$149 Chromebooks • Hacker News Board

Re: $149 Chromebooks

#421

Post by tracker1 » Thu, Apr 02, 2015, 7:44 PM UTC

lostlogin wrote: post #341

tracker1 wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For my mom/grandmother/dad... They're all using chromebooks... not for the reduced cost, but because the environment is more secure, and fits their needs. So the answer is maybe.

Your grandmother picked a platform to be secure? Grandmothers these days...

No, I did after the 3rd time I had to remotely remove crapware from my grandmother's computer... when the hdd died, I sent her a chromebook... my mom liked it so much, I gave her one too, and she got one for my dad. They all really like them. They simply work for what they wanted.

Re: $149 Chromebooks

#422

Post by asuffield » Thu, Apr 02, 2015, 10:42 PM UTC

ksk wrote: post #327

asuffield wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Tedious disclaimer: my opinion, not my employer's. Not representing anybody but me. I work at Google, not on lawful intercept.) That's not what this article says. This article is about what happens when the government lawfully issues a warrant to obtain somebody's private data, and orders a private company to give them the data. When this happens the company has some rights to recover their costs from the government…

>But it's still the law, and companies that operate in the US have to comply with it. It's interesting that you guys figured out how to circumvent the US tax law, by hiding money in tax havens. I guess dodging the NSA warrants is not a priority.

I can be proud of my employer's substantial efforts to address NSA warrants, and would challenge you to find any single entity that has done more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25910694

https://www.reformgovernmentsurveillance.com/

http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/google-2015-will-be-the-...

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/31/apple-face...

http://dcinno.streetwise.co/2014/11/17/google-microsoft-appl...

Re: $149 Chromebooks

#423

Post by superobserver » Fri, Apr 03, 2015, 1:53 PM UTC

jhulla wrote: post #88

superobserver wrote: post #77

I really enjoy my Samsung Chromebook 2. The only thing I wish it had more of is computing power, RAM and screen space. Too bad there aren't very many 15" 8GB RAM Chromebooks on the market which makes the Chromebook Pixel 2 all the more painful to lust after, despite it not being 15". TL;DR. Crouton + Chromebook FTnearW! (Would still like to keep the secure boot, though.)

I do well with the Toshiba Chromebook 2. Intel Celeron N2840 Gorgeous IPS 1920x1080 screen. It is a lovely machine.

I've been thinking about that myself - the IPS screen is certainly more appealing.

Re: $149 Chromebooks

#424

Post by anonbanker » Sun, Apr 05, 2015, 11:42 PM UTC

EddieRingle wrote: post #304

ntakasaki wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because you can replace an OS does not mean it's open. It's about the ecosystem too. How much percentage of Chromebooks could be running Crouton or Linux? I wager less than 2%.

You're wrong. 100% of Chromebooks are running Linux. If you don't want to use Crouton you can bootstrap Linuxbrew and have access to pretty much any program you'd have on any other Linux distribution.

not just Linux, but Gentoo Linux. the one everyone used to make fun of[1] before Google made it acceptable, and the only one not going the systemd route.

1. http://funroll-loops.teurasporsaat.org/

Re: $149 Chromebooks

#425

Post by softEngg » Mon, Apr 06, 2015, 4:36 AM UTC

jdietrich wrote: post #94

This is a colossal, market-moving play from Google. Look at the brand names. TRUE, XOLO, Nexian. Recognise them? Consumers in Thailand, India and Indonesia do - they are local smartphone brands. Look at the promo video. Notice how many Asian faces there are? This isn't about cheap Chromebooks, it's about a major strategic effort to court the global middle class. As with the Android One initiative, Google are seeking…

> In these markets, the Chromebook isn't being pitched as a cheap substitute for a 'real' laptop, but as an upgrade from a smartphone or tablet.

In Indian due to the import tax Chromebooks are far more expensive than entry level laptops. I had to get it from some come in US as it simply doesn't make any sense to buy them at these inflated prices (Its like 2x the original cost in India for an outdated model).