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Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

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Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#191

Post by morganvachon »

busterarm wrote: post #113
notheguyouthink wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Previously everything of mine went through Google. Email, phone, phone number, search, etc. I've migrated everything away (except Google Voice) for this very reason. My life would have came to a grinding halt if they banned me, and I couldn't even email them about it.

What was your gmail alternative? I tried to switch everything to Lavabit, but then a month later the Snowden thing happened...that didn't last (and I'm still out all that money)

I use Fastmail and absolutely love it. The interface is so much better than Gmail or anything else out there, and the additional services are awesome without being cumbersome. Their file storage isn't as easy to use as Google Drive, but it's fine for long-term storage of rarely accessed files, and you can even host simple web pages from your account.

The only downside I've found is you have to pay the full fee for each @fastmail.com account, though I get around that by hosting my other email addresses on my own VPS and using Fastmail as my IMAP client for them.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#192

Post by 013a »

colemannugent wrote: post #91
bubblethink wrote: post #56

I hate this trend of dumbing down product specifications. I don't know who started it (probably Apple?), but everyone does it now. Like what fucking i5 or i7 processor ? Is the storage soldered even for the nvme option ? It doesn't help that Intel keeps playing tricks with their naming either. i7 used to be quad core, then it became dual core for thin laptops. Now they are back to low freq quad core in some SKUs. For…

I think the reason why things like this piss people like us off is because this product isn't targeted at us. "Normal" people don't care what is in a device as long as they can justify the cost with the perceived value they see in the device. For them the sticker saying "i7" on the laptop makes it a "top-of-the-line" laptop and justifies the cost as they expect to pay more for "top-of-the-line".

I don't think this product is targeted at anyone. Their commercial during the keynote showed a skateboarding teenager using the pen, a couple watching a movie on the couch with the laptop propped up on the coffee table, someone editing video, children playing with it... Google doesn't even know who to market this thing at.

This product does not convey thought or design. It screams "hey we built another expensive chromebook because I guess we have to."

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#193

Post by victorhooi »

raesene9 wrote: post #169
victorhooi wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wasn't necessarily the publicity. He reached out through normal channels, but these things normally take some time to process, since they normally have to be reviewed by humans. It's one of those things where you want to tread carefully. I mean, say my account got hijacked. I want to get back in. So does the hijacker. I would much rather prefer waiting an extra day or so, than risk having the hijacker purporting t…

erm from https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHz1WNEXcAEVEHr.jpg "I spoke to the leadership there and they restored accounts" doesn't sound a lot like the standard support process to me.

AFAIK, the two things are orthogonal.

My understanding was he'd already kickstarted a normal recovery process https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery

And he wanted more details, so I assume he spoke to somebody up the escalation chain in our support org, who gave him more details.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#195

Post by Filligree »

kllrnohj wrote: post #68
dymk wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a clear difference between using iCloud (which is opt-in) with geotagged photos (which you can disable from on-phone settings), and your phone sending your location to Google at regular intervals.

Location history is opt-in as well although the assistant will push you to turn it on during setup.

The button starts in the enabled position, so it's opt-out. You can't accidentally avoid answering the question.

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#196

Post by victorhooi »

terminalcommand wrote: post #152
victorhooi wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment seems like a troll...lol. I'm not sure how a Chromebook could "wipe out the network". In fact, if anything, I'd argue it's less likely to than a Window laptop since Chromebooks are so secure out of the box. I bought one for my mother a few years ago, and honestly, not having to go over and clean up malware periodically, or ever do Windows Updates, or ever worry about her clicking on dodgy links on the in…

I installed Linux Mint Debian for my mother, works just as you described. Once in a while I login as root and run "apt-get update && apt dist-upgrade" on the machine. That's about it. Even when her laptop broke and she needed to switch to a backup machine, I just plugged out the hard drive and put it in the new laptop. After installing wifi drivers, linux continued to run. And I'm at peace since she doesn't know the…

Yeah, I tried the Ubuntu desktop experience for them as well.

Unfortunately, even though I wish it was the year of the Linux desktop it's still not quite there yet for the non-tech savvy.

New devices are a pain, websites that don't work for whatever reason are a pain (since Linux penetration is so small, a lot of people don't test it), and overall the UI is nice for power-users but still inscrutably complex and unintuitive for the non-initiated. It's possible your mother has a knack for the UI though =). Which desktop environment did you use?

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#198

Post by hysan »

For a high end products, one of the things I will splurge on is warranty since I tend to keep bigger purchases on a much longer update cycle. Considering Google's reputation for poor customer service, I took at look through their "Preferred Care" addition to see what it actually does.[1] The terms seem pretty comparable but one thing stood out:

* We'll protect your laptop for two years ... through our service provider, Assurant.

Now this scares me as:

1. The number of complaints against Assurant that I've heard from Project Fi compatible phone owners is a big red flag. (I'm a Fi user so I frequent those circles.)

2. Separating repair and customer support is bound to lead to communication issues.

3. 3rd parties are not going to go above and beyond with making you feel like a valued customer. There is nothing in it for them after all.

For this reason alone, I would not buy a Pixelbook.

[1] https://store.google.com/magazine/preferred_care#4b4ba03b5f5...

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#199

Post by earlybike »

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #66

I think a major issue is what happens if Google locks your account for some reason. There have been instances in the past where Google has locked the account of a user for some TOS violations. http://m.gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/google-pixel-reseller... http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/1/jordan-b-peters... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-21/one-statistics-prof... Given that Google has a propensity…

What’s the solution?

1. Spread all activity on multiple mail accounts?

2. Get a G-Suite account + own domain, so in a case of a lock out you just change the MX records?

Option 2 is expensive for a lifelong private account and 1 is cumbersome.

Any other ideas?

Re: Google Pixelbook – A High Performance Chromebook

#200

Post by Filligree »

cowmoo728 wrote: post #29
pibefision wrote: post #6

In 6 months it could be obsolete, like any other Nexus phones.

I put galliumos (ubuntu with some tweaks for the hardware) on the last google chromebook pixel i5 and I've been using it since release. It's solid hardware, just like this one. However, I don't think I would get another since the keyboard not having proper function keys gets pretty annoying.

You can change make them act like function keys by default, if you want. I don't think I'd want a laptop with two rows.
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