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Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

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Re: Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

#141

Post by haunter »

rvdginste wrote: post #106

With these kinds of really cheap devices, it always makes me wonder whether you are not better off buying older used hardware instead... especially if you are looking for a cheap linux laptop. For example, some time ago I got a Thinkpad X200 tablet in good condition off ebay for that price. I was mainly interested in the tablet functionality, but it's a nice little laptop that is still usable today. Even if you are s…

Agreed. I got an i5 Thinkpad x230 from eBay for similar price (~$120) and arguably it's much better in every aspect (probably not in thinness and weight)

Re: Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

#143

Post by lloeki »

agraddy wrote: post #54

I do all my work on an under $200 Chromebook. I have a VPS where I do all the actual work. I use Mosh and TMUX for connecting and saving my different projects (I'm a freelance developer who is often juggling multiple clients). Basically, the Chromebook is just an SSH client and a web browser (I can also boot into Linux if needed - slightly different than described in the Tweets). I've been doing this for years. The b…

> I do all my work on an under $200 Chromebook. I have a VPS where I do all the actual work.

Arguably you do all your work through (not on) a $200 Chromebook then ;)

Somehow the Chromebook acts as a glorified keyboard+display tied via a very long cable to a several thousands dollar machine that you rent!

(I get that you can run Linux, and that this machine handles browsing as well, and I'm not judging the setup, it just feels like the "$200 worth of hardware is all it takes to do work on" subtext feels cognitively dissonant to me)

Re: Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

#145

Post by davidbanham »

baisq wrote: post #135
jason0597 wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As per the comment: > it is also nice knowing that I never have to worry about losing my device since all of my actual work is on a server I can login to using just about any other device including my phone.

Okay, but what if the server burns like it happened to OVH, or your account gets suspended for no reason and they shred all your data, or you simply fat-finger an rm command? How do you (the grandparent) handle that?

https://www.linode.com/products/backups/

Re: Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

#146

Post by davidbanham »

farmin wrote: post #113
prox wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been using an iPad as a remote workstation. Powerful enough, some great apps and a small package to carry around.

What apps do you use on ipad for development?

I use Blink to mosh in to a server where I do my work through tmux, vim, etc.

I use Safari to view the stuff I’m building. There’s a Safari dev tools plugin which sucks compared to Firefox dev tools but it’s okay in a pinch.

I use NoMachine to remote into the graphical desktop environment of the server on the rare occasion I need to use a real browser.

Re: Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

#147

Post by belltaco »

wishfish wrote: post #18
shrubble wrote: post #4

https://www.microcenter.com/product/649971/evolve-iii-maestr... On sale $59.99 ; regular price $79.99. Smallish keyboard however...

I'm a little tempted by this one. One thing that makes it even more tempting is that the LTE card can be removed and replaced with an SSD. Was curious about Linux on it and found this very useful post on Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/comments/tk6hdp/evolv... Looks pretty feasible other than the WiFi driver annoyances.

Multiple folks in this thread are talking about an LTE modem included but I don't see it anywhere in the specs.

Re: Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

#148

Post by wildrhythms »

edent wrote: post #78

I guess the real question is - why is Flutter so resource heavy and slow? We live in an age of algorithmic optimisation. Surely it should be unremarkable that a cheap computer can run modern services?

That Flutter app looks like it's running better than probably 95% of popular SPA webapps I experience on a daily basis... I know the bar isn't very high

Re: Unboxing a $100 Chromebook

#149

Post by stkdump »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #45
stkdump wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't be a huge problem for me. If I am merely operating a device, then the touchscreen is good enough. For serious work, I use external peripherals anyway.

I don't think this computer has a touchscreen?

Right. I think most Chromebooks do, but this one seems to be the exception.
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