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Breetai posted:after her galaxy tab got so old that it won't even open the Play store anymore, my mother is looking to buy a new tablet or laptop for light work while travelling, she primarily needs to use it for emails, YouTube social media, zoom and the occasional spot of taking photographs. I have done a bit of research and the Lenovo Duet Chromebook (128GB) seems like it would pretty much fit the bill at a relatively cheap price. Does anybody have experience with this tablet, or know of any issues/downsides (or a more appropriate choice)? I've got one. My opinion of it is that it's a great secondary content consumption device, but I wouldn't use it as my primary computer. I've had some issues with it. The biggest issue is some annoying touchscreen issues. This is a big deal for a device that mainly uses touchscreen input. The keyboard and trackpad are also not great. It's very cramped. Understandable considering it's size, but every other small convertable I've used has a way better keyboard. A very minor issue is that the fabric backplate is not very pleasant to hold when you are using it as a tablet, but you can take it off when you are using it that way. As for the camera, I wouldn't put much stock in it. It works, but the picture quality is low like pretty much every rear Chromebook camera. If you can wait a few weeks, I would recommend looking into the newer Duet 3 when it comes out. It looks like they fixed a bunch of my complaints. The Duet 5 is already out in the U.S. if you want a larger display. The HP Chromebook x11 tablet has been out for awhile and seems pretty decent as long as you aren't doing any processor intensive stuff. It goes on sale very often too.
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Jun 15, 2022 12:27
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I believe the Pixelbook and Pixel Slate are Wacom based. Anything modern has moved to USI. Wouldn't recommend the Pixels to people looking for a new Chromebook due to AUE dates being only two years remaining for the Pixelbook and two more after that for the slate. Honestly, once my Pixelbook AUE expires, I'm going to jump from ChromeOS. The cancellation of the Pixelbook successor and (maybe) killing off uBlock via Manifest v3 were the last straws for me. Might put Linux on my Pixelbook and see how long the battery can last if I can ever find a SuzyQable.
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Sep 15, 2022 17:29
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UncleGuito posted:I got the Elite Dragonfly through work a few weeks back to replace my 2020 MBP. It's fantastic so far. Would I pay $1000+ for it as a personal device though? Definitely not. The Dragonfly is a nice machine, but it doesn't quite do it for me. I got the Pixelbook when it first dropped to 750, and I'm not willing to go much above that. I think at this point I'd prefer to go for an ARM system for the battery life, better Android capability, and fanless design. I think the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is the only thing on the market right now that is close to what I imagine the cancelled Pixelbook would have been. It's just so ugly compared to the original Pixelbook. I bet that the rumored 2nd gen Tensor chip would have performed a bit better than the Kompanio as well.
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Sep 15, 2022 20:40
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Well, I was considering getting a Framework laptop with Linux as my Pixelbook replacement since I didn't see anything on the horizon that would quite be the same, but then I get an e-mail that Framework is going to ship a ChromeOS version of their laptop. Very interested in this, I wonder how they would handle AUE when Framework's gimmick is that you can even replace the mainboard\cpu. Also, I wonder if you still have to jump through a lot of hoops to put Linux on it. It would be nice if they maybe go back to the write protect screw instead of the impossible to find debug cable. Still worried a bit about the Manifest v3 transition, but with ublock releasing a somewhat capable version for Manifest v3 and this Chrome OS flavored Framework, I'm considering sticking with ChromeOS. We'll see how things work out when 2023 hits and Manifest v2 is sunsetted.
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Sep 21, 2022 16:53
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So, I can only speak for myself, but I do not like MacOS. That's why I don't have a MacBook. I like Linux, but I don't have the time to computer janitor it, so I go with ChromeOS. I really like the concept of having multiple operating systems running in parallel (somewhat) seemlessly. It's not perfect, but the Linux and Android support on ChromeOS have come a long way since 2017. I would do the Parallels thing as well, if they made it available to consumers (I still haven't figured out why they haven't done this). Since i use ChromeOS exclusively, I don't have a problem spending money on good design and higher specs that the Linux and Android VMs sometimes require, just like Atomizer's article says. Seriously, try using a Pixelbook. It is my favorite laptop design ever. The design, trackpad, and keyboard are the best I've ever used. The screen is still very good, despite the huge bezels and its age. The design and build quality is on par or better than anything that Apple can put out. I'm still very happy with it after 6 years. My only complaint is that the battery is starting to degrade after 700 or so cycles, but you really can't fault it for that.
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Sep 27, 2022 12:44
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It looks like my Pixelbook is dying, the keyboard is registering phantom key presses and the screen is glitching out. To replace it, I think I'm going to go with an ARM 2-in-1. I'd like something about the size of the Pixelbook with a nice screen. It looks like the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is my only option right now? Any one have it and have any opinions? Are there any better alternatives?
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Nov 10, 2022 20:26
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Mental Hospitality posted:After a few months of ownership of my Kompanio828/MT8192 Acer 514, I am still very pleased with it. It might not have the muscle of an i3, but it has 8GB of ram and is just quick enough for my usual 12 open tabs. Also, the battery life is....it is ridiculous. It's like a Terminator, it just will not stop. How's the keyboard and trackpad? In my opinion, those are the most important things in a Chromebook and it's really not something you can find information on most of the time.
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Nov 13, 2022 13:48
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A gaming Chromebook on the low end is essentially a marketing ploy - you run games through cloud streaming services like GeForce Now or Gamepass Cloud. It works OK if you have a decent Internet setup. On the high end, there are Chromebooks that can run Steam in a Linux container called Borealis. I haven't tried this as my Pixelbook is too old and doesn't support Vulkan. I imagine performance would be worse than even something like the Steam Deck since you have the added overhead of containerization + Proton. Supposedly Borealis has direct access to the integrated graphics via vulkan, but you'll have to talk to someone who has a fancy new Chromebook to confirm. I was a big fan of the containerization approach of Linux + Android on Chrome OS, but it's performance really has been subpar. This is why my next laptop is going to be just a Linux machine. Don't count on the Linux and Android containers - they are slow and break constantly.
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Jun 16, 2023 15:15
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Lord Bob posted:I have a similar request but specifically for if anyone has recommendations for fanless, or at least "the fan barely ever kicks on" chromebooks. I'm in the same boat as you. I want to replace my Pixelbook that goes AUE next year with something that is very similar. I couldn't find anything that matches exactly. The closest thing I could find that was fanless and had a 3:2 screen was the Chromebook Spin 513. Note that 513 is ARM - this might be a dealbreaker for you. I also wanted at least 16 gb of RAM for 7 years of future-proofing, which the 513 does not have. I decided not to pull the trigger on 513 and wait it out until closer to AUE, maybe we'll get something good with the whole "Chromebook X\Chromebook Plus" program that should be rolling out soon?
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Jul 1, 2023 00:39
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nonathlon posted:Picked up a Pixelbook Go - great device. A few questions: I have a stylus for my Pixelbook, and I hardly ever use it. It works OK if you are taking notes, but don't expect to be doing any real drawing with it. Microsoft disabled the office Android apps a couple of years ago, they only want you to use the web ones. I don't really use them, so I can't comment on them. The couple of times I used the web app it seemed OK if you are doing basic stuff. Go to Settings -> Developers -> Linux development environment to enable the Crostini VM for Linux. The default distro is Debian, and it'll work just fine for light coding.
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Feb 23, 2024 14:11
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cruft posted:I think it's finally time to replace my OG Pixelbook. I have a Pixelbook, and it is hands down my favorite laptop ever. I keep trying to find something to replace it, and I can't find anything that is a 1-to-1 match for it. Nothing has the same feature set. The Dragonfly comes the closest, but it is not fanless. I would also like something with more memory just to future proof it. When my daughter dropped my Pixelbook and the trackpad went out, the replacement I went for was....another Pixelbook. I went from a i5 Pixelbook to a i7 one. I didn't think the extra memory and processor bump would do anything, but it seems snappier than my old Pixelbook when I do a side-by-side comparison. I don't recommend anyone else do this unless you are crazy like me. Since you say that you are happy with the performance of your Pixelbook, why not try to ride it out until AUE? Google granted the Pixelbook another 3 years of support, so I would say ride it out until the end. That's what I am going to do - and pray that Google reconsiders making a true in-house successor.
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Mar 26, 2024 01:55
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cruft posted:yeah that's a thought. I would have to replace the battery, but that appears to be documented and doesn't look more difficult than a cell phone... Hmmm... Yes, the Pixelbook camera is crap. If you use it regularly, then I would consider another device. I've never replaced the Pixelbook battery, but one thing I've heard is that the silicone pads on the bottom will not go back nicely no matter what technique you used to get them off since they were glued on. If you care about aesthetics, that's something to keep in mind. It was definitely not designed to be repairable. I was tempted by the Framework Chromebook because of its repairability a few years ago, but like every device that tries to come close to the Pixelbook, it is missing a critical feature. In the case of the Framework, it's not fanless, it is not a 2-in-1, and is missing a touchscreen.
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Mar 26, 2024 02:34
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DACK FAYDEN posted:Crossposting from the tablet thread - My wife wants a device to replace her existing old laptop. We were thinking tablet plus a peripheral keyboard because she honestly doesn't do much: If this list is ordered by priority, she'll be fine. The web browsing experience on a Chromebook is better than an Android\iOS tablet by miles. You can't really compare stripped down mobile browsers with full, fat Chrome. Video streaming on the web is great, but I would double check that any critical mobile apps she uses for streaming are supported on Chromebooks. I've found that some Android streaming apps have more limitations when run on Chrome OS compared to real Android, and the developer might have disabled Chrome OS support completely for...reasons? Always go for the web app version over the Android version if it exists. It is always a better experience on Chrome OS. Google Docs is Google Docs, and is obviously a great experience on Chromebooks. You'll be fine there. If she is doing a lot of typing on her lap, I would consider a 2-in-1 instead of a tablet. You can fold it back when you don't need the keyboard, and the 2-in-1 keyboards are always better than a tablet keyboard. The Chrome OS tablet keyboards I have used are really cramped and you can't type very fast on them. One thing to keep in mind about Chromebooks and video conferencing is that a lot of the cameras you find on the tablet Chromebooks are truly terrible in my experience. With Chromebook Plus, they are getting better, but I don't think there is a Chromebook Plus tablet yet? Also, if you are using more obscure video conferencing software there might not be a Chromebook application for that service. Common stuff like Zoom and MS Teams are covered on Chromebooks if that's what you mainly use. If you dock the device to a hub, then you can use a USB webcam to mitigate a crappy built-in camera.
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Apr 19, 2024 01:07
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cruft posted:The Chromebooks I've owned have, generally, been much prettier than the non-Chromebook laptops I've owned. Not sure why, maybe because they can cut back on parts. But I totally understand wanting to run Linux on one. If I could convince myself to replace the battery on this OG Pixelbook I might just look into Linuxing it up. I ran Linux on my Pixelbook for a couple of months last year when I started getting worried that Chrome's Manifest v3 would screw up all my extensions. It was a decent experience except for audio. Audio was a nightmare. Many kernels were bugged and wouldn't work with the firmware .bin files you have to use to get audio support to work (at the time, I tried the 5.15, 6.1, 6.2 series). 5.15 was the only kernel that would work, but then I would get a kernel update and the audio would suddenly stop working. It just wasn't worth it in the end. The whole point of Chromebooks is that you don't have to computer janitor, so why subject yourself to that if you aren't at AUE?
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May 10, 2024 01:20
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