Change in hardware/change in software?

Posted by Ken
Jul 28, 2014 at 08:39 PM

Dr Andus wrote:
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
>Thanks, Doc. I live in a rural area, where wifi accessibility is still
>>hit or miss in a lot of towns, so I am always concerned about being
>able
>>to save files locally.
> >You’re welcome. That’s a valid concern. It really depends on what
>exactly you’d want to use it for when you’re offline. The main strength
>of the Chromebook is the ease and speed of web browsing and using web
>services, and the long battery life (7-10 hrs).
> >If we’re talking about Google Docs and other files on Google Drive, it
>is possible to sync Google Drive with a Chromebook and have it as
>offline access. However, most Chromebooks come with small hard drives,
>and so there will come a point when not all of the data will fit on the
>local machine or where syncing may become too slow.
> >But otherwise offline Chromebooks can function perfectly well as
>typewriters, notakers, outliners etc. (depending on the offline
>availability of the given app), saving locally, and syncing later (with
>your choice of cloud service, normally Google Drive, Dropbox, Box).
>

I think that Dr. Andrus gave a pretty good overview of where a Chromebook will or will not serve a person’s needs. In my case, I decided on one because much of what I cannot seem to get done these days is web-based, and I have good wifi at home and at work. On the go, I have my phone, and it doubles as a hot spot. So, my Chromebook will function as a step up from my iPad in that it will be an almost instant on device, but with a reasonably sized keyboard. This is useful for me, as I frequently need to respond to email, and I sometimes cannot get to my desk and boot up my main laptop (which is hooked up to two monitors among other things). If I wanted to spend more money, I would have either bought a small laptop like the MBA 11” or a Lenovo Yoga. These have similar form factors, an important criteria for me, but as I really do not need their additional processing power and software, I decided to spare my wallet any more damage. The price differential is significant in comparison to this Acer, as I walked out the door, after taxes, with change from $200, and fully capable laptop of that size is no less than $500, and probably closer to $800. I am willing to live with these trade-offs, at least until my primary laptop needs replacing, and then I will reconsider.

—Ken