it's no longer under warranty but having identified there's a real issue beyond a battery not holding charge I might try again.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 22, 2019 08:06
|
|
|
What model have you got? That's definitely not something that happens on my Asus.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 9, 2020 14:48
|
|
|
Out of interest question: how much have Chromebooks actually moved on tech wise in the last 3-4 years? Basically if I'm thinking about getting a new one just because my 3 year old Chromebook is starting to suffer from daily use, would say a reconditioned 2017 Pixelbook with top specs be potentially better value than a Pixelbook Go (assuming it is actually reconditioned so not factoring in much wear)?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2021 06:56
|
|
|
Good to know on that for options. And yes, my biggest worry with an older machine would be the battery state. Not sure how quickly they deteriorate even if its an unused but older battery that's been put in it. I guess especially considering the lack of need for a super fast machine it might not really be worth valuing specs over battery life.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 27, 2021 00:34
|
|
|
Humerus posted:Is there a screen cleaning mode for Chromebooks? Like "disable touchscreen for a minute" or something similar? Specifically the Pixelbook Go. I've seen if you enable developer options you can just turn the touchscreen off completely but something temporary would be preferable. I just open mine and then hold the power button down until it turns off for cleaning.
|
|
#
¿
May 11, 2021 07:08
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 23:55 |
|
|
Amazon UK have a similar deal and an upgraded version with 8GB RAM and an i5 processor for around £100 more. I've got a 5 year old chromebook at this stage which is starting to show its age, I'm wondering if that extra processor/RAM is worth 50% more?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 25, 2022 15:39
|
|