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usonian

(19,351 posts)
11. I second the notion of "what do you use it for?"
Sun Jun 2, 2024, 11:39 PM
Jun 2024

Without addressing actual needs, you could buy a V8 pickup truck for commuting, ot a Fiat for hauling furniture.

Most people do little more than get email and messages and browse.
Unless you're a serious photographer, phones do a better job of taking photos (obviously).
And you might compose a few documents.
One more thing, later on.

A Chromebook is a display and keyboard hooked to Google's computer farm. It does basically nothing else.

Windows computers are increasingly driving you to use Microsoft's computers, as in online office, mail, and the same for photoshop from Adobe.

Windows, Mac and Linux laptops all do the standard jobs, if you let them.
I use the Libre Office suite on computers intead of "Office Online" or 365, or whatever they call it, and CIMP instead of photoshop (plus some raw photo editing apps). I do serious photography.

Now, for those 80% or 90% of tasks that people do, a tablet with a decent keybaord does all you need, and is portable as heck.
I use one mainly to hold musical scores (on the piano) and show off photos to friends. I use as few "cloud" thingys as possible because they all warp, modify, change terms and start collecting subscription fees over time. Some just go away, or kick you off. Case in point, Google or someone else identified a story on Chris Paul as porn, because his initials are CP, and kicked someone off.

My brother, the least techie person on earth, got so fed up with every windows update breaking his keybooard, mouse and printer that he switched to Linux (sold and supported by Dell, online only) and no gripes or even calls for help.

They all do the basic things, and tablets do a bit more; they let you draw nicely with a pencil, important to artists.

(and yes, there are office apps for tablets that dont lock you in to Google or Microsoft) You can back them up to computers or various cloud backup services if you want that.

I long ago got an ipad 1 (that's one ) that still shows musical scores and holds countless books to read. Not being updateable, it won't do the browsing (might still do mail, I guess), and it holds and shows off photos.

List what you do, and then check what each system will do for you, keeping in mind that some options really tie you to someone's online services constantly, and I prefer to own my devices and storage rather than rent them. YMMV.

P.S. I mostly use a mac mini ($600) and large display and separate full size keyboard, and an ipad pro for the music and photo display. An old iMac display quit, so the whole unit needs repairs, pointing out the virtue of keeping things separate, so they can be swapped in and out seamlessly when something quits or jams, as things do.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

I've always been a Mac person because I'm lazy. oldsoftie Jun 2024 #1
The approach I have used for 2 decades Otto_Harper Jun 2024 #2
are you secretly Mr YD? LOL he is totally Open Source (which is why I had it for a while) yellowdogintexas Jun 2024 #7
I'm on my second Chromebook. They do have an expiration date. I believe the lifecycle is about four years. LeftInTX Jun 2024 #3
thank you !!! nt yellowdogintexas Jun 2024 #8
My Chomebook isn't going to expire until 2029! LeftInTX Jun 2024 #12
Chromebooks are crippled as far as applications go. Get a Windows laptop. PSPS Jun 2024 #4
I'm posting this from a Chromebook I bought "refurbished" for around $100 hunter Jun 2024 #5
we have a wireless HP printer so it shouldn't be a problem nt yellowdogintexas Jun 2024 #10
If it's already set up it probably won't be a problem. hunter Jun 2024 #13
What do you use it for? Voltaire2 Jun 2024 #6
Very lightweight stuff: surfing the net, correspondence, occassional spreadsheets / documents yellowdogintexas Jun 2024 #9
So you are using google's office tools. Voltaire2 Jun 2024 #14
I second the notion of "what do you use it for?" usonian Jun 2024 #11
Except for the browser all my Chromebook apps work offline, not in the "cloud." hunter Jun 2024 #15
I recently bought Susan Calvin Jun 2024 #16
W540 Thinkpad CountAllVotes Jun 2024 #17
I recently bought a used Chromebook for $50. DURHAM D Jun 2024 #18
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