So I have been hunting around to see if I can pick up a new model Samsung Chromebook and so far to no avail. I recently managed to play with one in a local Bestbuy, but that is the nearest I have managed to get to date.
Base on my short 'playtime' I will say that I was impressed with the new Samsung model, especially the new touchpad which it light years better than the one on this device. The build quality seems to have improved and the machine was definitely lighter and well, just better looking. From a use perspective - I only got a few minutes to play with it as there was a line forming behind me of other Chromebook hopefuls - I will say that he seemed very responsive and considering the size and complexity of some of the pages I loaded it was a smooth and uneventful experience.
Now that I have played I will just have to be patient and see how long it takes Amazon or similar to get one in stock. If you have a new Samsung (or Acer for that matter) feel free to respond to this post with your thoughts... especially if you upgraded from a previous Chromebook device.
Oh and I have now been 'Chromebook Only' for 27 days!
An experiment in living life with only a chromebook for all your technological needs
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Spotify on Chromebook
For those of us not lucky enough to get on the beta it sounds like we will have to wait till 2013 for the public release. After hunting around I did however dig up this review on Techcrunch which I expect is the first of many we will see between now and whatever date Spotify finally pick.
If you manage to get access and read this, post me your impressions of the first semi-public release of this much anticipated product.
New Acer Chromebook
I admit I am a little late on this one - I have been too busy to blog over the last few days. With that in mind I am still going to mention that Acer have now released a new Chromebook, you can see the official blog post at the Google blog.
After reading up on the specs for the device I am not sure how well it stack up against the recently released Samsung Chromebook but it is always good to see more companies backing the Chromebook initiative. A major plus of this Chromebook is that it only costs $200! I will reserve judgement until I get time to play with one, so for now I say go check it out and tell me what you think of it.
After reading up on the specs for the device I am not sure how well it stack up against the recently released Samsung Chromebook but it is always good to see more companies backing the Chromebook initiative. A major plus of this Chromebook is that it only costs $200! I will reserve judgement until I get time to play with one, so for now I say go check it out and tell me what you think of it.
Chromebook is good for - Online learning
I am taking some online courses at the moment and due to my 'experiment' I can only use my Chromebook to take part. At first I was a little nervous because one class is a programming class(@ Coursera) and requires the use of a web-based IDE however it turns out that this little device can handle it no problem and I have been able to continue the class without any issues. I have also been using it on the Khan academy and again it works just great.
I have to say outside of my job I am impressed with what this little device can do and how much of my electronic life can be completed easily without the need for a bigger laptop or an expensive tablet plus keyboard combination.
I have to say outside of my job I am impressed with what this little device can do and how much of my electronic life can be completed easily without the need for a bigger laptop or an expensive tablet plus keyboard combination.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Streaming video frustration
This is one issue I was hoping would be resolved before I got around to blogging about it, but as of the time of this entry it hasn't. I am of course talking about the Amazon Video PPAPI issue which has been ongoing for a number of weeks now. I have been doing a little research and it appears that a large number of people have been seeing the following message whilst trying to stream video from Amazons online video solution:
This is quite maddening - especially due to my Chromebook experiment - as this is one of my favorite sources of video content and is also why I pay for prime each year. I can't help but wonder when Google and Amazon are going to fix this. Neither company has any information about a resolution, but both explain how to turn off Flash which is obviously no good as Flash is required to stream. Does anyone know of a work around for Chromebooks?
11/8/12 Update:
This appears to have been fixed in the 24hrs since my post as I am currently happily watching one of my Amazon videos... thank you Google and/or Amazon for fixing the issue
If you're using the Chrome browser with Linux, you must disable PPAPI to continue using Amazon Instant Video. You can also use a different Web browser, like Firefox. Learn more
This is quite maddening - especially due to my Chromebook experiment - as this is one of my favorite sources of video content and is also why I pay for prime each year. I can't help but wonder when Google and Amazon are going to fix this. Neither company has any information about a resolution, but both explain how to turn off Flash which is obviously no good as Flash is required to stream. Does anyone know of a work around for Chromebooks?
11/8/12 Update:
This appears to have been fixed in the 24hrs since my post as I am currently happily watching one of my Amazon videos... thank you Google and/or Amazon for fixing the issue
Saturday, November 3, 2012
In need of recommendations
Well its day 4 and its going pretty well - the macbook air on the countertop is a constant reminder of some of the things I miss about a full blown laptop - but so far I have resisted the urge to jump off of the smaller screen of the Chromebook. I have a couple of requests if anyone is reading this and feels they are more of a Chromebook aficionado, I need some Webstore app recommendations (or just general internet based solutions) for the following:
- Drawing program (I am normally an illustrator/photoshop user)
- IDE for scripting languages such as python, javascript
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Welcome to my Chromebook experiment
Welcome to the experiment I am calling 'Chromebook only'! I have had a Chromebook sitting around my place since 2011 - it is a 500C model for those of you interested in the details - and have never really taken the time to appreciate it's simplicity.
After trying to convince others of the reduced need for expensive computing solutions I have decided to give the chromebook a whirl. To ensure I really immerse myself in it's ecosystem I am forcing myself to use none of my other computing options (out side of my job, which requires more computing capabilities than I am sure this Chromebook can provide) for as long as I possibly can. As I sit here typing on my almost forgotten toy I can't help but wonder what the next few weeks/months holds in store for me.
Here's why I feel that this little experiment might not be as easy as one might think. My usual computer usage goes something like this - I design and write UIs for websites and mobile apps, I work on basic robotics solutions using NXT/Arduino/Raspberry PI and in my downtime consume as much information as possible about anything that interests me whilst taking online courses and helping others with homework/research/etc all of which is normally done on machines that at this point seem a lot more capable than this.
What do I hope to get from this? Firstly, I hope to improve my writing abilities :) who knows I might even be able to make these posts interesting. Secondly to see if I can survive the lack of high powered technology I have grown to know and love and lastly I love a challenge. Being told that I couldn't live without my other toys made me want to prove I could!
If this idea strikes a chord with you or you have helpful advice for a Chromebook newb post a comment and share your thoughts. If all goes well and a month from now I am still at it I might even cough up the money for one of those shiny new Chromebooks that Amazon keeps emailing me about.
After trying to convince others of the reduced need for expensive computing solutions I have decided to give the chromebook a whirl. To ensure I really immerse myself in it's ecosystem I am forcing myself to use none of my other computing options (out side of my job, which requires more computing capabilities than I am sure this Chromebook can provide) for as long as I possibly can. As I sit here typing on my almost forgotten toy I can't help but wonder what the next few weeks/months holds in store for me.
Here's why I feel that this little experiment might not be as easy as one might think. My usual computer usage goes something like this - I design and write UIs for websites and mobile apps, I work on basic robotics solutions using NXT/Arduino/Raspberry PI and in my downtime consume as much information as possible about anything that interests me whilst taking online courses and helping others with homework/research/etc all of which is normally done on machines that at this point seem a lot more capable than this.
What do I hope to get from this? Firstly, I hope to improve my writing abilities :) who knows I might even be able to make these posts interesting. Secondly to see if I can survive the lack of high powered technology I have grown to know and love and lastly I love a challenge. Being told that I couldn't live without my other toys made me want to prove I could!
If this idea strikes a chord with you or you have helpful advice for a Chromebook newb post a comment and share your thoughts. If all goes well and a month from now I am still at it I might even cough up the money for one of those shiny new Chromebooks that Amazon keeps emailing me about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)