Bloatware Pushing Me to Chromebook

[timemoveson]

The windows updates on a " New" computer can take days. I bought two refurbished HP desktops from Walmart, one with 10 the other with 7. The 7 machine sat for 10 mo before I even fired it up. I thought it was fubar, so I took it to a local small computer shop. Got it back in a week. machine was just fine , tech said " the updates took over 3 days online because it was so long between installation start up " ( 10 mo.)

Periodic updates are usually quick now.

The 10 machine runs just fine, as does the 7. both were refurbished with zero bloatware , and start-up /shutdown are quick.

Also have an acer netbook, came with 8. Hated 8 upgraded to 10. No Drama. Does OK, it's a slow machine due to cheap cpu.

Not an Apple shareholder or fanboy in any way but for those really considering full featured home computers over cloud only...

By process of elimination, I am the families' home-based "Tech Support" and always have been. A 6 Mac household for a number of years after being all Windows PC. Level of time and effort consumed per month on average for this Mac Tech Support = zero. My single work Windows laptop provides more grief than all our personal computers combined, by far! And a couple of my home users give their machines a pretty good workout, arguably much more than I do on my "executive laptop". I'm now rotating old (5+ year old) Macs to my other home because of their ease of maintenance, durability and continuing usefulness for simple services.

 

[pb4uski]

I'll be watching this thread as DW is due for a new laptop and I think a Chromebook may work fine for her... mostly email and web ... no programs.

I may get one also and relegate the old laptop that I'm typing on now to Quicken, TurboTax and a couple other things. Or I may just splurge and get a Win 10/Surface-like tablet with keyboard instead of having both a Chromebook and a laptop.

Decisions.

 

[Dawg52]

I'm going to give a Chromebook a try pretty soon. My Acer Win 7 laptop is running fine, but CB's are cheap and I would like to move from Windows someday. Might as well try one out. Should handle 95% of what I do anyway. Will give me time to learn all about them and see if it can be a permanent solution before my laptop dies.

 

[W2R]

I'm going to give a Chromebook a try pretty soon. My Acer Win 7 laptop is running fine, but CB's are cheap and I would like to move from Windows someday. Might as well try one out. Should handle 95% of what I do anyway. Will give me time to learn all about them and see if it can be a permanent solution before my laptop dies.

Yeah, but for the long haul, would you be happy with a computer that can't do that 5%? I wouldn't. I'm sticking with laptops (and may be the last person on earth to own one).

 

[Dawg52]

Yeah, but for the long haul, would you be happy with a computer that can't do that 5%? I wouldn't. I'm sticking with laptops (and may be the last person on earth to own one).

Not sure. That's what I want to find out before my laptop croaks.

 

[aja8888]

Yeah, but for the long haul, would you be happy with a computer that can't do that 5%? I wouldn't. I'm sticking with laptops (and may be the last person on earth to own one).

As mentioned several times in the thread, the Chromebook is very handy for internet stuff and I wouldn't be without mine. Besides being fast and very light, weight wise, it is not a full replacment for a Windows or Apple machine. If you need to work with non-cloud based programs, it can't do that (unless you convert it to a Linux OS).

The situation with me is Chromebook 95% of the time and the WIn 10 desktop with the 24" monitor the other 5% (tax program, Quicken). I have a 17", 8 pound Windows laptop here somewhere, but haven't seen it in a year.

 

[Gotadimple]

I just replaced an older HP laptop this year with an ASUS X555D - from the MS store. The key is that the processor have enough speed and you have enough on board storage to allow Windows to function.

But, Al, you still need an antivirus and antimalware program - especially if Lena is using it for surfing the net. If it were me, the first time I powered up and it was relatively non-functional: back to the store. The Microsoft store does make sure there isn't much bloatware (except for the MS bloatware!).

- Rita

 

[grasshopper]

Ms G just bought an Acer Chromebook, her Vista wasn't updating and Chrome stopped updates also. She wanted a Windows product, but I have moved away from there and will never go back. She just loves her Chromebook, boots right up, is fast and doesn't have to wait to remove flash devices. A week later she is like why didn't you tell me before, well she just wasn't listening. I have used a Chromebook for a while I still use a remote W10 that is hard wired to the internet for Quicken and TurboTax

 

[bltkmt]

I just bought the Lenovo Thinkpad 13 Chromebook for our trip to Cancun and it was awesome - about $300. I used it to log into work via Citrix and that worked fine. Great little machines for not a lot of bucks.

 

[kgtest]

I read through an old post on Chromebooks. Any new opinions?

Purchased one for my 65 yr old mom. She likes it, uses it just like a computer and when the spyware does infect her, its soo simple to do a factory reset.

 

[JustCurious]

DW and I have had Chromebooks for several years now. Can't imagine going back to the old way. There is a learning curve insofar as finding apps that will do things and working from the cloud, but I haven't missed my MSFT laptop...not even once.

+1

I have been using Chromebooks exclusively for personal use now for about 2 years, and I cannot imagine going back to the old way either. I love my Chromebook.

 

[TromboneAl]

We took the Acer back to Walmart, and got an ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS01 11.6".

Check out this video (note drops and water spilling):

For some reason, Lena is rough on laptops.

Exhibit A:

So this should be a good fit.

Seems great so far. Easy setup, boots up in seconds. I've always felt that the big problem with Windows is that the OS is modifiable. I think that less tech support will be needed.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[frank2009]

Just bought an Acer Chromebook to replace my aging Macbook. I just couldn't justify spending $1000 to surf the web and occasionally print or scan something. There was a small learning curve re printing/scanning. All documents are saved in Google Drive otherwise known as "the cloud".

For my needs the Chromebook works really well..

 

[marko]

Just bought an Acer Chromebook to replace my aging Macbook. I just couldn't justify spending $1000 to surf the web and occasionally print or scan something. There was a small learning curve re printing/scanning. All documents are saved in Google Drive otherwise known as "the cloud".

For my needs the Chromebook works really well..

There is a short learning curve especially finding apps/extentions to run things but once you figure it out it's great.

I love the idea that if my C'book isn't around I can use DW's, log in as myself and get my own browser, bookmarks and ALL my files right there.

I also know that (some newer?) C'books will soon run all/any Android apps which will open up even more opportunities.

All my photos, documents, excel sheets (aka google sheets) and music are now on Google, automatically updated and backed up; for ~$300 I just see it as the way to go.

No viruses, no crashes, no backing up, no lost data and a 10 second boot-up.

 

[Chuckanut]

Many people keep a cheap Chromebook around just to do their financial transactions on. Nothing else is done on it. No surfing, no email, no downloading fancy new apps, and nothing else but financial transactions.

Powerwash it every month or two just in case something has infected it, but from what I have heard, that is very rare.

 

[timekeepr]

I +1 Linux, I use Ubuntu (Mate) and have for many years. NO viruses. If you have an old windows desktop/laptop that you don't use, give it a try. You can even run it from a CD/DVD so you don't have to install it.

Linux! No bloatware no forced updates. It's really easy to install in any old computer ( this is being typed on an ancient HP desktop that originally sold with Windows XP! more than a decade ago) I Installed linux Mint XFCE and it runs just as fast as my laptop with Windows 10. Installation was very easy. I can understand the fear factor because I shared preconceived notions about Linux but it really does work and it's easy.

BTW, Chromebooks run on a version of Linux ( as is Android)

 

[tmm99]

Now I want a Chromebook, and I don't even need a computer! This thread has been a very fun read.

 

[aja8888]

Our family has almost as many Chromebooks as we have Echo Dots! (what's this world coming to?)

Old pile of laptops!

 

[Turn_the_Page]

I use a free Linux distro (currently Puppy/Slacko) on a 10 year old laptop and don't hassle with Windows, except on my wife's PC. Went through heck with it about a month ago with a trojan horse. If all you need is a browser, you have some options.

 

[ERD50]

Now I want a Chromebook, and I don't even need a computer! This thread has been a very fun read.

I've wanted one for a while, but since I maintain the family MacBooks, iPads, and we have Android phones, and I have an Android tablet, and I run Linux on my computers, I wasn't sure I needed another OS in the house!

But if Chromebooks can run Android apps, that might trigger me. It bothers me that I can have some convenient apps for my phone/tablet, but can't easily use those same on my computer (like 'mobile deposit' of checks - my computer has a web cam, but no go).

I guess the Chrome Browser (but not the totally open Chromium browser) has some sort of support for Android apps, have not tried that yet.

I'll say it again, though I'm a big fan of Linux, I think a Chromebook makes a LOT of sense for someone who just wants to open the box and have browser and email w/o installing an OS (even though Linux is usually pretty easy to install, it's not as easy as opening a box and pushing the power key), and w/o having the baggage of MS Windows.

If the support for Android apps is good, and touchscreen and a fold-able keyboard can be had at a good price, I think I'll get a Chromebook when I'm ready to replace/upgrade my tablet.


-ERD50

 

[FIREmenow]

I've wanted one for a while, but since I maintain the family MacBooks, iPads, and we have Android phones, and I have an Android tablet, and I run Linux on my computers, I wasn't sure I needed another OS in the house!

But if Chromebooks can run Android apps, that might trigger me. It bothers me that I can have some convenient apps for my phone/tablet, but can't easily use those same on my computer (like 'mobile deposit' of checks - my computer has a web cam, but no go).

I guess the Chrome Browser (but not the totally open Chromium browser) has some sort of support for Android apps, have not tried that yet.

I'll say it again, though I'm a big fan of Linux, I think a Chromebook makes a LOT of sense for someone who just wants to open the box and have browser and email w/o installing an OS (even though Linux is usually pretty easy to install, it's not as easy as opening a box and pushing the power key), and w/o having the baggage of MS Windows.

If the support for Android apps is good, and touchscreen and a fold-able keyboard can be had at a good price, I think I'll get a Chromebook when I'm ready to replace/upgrade my tablet.


-ERD50

The very latest Chromebooks are NOW able to run Google Play Store and run apps.

Chromebooks Just Killed the Tablet | Droid Life

 

[Lsbcal]

For vacation travel on planes where lightness counts, I still don't see tablets being matched by Chromebooks for our needs.

For car travel, regular home use, they sound really good.

BTW, I don't know if it was mentioned but all that bloatware could present a security issue. I hate that my computer has a lot of it still hanging around but so far no problems over the last 5 years. Secunia PSA used to do a good job of pointing out which apps needed software updates but it seemed to die on me a few years ago ... no real support for this freebie I think. Microsoft does a good job nowadays but only on their installed base software I believe.

 

[marko]

The very latest Chromebooks are not able to run Google Play Store and run apps.

Chromebooks Just Killed the Tablet | Droid Life

I don't see that in the article What I read is just the opposite but it could be that Bloody Mary I just had.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[FIREmenow]

I don't see that in the article What I read is just the opposite but it could be that Bloody Mary I just had.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

Typo. Sorry. Corrected. "....NOW able to....."

 

[pb4uski]

I don't see that in the article What I read is just the opposite but it could be that Bloody Mary I just had. ...

+1 and no Bloody Mary here.... yet.

Starting a little early today marko? What the heck... it's 5 o'clock somewhere.