Anyone here know much about Chromebooks?

[Ultra Sound Guy]

My friend wants me to find her one and set it up. I’m more into PCs. Which processor should I look for and which to avoid? How do the processors compare with windows based pcs? How memory hungry are they? She’ll mainly use it for word processing, emails, web-searches and storing photos. She’s not into computer games or social media.

[witteringon]

I've been using chromebooks for a good while now and think they're great. Dead simple to set up and so straightforward to use - no faffing about with endless updates or security packages, and no slowing up over time. Even the more basic versions should be fine for the uses you mention - just depends how much you want to spend really. Make sure you look up the Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date of anything you are considering, some older models are getting quite short now.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

witteringon said:

I've been using chromebooks for a good while now and think they're great. Dead simple to set up and so straightforward to use - no faffing about with endless updates or security packages, and no slowing up over time. Even the more basic versions should be fine for the uses you mention - just depends how much you want to spend really. Make sure you look up the Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date of anything you are considering, some older models are getting quite short now.

Cheers!

[Brainpox]

Chromebooks generally come with very small drives as they are designed to run everything from the cloud. The file manager is very basic as well. I wouldn't recommend trying to store photos on one. Your friend would either need an external drive, or preferably some kind of cloud storage (obviously Google would be the best integrated but any service with a web interface would do fine).

[Ultra Sound Guy]

Ive been doing a little more searching and it seems printing could be a problem and finding a word-like word processing package could be difficult?

[Brainpox]

Ultra Sound Guy said:

Ive been doing a little more searching and it seems printing could be a problem and finding a word-like word processing package could be difficult?

Printing shouldn't be an issue but it will depend on the printer.

Word processing can be handled by Google Docs. She can give it a try on any PC before buying to see if it's enough. If your friend needs ultra compatibility with Word then the only option is the online version which is very limited in features.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

Tonight I found just how crap the interweb can be!
3 separate “expert computer sites” said that you can’t print direct from Chromebooks, only to cloud ready printer! Apparently that is untrue.
Same sites stated that it’s not possible to find a word processor like that in Office. But I can load MS word on it!

[Corso Marche]

Ultra Sound Guy said:

My friend wants me to find her one and set it up. I’m more into PCs. Which processor should I look for and which to avoid? How do the processors compare with windows based pcs? How memory hungry are they? She’ll mainly use it for word processing, emails, web-searches and storing photos. She’s not into computer games or social media.

As with anything, the more you pay the nicer a machine you will get. This applies to the physical 'feel' and experience of using a device, offering better keyboards, trackpads, screens etc
So the first thing to do is establish her comfortable budget.

I always take a long term view with hardware, aiming to get the best possible usable service life out of anything. With Chromebooks that means checking the AUE dates to see when updates will stop being pushed to it. New devices get updates for 8-8.5 years from their launch date. So check the page at the link below to see when any device you consider will reach AUE.
https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366...

For most home use/small office use I'd suggest looking for an M3/i3 or i5, with 8GB of RAM. 4GB is common in the market, but 8GB is worth it. Everything remains smooth with 8GB and it bodes better not just for performance but for future demands if the machine sees a long life of service. You can go higher/better in both CPU and RAM but you're very much in the land of diminishing returns, and entering the price bracket of enterprise machines.
For storage, aim for 64 or 128GB internal storage.

Has she used Chrome OS before? Chrome OS is a delight once you're fully into it, as it just properly "gets out of the way" and you can get stuff done quickly and smoothly. But that means changing habits for anybody who has used Windows or Mac OS in the past. Easy for some, not for others.

Using and leveraging Cloud services is what Chrome OS is all about, and using Googles suite of apps all-in is easiest the best way to get the most out of the platform.

Docs is perfectly fine for most people, I use it all the time.
Word is available online, but not necessary unless you need to share/receive Word docs with others.
If sharing Word files is important I'd suggest using the cloud version of OnlyOffice. It offers near faultless compatibility with Word. Even better compatibility than Word Online with legacy Word, in my experience.

For Photos the easiest option is G Photos. It's a part time hobby for me, and I do most editing in G Photos. All cataloguing, albums etc is done there. When the need arises I have the desktop Linux version of GiMP installed. Occasionally I use Snapseed or Lightroom, but it's very infrequent. If you suspect she does a lot of retouching of photos in the likes of Snapseed or Lightroom then consider a touchscreen with stylus. Folding the screen flat on the desk and using a stylus for retouches makes things easier and more accurate than a trackpad or mouse.
Just note she'll be storing photos in the cloud as that's easier than using local storage and external or network drives.
I keep backups on my network drive, but everything is stored on G Photos for day to day stuff.

If you've any other questions just ask...

Edited by Corso Marche on Thursday 18th March 06:57

[Corso Marche]

Ultra Sound Guy said:

Tonight I found just how crap the interweb can be!
3 separate “expert computer sites” said that you can’t print direct from Chromebooks, only to cloud ready printer! Apparently that is untrue.
Same sites stated that it’s not possible to find a word processor like that in Office. But I can load MS word on it!

Most of what you'll read online nowadays about Chrome OS is wildly inaccurate and outdated, and there's a large degree of what can only be described as horsest online too. Even new articles from long established and widely read tech sites repeat and perpetuate stuff from 7-8 years ago as if it was still applicable. The OS has matured and developed a lot over time. Tech sites haven't stayed with it.
So you'll basically have to treat most stuff you read online as rubbish, unfortunately. Asking on here will probably get you an accurate and realistic answer on anything.

[rodericb]

Ultra Sound Guy said:

Tonight I found just how crap the interweb can be!
3 separate “expert computer sites” said that you can’t print direct from Chromebooks, only to cloud ready printer! Apparently that is untrue.
Same sites stated that it’s not possible to find a word processor like that in Office. But I can load MS word on it!

To be fair, the MS Word that you can load onto a Chromebook is pure garbage.

[deckster]

Corso Marche said:

Asking on here will probably get you an accurate and realistic answer on anything.

rodericb said:

To be fair, the MS Word that you can load onto a Chromebook is pure garbage.

What Roderic means is that the MS Word you can load onto a Chromebook is the Android version, which is cut-down from the full-fat Windows edition but perfectly adequate for the vast majority of people. Regardless, you can of course use exactly the same online Office 365 apps as everybody else.

[superpp]

Ultra Sound Guy said:

Tonight I found just how crap the interweb can be!
3 separate “expert computer sites” said that you can’t print direct from Chromebooks, only to cloud ready printer! Apparently that is untrue.

I use a Chromebook, they're great.

Printing used to be troublesome and was designed around Google's Cloud Ready service, this has been dropped now.
My printer works via wifi now, when I struggled before as it wasn't a 'cloud ready' one.
I think most printers should work now.

[superpp]

You can try the Chromebook experience running it from USB.
This will also convert an old laptop/PC to a chromebook.

Look here:
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text

[durbster]

We got one to replace a tablet and it's been good. I hesitated for several months before eventually getting one in early 2020, which was bloody lucky as it turned out to be crucial for home schooling.

I originally intended to get a £150 thing for the family and after several trips to John Lewis and Curry's to look at them in real life (remember those times?), ended up spending £500+. Like most laptops, the screen takes up a large chunk of the cost so the cheaper ones can have pretty awful screens which is no good if you intend to use it for any length of time.

It's not without quirks, however. We can't print from ours and some of the Word documents we got from school wouldn't open from the file manager, but would open from an email attachment. There are a few niggles like that which just make it fall short of a 'proper' laptop.

[Corso Marche]

durbster said:

It's not without quirks, however. We can't print from ours and some of the Word documents we got from school wouldn't open from the file manager, but would open from an email attachment. There are a few niggles like that which just make it fall short of a 'proper' laptop.

All Chromebooks will print, unless it's a very old printer. What printer is it?

For Word docs hover the mouse pointer over the attachment in the email, and then click the button to add it to Drive. Then click Organise and save it to a chosen folder in Drive. Takes approximately 1 second.
Then open the file directly from Drive, using that as your File manager.
If you want to make it feel like a 'proper' laptop set Drive to open in it's own window, and use it as the File Manager.
Do the same with Docs, Sheets, Slides or anything you use. Then you'll have windowed apps just like most people are used to.

The best tip for new users is to set the browser download location to a chosen folder on Drive, and then use Drive as the File manager. That way everything is located on Drive in folders you've created.

[durbster]

Corso Marche said:

durbster said:

It's not without quirks, however. We can't print from ours and some of the Word documents we got from school wouldn't open from the file manager, but would open from an email attachment. There are a few niggles like that which just make it fall short of a 'proper' laptop.

All Chromebooks will print, unless it's a very old printer. What printer is it?

One that predates Chromebooks

Corso Marche said:

For Word docs hover the mouse pointer over the attachment in the email, and then click the button to add it to Drive. Then click Organise and save it to a chosen folder in Drive. Takes approximately 1 second.
Then open the file directly from Drive, using that as your File manager.

The files open directly from the email app no problem. It fails if you save the same file to the device and open it, then it throws a browser error.

This is the kind of thing where the simplicity of the OS hurts because you have limited options to resolve it. There are workarounds so I haven't invested too much time in it, it's just a bit annoying.

[Corso Marche]

Don't save it locally. Save it to Drive.
It's how the platform has been designed/implemented. No need for workarounds (see my earlier comment above about the sheer amount of BS on t'interweb surrounding Chrome OS.)

Also try what I suggested above. Place everything in folders on Drive, including your Downloads folder.
DO NOT use local storage for anything.

That printer sounds old alright.
What's the model?

[durbster]

Corso Marche said:

Don't save it locally. Save it to Drive.
It's how the platform has been designed/implemented. No need for workarounds (see my earlier comment above about the sheer amount of BS on t'interweb surrounding Chrome OS.)

Also try what I suggested above. Place everything in folders on Drive, including your Downloads folder.
DO NOT use local storage for anything.

Yeah sorry I wasn't clear but it doesn't matter whether you save to Drive or the device, it has the same problem.

Corso Marche said:

That printer sounds old alright.
What's the model?

Epson PX730WD.

[Corso Marche]

durbster said:

Yeah sorry I wasn't clear but it doesn't matter whether you save to Drive or the device, it has the same problem.

Do you have the extension below installed?
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/office-e...
It enables support for Office files in Drive.

But as mentioned earlier if I have to do anything with Office files I use Only Office as it works better than even Office Online, offering better file compatibility.

durbster said:

Epson PX730WD.

That's about a decade old, right? So you may be unfortunate in that instance. But Epson are one of the better brands for Chrome OS to work with.
I'm presuming you've tried the Add a Printer option in the Settings menu, and that it didn't detect it across the network.
If so;
a) Try adding it manually by entering the IP address of the printer
b) Try connecting over the USB lead direct to the Chromebook and adding it that way

Chrome OS uses the same print services as many Linux distros, so while there are some printers out there which don't have support, in a lot of cases it just involves investing more time on the initial setup to get it working.
Or if printing isn't a regular activity just print as a PDF to a folder on Drive, and then open the Drive folder on your phone and print from there. That Epson has Wi-Fi printing so your phone (or the Epson app) will support it. It's a workaround, granted...
If the printer doesn't support the Epson app then well, the only solution is a newer printer. Most Epson stuff from 2014/15 onwards works with Chrome OS without a hitch.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

Corso Marche said:

Ultra Sound Guy said:

My friend wants me to find her one and set it up. I’m more into PCs. Which processor should I look for and which to avoid? How do the processors compare with windows based pcs? How memory hungry are they? She’ll mainly use it for word processing, emails, web-searches and storing photos. She’s not into computer games or social media.

As with anything, the more you pay the nicer a machine you will get. This applies to the physical 'feel' and experience of using a device, offering better keyboards, trackpads, screens etc
So the first thing to do is establish her comfortable budget.

I always take a long term view with hardware, aiming to get the best possible usable service life out of anything. With Chromebooks that means checking the AUE dates to see when updates will stop being pushed to it. New devices get updates for 8-8.5 years from their launch date. So check the page at the link below to see when any device you consider will reach AUE.
https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366...

For most home use/small office use I'd suggest looking for an M3/i3 or i5, with 8GB of RAM. 4GB is common in the market, but 8GB is worth it. Everything remains smooth with 8GB and it bodes better not just for performance but for future demands if the machine sees a long life of service. You can go higher/better in both CPU and RAM but you're very much in the land of diminishing returns, and entering the price bracket of enterprise machines.
For storage, aim for 64 or 128GB internal storage.

Has she used Chrome OS before? Chrome OS is a delight once you're fully into it, as it just properly "gets out of the way" and you can get stuff done quickly and smoothly. But that means changing habits for anybody who has used Windows or Mac OS in the past. Easy for some, not for others.

Using and leveraging Cloud services is what Chrome OS is all about, and using Googles suite of apps all-in is easiest the best way to get the most out of the platform.

Docs is perfectly fine for most people, I use it all the time.
Word is available online, but not necessary unless you need to share/receive Word docs with others.
If sharing Word files is important I'd suggest using the cloud version of OnlyOffice. It offers near faultless compatibility with Word. Even better compatibility than Word Online with legacy Word, in my experience.

For Photos the easiest option is G Photos. It's a part time hobby for me, and I do most editing in G Photos. All cataloguing, albums etc is done there. When the need arises I have the desktop Linux version of GiMP installed. Occasionally I use Snapseed or Lightroom, but it's very infrequent. If you suspect she does a lot of retouching of photos in the likes of Snapseed or Lightroom then consider a touchscreen with stylus. Folding the screen flat on the desk and using a stylus for retouches makes things easier and more accurate than a trackpad or mouse.
Just note she'll be storing photos in the cloud as that's easier than using local storage and external or network drives.
I keep backups on my network drive, but everything is stored on G Photos for day to day stuff.

If you've any other questions just ask...

Edited by Corso Marche on Thursday 18th March 06:57

Thanks for one of the most useful replies I’ve had on here in years!
Her budget is up to £500, I sent her some links and she’s keen on an ASUS Flip “because it’s thin and light and pretty!”
8GB memory and 128GB storage. I’ve taken on board what you say about apps and think she’ll be fine with the Google offering!