Google offering free Chromebooks to Indian schools • Hacker News Board

Re: Google offering free Chromebooks to Indian schools

#51

Post by Mikeb85 » Fri, Dec 27, 2013, 6:08 PM UTC

aufreak3 wrote: post #33

rwbt wrote: post #3

I commend Google for it, but my inner voice is somewhat skeptical that this is a great way to get kids hooked on Google's services. Then again, having a Chromebook is way better than some crappy linux machine/cheap windows laptop. So I think its a win-win for both parties.

Is it possible to install regular Ubuntu or something on a Chromebook? I'd absolutely hate to see kids use computers whose operation they do not control.

Developer mode. Chrome OS = Gentoo, and you can use Crouton to install Ubuntu or another distro alongside Chrome OS (and they share the kernel as opposed to dual-booting).

Re: Google offering free Chromebooks to Indian schools

#52

Post by Mikeb85 » Fri, Dec 27, 2013, 6:17 PM UTC

userbinator wrote: post #5

josteink wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then again, having a Chromebook is way better than some crappy linux machine/cheap windows laptop. Why? It's a much more limited device with much less potential for learning essential skills. A Chromebook can only be used to surf the web. It's the polar opposite of what an educational institute needs.

Indeed, a bootable browser has little use outside of... web browsing. Even an old machine with an old OS is more usable, especially when there's no network connectivity. That happens a lot more than you think with a laptop.

Really? Have you ever tried to use good 'ol run-of-the-mill Firefox to browse files, photos and videos? Or open local HTML or JS files? Etc...?

There's HTML5/Javascript IDEs which run entirely client-side which you can install in the browser's cache, or keep the file in your file system. You can give web apps native features and define how it installs/behaves using the App Manifest.

A browser nowadays can do nearly as much as a full OS, even within a full OS.

Re: Google offering free Chromebooks to Indian schools

#53

Post by patrickaljord » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 3:31 PM UTC

chestnut-tree wrote: post #45

patrickaljord wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Since you cannot use a Chromebook without signing into the OS, Google has the potential to track everything you do on a Chromebook. Pixel owner here. You can sign in as guest without a google account and use chrome without a google account then. You can even run as incognito in guest mode if you really care.

You're right, but a guest account won't allow you to use Google apps - a key part of using ChromeBooks. But more importantly, why should you have to use a guest account in the first place in order to avoid sending your online activity to Google? I know many posters here have no qualms about Google tracking their online behaviour, but at the very least I would expect Google to clearly state what they track and record…

Using ChromeOS is just like using Chrome so it's the same thing. Both are open source and you can check and disable what kind of info Chrome sends to Google.

Re: Google offering free Chromebooks to Indian schools

#54

Post by eru » Mon, Dec 30, 2013, 12:14 AM UTC

blubbi2 wrote: post #47

eru wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't waste your time worrying about school too much. Make sure you get into things like https://www.deutsche-schuelerakademie.de or http://www.deutsche-juniorakademien.de . (Their Alumni organisation ( http://www.cde-ev.de/ ) is actually open for everybody, and I can only recommend joining. https://mind-hochschul-netzwerk.de/ is also worth a look.)

Wow! This is great! I've already been to a so-called "Ferienseminar für besonders begabte und interessierte Schülerinnen und Schüler", an event I've been invited to and which I can only recommend, but these links are great! Thank you! Since I'm doing an additional test, I'll try getting into some of these programmes.

Oh, none of these programmes are tests. If you a into that kind of thing, you should also compete in the Mathematik-Olympiade (and physics and chemistry olympiad, too). There are also Bundeswettbewerb Mathematik and Bundeswettbewerb Informatik, that are fun to take part in.

Drop me a line (email in profile), if you want to learn more. I grew up in Germany, but ended up all over the world, currently I'm in Singapore.