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Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

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Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#61

Post by geofft »

Scarbutt wrote: post #19
arcticfox wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? I've developed 100% on a cloud VM for years. All I need locally is a browser. Obviously wouldn't work for some things, but as a full stack developer: no problem.

How is the web ssh client experience, do you miss anything from a real terminal? I would imagine there would be some keybindings conflicts when using vim or emacs.

I've been using an unrooted Chromebook with the SSH client (NaSSH) / the mosh app for about two years for development, and it's pretty great. If you put the app in maximized mode, CrOS routes just about all keybindings to the app. In fact there are a few that don't get routed to the OS that I wish were (I think Alt-Tab is one of them).

Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#63

Post by mixedmath »

SwellJoe wrote: post #16

That's hard to believe (I believe it, but it struck me as incredible at first). I don't know anyone with a Chromebook, and it's such a different way of computing that it's hard to believe it's taken off so much in such a short time. I think it is reflective of a new generation whose first computing experience was with phones and tablets. The idea that nothing of importance lives on the device is a huge paradigm shift…

I use a Chromebook. But I also put it in devmode, put on Crouton, and run a full-blown Ubuntu on it as well. Everyone I know with a Chromebook does the same thing. Then it becomes an inexpensive Linux Laptop that handles some things automatically.

Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#64

Post by johansch »

auggierose wrote: post #45
johansch wrote: post #21

Every current Mac laptop user: "Why the hell don't you release a retina macbook air? (A toy 'macbook' does not count.)

If you feel the need for such a thing, why not just buy a MacBook Pro 13inch?

I did. It's way too heavy for no apparent reason.

Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#65

Post by SyneRyder »

LeifCarrotson wrote: post #49
matheweis wrote: post #2

Not surprised ... Apple hasn't put out a laptop with up-to-date specs for years. I'm a lifelong Mac user and I'm unhappy with their current specs.

Their MacBook Pro line does have (and has had for some time) some of the best hardware available. Perhaps it doesn't match purpose-built gaming notebooks, and definitely not desktops, but they usually are the first to have a new Intel processor, have newish graphics hardware, pioneered mainstream PCIe storage and high-resolution displays...You might pay a lot for what you get, but there's no doubt it's good hardware.

Not sure about being first with the new processors. I don't think the MacBook Pro has got Skylake yet, has it? Though with all the power management problems on the Surface Book, Apple may have dodged a bullet by being slow on Skylake. As for the graphics chips, you're limited to Intel integrated graphics unless you get the high-end 15" MBP with the Radeon.

I generally like my MacBook Pro, but I'm less convinced it's superior to PC hardware as it used to be. It feels like Apple has lost interest in the Mac, and PC vendors are selling comparable hardware for about half the price.

Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#66

Post by Kluny »

mixedmath wrote: post #63
SwellJoe wrote: post #16

That's hard to believe (I believe it, but it struck me as incredible at first). I don't know anyone with a Chromebook, and it's such a different way of computing that it's hard to believe it's taken off so much in such a short time. I think it is reflective of a new generation whose first computing experience was with phones and tablets. The idea that nothing of importance lives on the device is a huge paradigm shift…

I use a Chromebook. But I also put it in devmode, put on Crouton, and run a full-blown Ubuntu on it as well. Everyone I know with a Chromebook does the same thing. Then it becomes an inexpensive Linux Laptop that handles some things automatically.

Do you replace Chrome OS with Ubuntu, dual boot, or run it in a VM? Do you spend most of your time in Chrome OS or in Ubuntu?

Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#67

Post by mixedmath »

yardie wrote: post #55

I'm curious, but is a Chromebook useful in offline mode? My family and I have been on sabbatical sailing half the planet so far. Internet has been a big headache as Iridium tops out at 2400bps. And data plans in developing countries and islands can be extremely expensive, up to $1/MB. I've found our android tablets to be more crashy offline as apps that can't get an internet connection go braindead, blank, or just ki…

The short answer is no.

But if you are a bit confident in your Linux skills, then I would recommend looking into Crouton [1], which allows you to easily access a fully functional Linux. I'm not sure what you're after, but this is what I use, and it satisfies all my needs. [I mean, it's just a Linux laptop, but that's what I need].

[1]: https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton

Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#68

Post by johansch »

justaman wrote: post #33
johansch wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Tim Cook version of Apple is all about milking the now, with no view towards the future. I think it was an insanely crappy decision for Steve Jobs to hand the controls of Apple to a logistics expert.

Cook is a logistics genius. Jobs put Cook in charge to keep Apple afloat until the next "idea guy" comes along.

Might as well give the money back to the share holders.

Re: Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

#70

Post by keithpeter »

yardie wrote: post #55

I'm curious, but is a Chromebook useful in offline mode? My family and I have been on sabbatical sailing half the planet so far. Internet has been a big headache as Iridium tops out at 2400bps. And data plans in developing countries and islands can be extremely expensive, up to $1/MB. I've found our android tablets to be more crashy offline as apps that can't get an internet connection go braindead, blank, or just ki…

"...on sabbatical sailing half the planet so far... Internet has been a big headache as Iridium tops out at 2400bps..."

Interesting use case. How about a solid refurbished laptop (or rooted Chromebook) with a set of Debian stable DVDs (you can install thousands of packages offline) and a local install of Wikipedia[1] and a dump of Project Gutenberg[2]?

Save that couple of kilobauds for email.

[1] http://xowa.org/home/wiki/App/Import/English_Wikipedia.html#...

[2] http://webapps.stackexchange.com/questions/12311/how-to-down...

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