Chrome OS - What a disappointment

I was kind of excited when I heard that there are Google based laptops that are cheap with very good battery life for cheap. I know they are low end laptops but they could be a good backup lapop to keep or for when you want to go out and about and don't want to carry your expensive laptop with you.

I haven't really looked into them until recently when I saw a Lenovo ChromeBook 3 on sale for only $200 USD so I grabbed one.

It has only 32GB of storage so I added a 512GB MicroSD Card and I was good to go.

My work is all done through online apps when I acess through a web browser so I installed FireFox which is what I use for work so it has all my passwords/bookmarks saved but darn! It's not the full fledged desktop Firefox version it's the mobile version which is horrible. The bookmarks cannot always be shown like in the desktop version so every time I need to go to a bookmark, I have to open up the bookmarks menu, then navigate to the folder where that bookmark is. It is just not ideal for work and as you know on a mobile version you cannot have the extensions that you would normally install on the desktop version.

There is no Microsoft Edge for Chrome OS/Android so that's another option gone. (at least not without going into developer mode which is a horrible idea don't try it, I ended up having my entire laptop wiped after a reboot).

I don't wanna use Google Chrome as I have that setup as my personal browser with my bookmarks and what not. I guess I can sign in with a Google Account and start from scratch but again, the extensions are not there.

All other apps are just the mobile versions so basically, a ChromeBook is nothig more than a huge Android tablet/phone with a keyboard. I just don't get the point of these devices really. Might as well buy a cheap Windows laptop and be done with it. I was hoping this would be a good alternative to not use Windows (no I will never touch Linux because it is not user friendly and requires an engineering degee in computers just to install a driver).

Your thoughts?

 

I prefer using androidx86 mostly due to level of control but the downside is certain apps don't work. I haven't tested everything as I'm just using it for time, weather, traffic and alarm clock widgets. That all being said I'm using a thin client and not a laptop so it's probably not an apt comparison...

 

For a tech person who loves to tinker and customize their OS, moving to a chromebook is going to feel very restrictive. If you don't choose a chromebook with at least a 1080p IPS display and Core m or i3 it's going to be slow and lacking. The real joy in using a chromebook is going to be its fast startup, long battery life, easy updates that only require you to reboot, excellent security, and with full sync on - you can powerwash or sign into another chromebook (if it breaks or dies) and be right back to where you were at. There is still a lot of work to be done with android on ChromeOS. Most apps aren't setup to be used "full screen", and yes your just getting the "mobile" experience. I find If I can do it in the browser or PWA, I prefer it that way since I have access to cast anything or print from the browser. Also for a power user, get a chromebook that has linux support. you can download linux apps and one click install in a container that runs just like an app. Try linux firefox and see if that meets your needs.

 

Chrome gives you two options. You can add another "person" to the browser and that keeps all of your bookmarks, passwords, etc. totally separate from each "person" and that is what I do for work. This is done using your avatar icon to the right of the URL box. You can access the administrative functions of the Google account for each "person" using this method. My employer uses Google for Business and I use my own computer(s) for work. This works flawlessly for me and it is almost like having a separate login for Windows. On a Chromebook it would be the equivalent of having a separate Windows login.

The second option is to add another "account" which you do by clicking on the rectangular box when you are signed in and accessing your Gmail or your avatar next to the 9 dots for Google Apps that is located down in the browser window on a google.com page. When you do it this way it does not access bookmarks and passwords for the added "account" but does give access to Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, etc. for each account that you add. Using the second approach does not give you access to the actual Google account administrative and configuration options. You have to use the first option for adding a "person" to do that.

 

Wait you could put a micro sd card to your chromebook? Do you have that slot? My acer chromebook doesn't have any slot for this. Do you have those adapters or something?

 

It depends on the model. My cheap 200 USD Lenovo 3 Chromebook has a micro SD slot

 

I know one thought, your tune on linux changed quickly ha ha ha!. And yes, Chrome OS is basically a chrome browser running everything as web apps. I want to try it, but I have not found a device I want to give it a whirl on besides an original chromebook pixel. At which point that's dead in the water. If that computer could run the newest version of C'OS I would get one.

 

Another gripe I have is, when I take my Chrometoy to the cafe as an alternative to work, I turn it on, I can't use the darn thing for 20 mins until it updates 20 apps then runs a Chrome OS update then reboots and since this is a low-end Chromebook, it takes forever and everything is super slow while you are updating so basically its a useless large mobile phone that's always wanting to update and no better than browsing on a phone

 

At least on my cheap android tablet I never have that problem. It's works great. You would be better off with a tab 's6 lite instead of the Chromebook.

 

Probably equal awful concept.



Microsoft Windows 11 SE And Surface Laptop Aim To Steal Chromebook’s Lunch Money In Schools hothardware.com | Nov 10, 2021

I was surprised to learn this when I looked it up, but the first Chromebook actually came out a decade ago (just over a decade, actually). During that time, Chromebooks have made a significant dent in the education market, and even outsold Macs for the very first time last year. Microsoft has seen enough and is hoping to claim schoolyard dominance with its new Surface Laptop SE, powered by an also-new version of Windows 11, called Windows 11 SE.

Will you jump on this?

 

Makes sense. A fitting target audience, since intelligent adults want nothing to do with Winduhz 11 rubbish OS. Interesting that they have a new SE (Suckier Edition) ready for them. I bet that's gonna be a real treat. Nothing is too tacky or chintzy for the public education system. Sorry kids... it is what it is... GIGO.

 

There's many Distros that are super simple to use like PopOS or Linux Mint. There will come a time where you may need to use a terminal for something but that's due to the lack of Applications with a UI. I'd say it's a lot less work than the crap we have to do to make a Standard Windows ISO "use-able" just a learning curve really....

 

Respectfully disagree.

Taking Manjaro for example. I would prefer to use KDE for obvious reasons but everything keeps breaking resulting in more time troubleshooting than actual production. All of which is resolved with Gnome, which is not a UI I enjoy working with, making the whole exercise moot.

Windows is usable out of the box, the issues we face are beyond that.

My own personal experience with t440p kept me from considering linux on a laptop basically until further notice. Pop_OS was no different in that regard and only because of one swapped touchpad which rendered the whole system a paperweight if not used with a mouse. No amount of drivers was able to resolve this. All that was needed in Windows was disabling the auto driver installation and its off to the races.

All of this while looking to get off Windows altogether.

 

I don't mind using a terminal. In fact, I kind of like it. It just feels right for an ornery old fella that cut his teeth on DOS.

But, I really don't like nonsense and having to babysit a computer, or fix broken messes. I'd rather burn my calories tweaking things to improve performance.

That's not to say Winduhz isn't a broken mess. After 1809, everything turned to crap pretty much. But, it remains functional if not severely bloated with utterly worthless garbage. It doesn't get broken (non-functional) as easily as Linux. And, like I said... I don't like nonsense or fixing broken messes.

Without a doubt, I really love Linux. It has lots of limitations and I try to make the UI resemble Window 7 in many respects. There have been times that is frustrated the crap out of me, but I continue tinkering with it because I truly despise what Winduhz has become and I would like nothing better than to eventually replace Winduhz with Linux. I don't know that we will ever get there, but it's certainly worthy of the effort. It definitely won't happen if we/I don't give it the effort. The likelihood that Winduhz is going to improve and suck less at any point in the future is similar to a snowball's chance of surviving in hell.

 

Manjaro is not for beginners its based on Arch think of it as an installer, Arch requires more work than your standard distro because that's what it's community prefers. Odd you had that issue with the thinkpad as alot of linux users run thinkpads but I think they stick around Fedora so maybe try that. Mint driver installs are pretty good. Maybe its the specific touchpad you swapped it out with. Maybe try it on another system. You can also test the USB installers before you even install that should give you a pretty good idea if everything works out of the box.

Linux gives those options to everyone though if you want to get deep into compile flags and what not you can. Terminal isn't so bad I love the control it offers and that's coming from a Gen Z just takes some learning but I do think it shouldn't be necessary but that's all you have when majority of people are linux are devs and lack of UI based packages. I broke windows so many editing ISOs and then I have to make a new ISO just to update my system not to mention all the services I would then have to disable left over I'd rather use Arch which offers that same deep level of control but I don't need to reinstall my system to get updates and those updates don't overwrite my removed/disabled packages. I don't really have any issues with Arch like alot of people claim like fixing system 24/7 unless im running -git packages (betas essentially). When I do run into an issue though I love learning more about the system sure it's annoying at the time but I love how easy it is to get inside and fix X or Y maybe look up this error on the web and see what others have done. Compared to windows click to fix and sometimes it doesnt even do anything lol then you have to whip out the terminal and hope sfc /scannow or whatever fixes the issue you have no real control over the OS as it's doing everything for you and does let you manually touch anything in the core.

Cinnamon is close to Windows 7 and you can get a basic GTK Theme for XFCE which is kinda similar to XP I ran a system for a bout a year like that. The thing is from a company standpoint is why should they make a dev to for a linux port when there's such little demand. It's like gamers they dual boot but from a game dev its like oh well you still play on windows so we can just save money and just have a windows port they don't care what OS you use. Companies will only care when people stop using those products and demanding for a Linux port then that cuts into their revenue. Windows just gets worse and worse but we keep using for X and Y and that's why nothing changes. If most people on Linux are devs and like CLI/Terminal based apps why make a UI nobody is gonna use unless their is demand?

 

Another benefit of Linux, at least for me, is the more skill I develop with it further separates me from the sheeple. And, who doesn't like being an elitist?

 

This coming from a user of Linux for 10+ years (not me, a friend exposing me to Linux) is not heartening. Even just 30 minutes ago after his 3rd try with KDE the OS could no longer even draw the UI at all. I am well aware of Arch's reputation, but when you have to figure out how to get the UI working on a vanilla system that falls outside of vanilla difficulty and more so relying on someone to fix your plugins for basic functionality. Thats not "difficulty", thats refusing to admit when something doesnt work. Manjaro Gnome immediately resolves all those issues and hes gaming 10 minutes later. Arch is difficult, Manjaro is not.

I have a multiboot drive that I keep my Linux and Android based distro's on have no issues with any of them save for BlissOS.

I already spent plenty of time attempting to resolve the issue with my t440p and will not spend anymore on it. Linux is either a tool that is beneficial or its not. In this case it was a complete waste of time. Where I can immediately go back to Windows and just shut off updates/driver updates and be able to engage into production.in short order.

This isnt to say Linux is bad, this is just to display that stating Linux is easier to get rolling as opposed to Windows is hilariously false. The issues faced with Windows is that its the King of the hill and has been dictating its will on its users as a result which prompts many to look for alternatives and justifiably so.

The reason I personally look at Arch is due to Steam's involvement with it, but its not what I attempted to use on my t440p. I tried all the basic and recommended distros. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, ZorinOS, Linux Mint, Manjaro, Elementary etc etc. Considering at the time I had tried it out, the kernel would have already updated for relevance to my machine. I tried a number of drivers and none of them worked. I will be looking at Manjaro Gnome as a warm up to Steam's tailored version which will be based on Arch.

 

KDE and GNOME are garbage so bloated with so many useless applications (more to go wrong) its like running windows I dont understand why everyone runs them. GNOME devs do not care about your system they wouldn't even help ubuntu make changes causing them to making Unity. Manjaro and Arch as the same at the core however Manjaro may give you a few more packages to help you get setup faster but its still Arch with a 1 week delay on updates to be "stable". Everyone's system is different its hard to tell what his issue could be no UI could be X11 or a GPU Driver issue you can easily boot the Arch ISO remount the partition and chroot in to install a new DE and login manager or even change the TTY in the system to do that I don't see why you would switch distros just for that... those types of people shouldnt be on Arch as they clearly don't understand how to use it. Arch is based on fixing it yourself just because it works here doesnt mean its gonna work there your expected to know how to do that you can't blame the product for that when it's told to you - "It is targeted at the proficient GNU/Linux user, or anyone with a do-it-yourself attitude who is willing to read the documentation, and solve their own problems." - https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Linux

I think we do have issues on this side of the fence as well but you have to remember most of these packages are made in free time and if you want them to work you kinda got to figure it out or push the issue on github so the developers can actually see the issue. Windows has the benefit of Millions of dollars behind it and companies working on testing and working hand in hand with Microsoft to make sure everything is smooth rolling Day 1 we just don't have that on Linux because it's a minority. If you have issues on your system push them to the devs even if its a forum post on the Ubuntu or Mint forums or right the devs of those distros instead of the specific package as you may not know because we can't help you otherwise not everything is gonna work OOTB.

I advise staying away from KDE and GNOME for obvious reasons but you do you. I am glad steam is looking at running Arch as a backend however that doesn't mean everyone should run out and install it and I think that's where people get the idea to install Arch based distros. I would say for most people they are just not going to like it and run into issues unless they really know their entire system. Overall Linux is not perfect I know that but seeing the same thing over and over about X and Y not working but the people complaining are usually just running Windows and don't help the matter as I mentioned earlier it can't be fixed without reporting issues and gaining marketshare there's just no incentive for companies to have a linux division to make mainstream games/software work. Ubuntu Mint and PopOS is the 3 I would name as go to for a beginner they do have problems but you wont have DE issues and such like on Manjaro as the packages are usually tested to work before a major release, Manjaro just delays packages for a week that doesnt make it stable... I get it though some people do need the support to continue using linux like with your t440p but for most they want every little thing no compromises and expect companies to care about their decision to want to use linux. Linux isn't gonna be for everyone at the end of the day the average person is better on Windows or Mac as everything will be handled by Companies they put their trust in to maintain the system for them. At the end of the day the best OS for you is really the OS that works best for you.

 

Regarding your position on KDE and Gnome, thats perfectly fine.

Again, the test run Manjaro was done by my friend is the Linux guy of our group. KDE fails too often in quite dramatic ways which was also resolved by switching to Gnome.

Im not really sure why you would think Im discrediting Linux Dev's, Im just saying that Linux isnt "easier than Windows" for just an vanilla image. It look like you are defending Linux as a whole whereas I spoke to specific examples.

 

Windows 10/11 and, even more so, MacOS are for zombies. Linux is for zombie killers. Zombies are slow and stupid, and they are always moaning or hissing about something.

 

I agreed with you at the end of my post saying that its not going to be for everyone and im saying that the support isnt gonna get there because most new people dont files any bug reports. Never said you were discrediting devs just they saying they can't fix the issue without knowing the issue. I like linux and it works for me if it doesn't for you thats fine.

 

Sorry, its hard for me to keep track of a wall of text when I am in full swing of my sleep aids.

It looked to be a lot of excuses for Linux when that isnt the subject at hand instead pointing to individual instances. Arch does have a reputation for being more difficult but that isnt Manjaro. Its specifically because Manjaro is easier to use that makes it appealing, nor was I stating this for myself but a friend who has been using Linux either exclusively or in tandem with Windows since long before I knew him.

The issue I had on the t440p is documented, if it hasnt been fixed by the time I tried it, its likely never to be resolved nor will I wait for that to happen on that system. I had installed Pop_OS on my Alienware 13 R3 while I had it and enjoyed it there before selling that system. I like Linux, but even Linux has issues and shortcomings.

 

That is spot on. I really like Linux a lot, too. The reason Linux hasn't totally replaced Windows for me is because of its shortcomings, but nothing would make me happier than if it could. I don't really like anything released after Windows 7. I tolerate Windows 10 LTSC, but it's not what I would call excellent... just tolerable. I do not approve of anything the Redmond Reprobates have released from 1903 forward.

The reason for Linux's shortcomings is that it is primarily a volunteer effort. Linux Devs are only going to burn lots of calories on things that are relevant to them. That being the case, there are going to be things that don't work or do not exist because they (a) don't care, or (b) don't have the ability or knowledge to address needs they can't relate to.

 

Companies have to get in at some point but some revenue incentive needs to be there to make it worth their time just a question of how without stopping to use products and demanding a port?

 

OEM's should be putting in the effort to support their products which ties into the more revenue portion through more sales of said products. If there's support for their products there may be more push to use them and diversify their sales cross platform.

For me it's more about the HW support under linux but, more mainstream SW support would expand the base w/o having to trick programs into running natively or having to open a VM to get them to work. I've flip flopped between OS's for years and run both these days for different reasons.

COS though means running everything through the cloud which impacts what can be done and giving up your privacy to Google to accomplish tasks. Depending on remote servers for basic tasks is kind of creepy not knowing what else is being transmitted to Google to scrape for sales. I do use Drive for storing / sharing items but, daily traffic...meh... Google is involved in everything on the web or their nemesis Amazon. When it comes to transport most of the traffic passes through either company in one form or another.

 

It would not surprise me in the least if the Redmond Reprobates paid or otherwise incentivized OEMs to NOT SUPPORT Linux. Dell gave it some half-hearted support for a while. OEM support would help, but still in limited measure. It would only help for people using OEM products in terms of driver support. It would not do enough on a global level, but it would certainly be a healthy nudge in the right direction that could spur more robust software development.

 

Im worried the pluton chips will limit booting other OSes and they will say well you have WSL you can use if you need linux. The support from OEMs because majority of buyers are running what comes with the laptop Dell and Lenovo have sold Ubuntu based options but they barley sell.

 

Yeah, I agree with that. Micro$lop wants to eliminate the ability for PC owners to use Linux and have them roped in to using only the version of Winduhz they want them using. Much like crApple's trashy Nazi ecosystem. I think Dell and Lenovo do not sell many Linux systems because they don't advertise them as being an excellent option. They're just there for those that know they are. And, most people purchasing their chintzy products can barely use Winduhz. They need an idiot-proof system that requires no learning curve. So the abject mediocrity continues, and will continue, to flourish.

 

When I say OEM I mean everything that runs on an OS from HW to SW.

The HW side is well supported in 99.999% of cases on *nix OS for the ability to design new products. Putting *nix systems out though that come in a box setup for use by the consumer though would push things more mainstream. Whether people know it or not they've already encountered *nix in their life as everything from their car to their phone run it already. Awareness is half the battle to adoption at scale. Stupid taxes are applied to every item running Windows / Apple OS and if people figured out that adds up to hundreds of dollars they might opt for not paying it.

The issues for businesses would dramatically reduce their exposure to spending huge sums of cash on cleaning up after dumb actions on behalf of their employees if they converted away from Windows in the workplace. Things that trigger events that lead to infections by malware don't run / infect if you don't have the underlying code to run them installed. People in the security business don't run MS products when investigating issues for a reason. If you're going between sites you don't want to have this stuff tagging along for the ride embedded in the OS to the next client.

 

Good post. I agree with your comments. A couple of points for emphasis...

Good point of clarification. And, I agree. Very seldom do I encounter an issue with hardware support. It does happen once in a while, but it does with Winduhz, too. Unfortunately, the Redmond Reprobates sometimes remove support for what they have arbitrarily deemed to be "legacy" hardware and peripherals, which has the effect of condemning working products that people would otherwise choose to continue using for as long as they would function. Yet, they have the audacity to claim to care about "the environment" and e-waste. (No, I am not a tree-hugger. Quite the opposite, but I can't let the opportunity to be critical of a hypocritical double-standard to go unmentioned, especially when I have contempt for the hypocrite.)

This is true. But, we have to take into account that the *nix products they are using are largely dumb devices that require no knowledge or skill to use, and little or no configuration. They require nothing more than the ability to push buttons and read a "quick-start guide" when their haphazard button-pushing doesn't produce intended results. Awareness is useful to combat mental blocks, but it won't fix stupid. If they run into problems, most of them are going to give up and go back to Winduhz. If they have problems with their Winduhz machine, many of those same people will just go to Walmart or Best Buy and purchase another cheap, disposable pile of crap to replace the one that they could have easily fixed with a little bit of patience and research. If they don't have a friend on Facebook or Twitter that can tell them in 10 words or less what to do, they'll be buying another trashbook.

 

Mental Outlaw (Youtube) mentions this from his experience working at bestbuy saying people would come in ask what computer u recommend them but when you ask then what they need it for they have no clue. They just want you to tell them what to buy and what to use on it so they don't have to really think about and they don't ask why to run this or that they just say ok.

 

Exactly. Macbook buyer alert on aisle 10.

 

This sums it up and when you have idiots on commission it means using your jedi tricks to make more money off the sale. Consumers are lazy and uneducated and sales people are lazy about educating them in most cases as time is money.

 

It's more than that many don't want to really learn anything about it or how it works and would rather let someone else think and make decisions for them. You can't teach someone unwilling to learn

 

Also, many of them are as ignorant and uninformed as the people they presume to enlighten or counsel as to what they should purchase. Persuasion is a skill that can flourish in sales with little or no supporting technical knowledge. It's all about know what to say, how to say it, and making the buyer believe you know what you're talking about. The reality that many buyers assume the salesman knows what he is talking about is also a factor. Consumers would be wise to replace the concept of "trust but verify" with "verify, don't trust" but that's generally not what happens. They trust without verification. Their buying habits reflect their approach to many things in life. They believe what they see/hear in the news if it is what they want to hear and believe in whatever the politicians they like say because they trust without verification. If the salesman knows and tells them what they want to hear, the sale is in the bag. It doesn't have to be true or accurate.

 

Way back in the day I worked at BB and I don't recall sales people getting much vendor training on new products. There's a reason there's spec sheets next to each item in the stores.

In my line of work though the vendors tend to show up and present their products because there's tons of money on the line during refresh cycles or projects in the works. While it's nice to get one on one with vendors and score a free lunch out of the deal we've already done the research prior to their arrival. Sometimes there's a couple of things that come out during a presentation that we might not have come across or make more sense when it comes to capex spending.

Box stores aren't formally educated on the products they're selling. They rely more on their people to keep pace with things on their own. Even more niche geek stores like MicroCenter leave me laughing after dealing with their "experts". Some know just enough to get themselves into trouble. I was sad to see Fry's go away though because of all the options you could find to build from. It was the last of a radio shack like experience where you could get down to the component level in plenty of locations. Ahh, nostalgia!

 

Its no better in the enterprise world either. One of my main clients replaces systems every 4 years not because its needed, but because they wouldnt know how to maintain non-profit status otherwise.

 

I was sad to see Fry's go under as well. Now my area is left with nothing but Best Buy. I don't hate Best Buy. They have a place, but as a general rule when it comes to PC components, they don't sell the enthusiast-grade products I want.