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Arivia
Mar 17, 2011

CaptainSarcastic posted:

Apple started making 2-in-1 MacBooks? Because for me one of the things that Chromebooks absolutely excel at is being able to seamlessly go from laptop to tablet usage and have a good touch interface. Windows 10 and 11 do okay with this (and in 11 it looks like Microsoft was cribbing from ChromeOS in this regard), but in my experience my Chromebook 2-in-1 was better at the whole multiple form-factor thing than Windows.

I like 2-in-1s, and that's one thing Apple doesn't do. And I'm not fond of Apple in general, so banging on that drum doesn't do much to sway me, anyway.

If you want a 2-in-1, Apple has a product for you: the iPad Air or Pro.

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Lord Bob
Jun 1, 2000

Arivia posted:

If you want a 2-in-1, Apple has a product for you: the iPad Air or Pro.

That's a 1-in-1

UncleGuito
May 8, 2005

www.ipadbackdrops.com daily wallpaper updates deserving of your iPad
My Galaxy Fold has replaced all of those things for me. It's an incredible device.

Super-NintendoUser
Jan 16, 2004

COWABUNGERDER COMPADRES
Soiled Meat
Just curious, with a linux container on a chromebook is it possible to use a bluetooth game pad? I don't think it is right?

loudog999
Apr 30, 2006

How good is the OLED screen on the Duet 5? It's on sale at Best Buy for $379 until the 24th and I'm tempted to pick one up to watch videos in bed.

waffle iron
Jan 16, 2004

Super-NintendoUser posted:

Just curious, with a linux container on a chromebook is it possible to use a bluetooth game pad? I don't think it is right?

Nope. The container doesn't expose anything in /dev/input. And I don't think you can have a USB bluetooth stick be exposed to the container.

Quixzlizx
Jan 7, 2007
Has Google given any way yet to change the 5 minute screen shutoff/OS lock timer? It's especially annoying because my Google account has a strong password because I'd obviously have major problems if someone got in there.

I'm seriously surprised that more people don't have issues with this, it's basically a deal-breaker for me for using ChromeOS as more than a curiosity/backup device.

CaptainSarcastic
Jul 6, 2013



Quixzlizx posted:

Has Google given any way yet to change the 5 minute screen shutoff/OS lock timer? It's especially annoying because my Google account has a strong password because I'd obviously have major problems if someone got in there.

I'm seriously surprised that more people don't have issues with this, it's basically a deal-breaker for me for using ChromeOS as more than a curiosity/backup device.

What?

I don't recall this being an issue with my Chromebook. I don't have that device currently accessible to check, but I remember it as having the normal range of settings for screen shutoff and lock screens as other operating systems.

Lord Bob
Jun 1, 2000

Quixzlizx posted:

Has Google given any way yet to change the 5 minute screen shutoff/OS lock timer? It's especially annoying because my Google account has a strong password because I'd obviously have major problems if someone got in there.

I'm seriously surprised that more people don't have issues with this, it's basically a deal-breaker for me for using ChromeOS as more than a curiosity/backup device.

I just always set a pin on the device - it lets you get into the chromebook with just the pin, but keeps password prompts for bigger stuff (and doesn't weaken the google account itself, unless someone has physical access to your chromebook there's nothing they can do with the pin).

waffle iron
Jan 16, 2004

Quixzlizx posted:

Has Google given any way yet to change the 5 minute screen shutoff/OS lock timer? It's especially annoying because my Google account has a strong password because I'd obviously have major problems if someone got in there.

I'm seriously surprised that more people don't have issues with this, it's basically a deal-breaker for me for using ChromeOS as more than a curiosity/backup device.
I do not understand what you're saying.

What is the behavior you don't like? What is the behavior you would prefer?

Lord Bob
Jun 1, 2000

waffle iron posted:

I do not understand what you're saying.

What is the behavior you don't like? What is the behavior you would prefer?

The screen turns off and drops you to the lock screen after 5 minutes of inactivity in chromeos, then you gotta password/pin/fingerprint back in - it's done this on every chromebook i've ever had, with no way to change the timer.

You can turn off that behaviour so it never locks, but there's no way to have it lock but adjust the lockout timer that I'm aware of.

waffle iron
Jan 16, 2004

Lord Bob posted:

The screen turns off and drops you to the lock screen after 5 minutes of inactivity in chromeos, then you gotta password/pin/fingerprint back in - it's done this on every chromebook i've ever had, with no way to change the timer.

You can turn off that behaviour so it never locks, but there's no way to have it lock but adjust the lockout timer that I'm aware of.

drat, I didn't know Quixzlizx was your alt.

Quixzlizx
Jan 7, 2007

waffle iron posted:

drat, I didn't know Quixzlizx was your alt.

Are you salty that they have better reading comprehension skills than you or something?

Lord Bob posted:

I just always set a pin on the device - it lets you get into the chromebook with just the pin, but keeps password prompts for bigger stuff (and doesn't weaken the google account itself, unless someone has physical access to your chromebook there's nothing they can do with the pin).

Thanks for the PIN suggestion, although it's still completely ridiculous that there's no option to change the timer to something longer than 5 minutes.

Quixzlizx fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Oct 23, 2022

Quixzlizx
Jan 7, 2007
Quote isn't Edit

Rhyno
Mar 22, 2003
Probation
Can't post for 9 years!
The C433 i bought that just passed the return window at amazon is on sale at Best Buy for $179 and I'm so enamored with this thing I'm tempted to pick up another one at that price.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-2...8&skuId=6512628

CaptainSarcastic
Jul 6, 2013



Rhyno posted:

The C433 i bought that just passed the return window at amazon is on sale at Best Buy for $179 and I'm so enamored with this thing I'm tempted to pick up another one at that price.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-2...8&skuId=6512628

Yeah, that price made me pick one up to fill in the gap I've had since my last Chromebook went EOL. I haven't done much with it yet, but so far I'm liking it. The screen does feel huge, and I'm having to adjust how I hold it in tablet mode to not accidentally have it register a touch - I'm so used to giant bezels I am having to retrain myself.

I picked up a Windows 2-in-1 earlier in the year that was also a good deal, but it's so big that using it as a tablet is not great, and I feel like ChromeOS works better as a touch-oriented OS than Windows.

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



Here's an update on Steam support on Chromebooks. I noted that the Framework CB has been added to the list. :dance:

CaptainSarcastic
Jul 6, 2013



Rhyno posted:

The C433 i bought that just passed the return window at amazon is on sale at Best Buy for $179 and I'm so enamored with this thing I'm tempted to pick up another one at that price.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-2...8&skuId=6512628

There's still 7 hours left on this deal in case anyone wants it. I saw the sale was running out and ordered a second one for my partner last night as a gift, because this seems like such a good value.

I had her try mine out a little last night and she really liked it - the screen is surprisingly big, and the form-factor/user interface kind of clicked for her. Her Windows laptop is a last-gen 17" behemoth with a broken hinge, so it is kind of unwieldy for casual use, although she still really likes it otherwise. I think she will end up using this Chromebook more because it meets like 90% of her needs in a really friendly and upscale-feeling device, instead of using her phone for similar purposes.

Rhyno
Mar 22, 2003
Probation
Can't post for 9 years!
I'm glad I posted that link then.

CaptainSarcastic
Jul 6, 2013



Rhyno posted:

I'm glad I posted that link then.

It really is a fantastic deal. I logged in and used my order history to get to it again last night, and while I was on Best Buy's site looked at some of the competition, and for the same price they had an 11.6" Lenovo with worse specs in every regard with gigantic bezels to top it off. I figured I'd bump the thread again as a public service since the clock seems to be ticking down on this specific sale.

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



Hey, so they cancelled Stadia and then like the day after that they announced those 3 "gaming chromebooks," intended for game streaming. I bought the cheapest one which has been in and out of stock but has sold for $400 for awhile after they expanded access to Steam on ChromeOS, including to the 3 aforementioned "gaming" CBs.

My quick first impressions are that it's a good deal for $400, even if it's not an amazing laptop otherwise. The fairly large, high-res display is welcome even though the panel is otherwise unremarkable. The backlit keyboard has a numpad and otherwise feels OK, and the touchpad isn't as nice as the one on my Pixel LS. I would've liked expandable memory or storage (I'm not sure if the latter is or not, I haven't opened it up yet,) and performance is very snappy.

I installed Steam on it and tried out some games. All but one game wasn't on the "approved/tested" list, and none of them ran well although I think I got all of them to launch. They generally took quite a while to do the initial shader compilation, and then in-game performance was poor, even with minimal settings, and often this involved a lot of bizarre "stuttering" that isn't simply attributable to low FPS. I'm sure part of the issue is software optimization, but beyond that I'm aware that the CPU/iGPU/RAM combination isn't great for game performance to begin with.

I'll continue to play around with it and see what I can get to run on it, but a pair of issues is that: my connection is pretty rear end, so it takes quite awhile to download new games, and external storage isn't recognized, so I can't easily make space for additional games.

CaptainSarcastic
Jul 6, 2013



Atomizer posted:

Hey, so they cancelled Stadia and then like the day after that they announced those 3 "gaming chromebooks," intended for game streaming. I bought the cheapest one which has been in and out of stock but has sold for $400 for awhile after they expanded access to Steam on ChromeOS, including to the 3 aforementioned "gaming" CBs.

My quick first impressions are that it's a good deal for $400, even if it's not an amazing laptop otherwise. The fairly large, high-res display is welcome even though the panel is otherwise unremarkable. The backlit keyboard has a numpad and otherwise feels OK, and the touchpad isn't as nice as the one on my Pixel LS. I would've liked expandable memory or storage (I'm not sure if the latter is or not, I haven't opened it up yet,) and performance is very snappy.

I installed Steam on it and tried out some games. All but one game wasn't on the "approved/tested" list, and none of them ran well although I think I got all of them to launch. They generally took quite a while to do the initial shader compilation, and then in-game performance was poor, even with minimal settings, and often this involved a lot of bizarre "stuttering" that isn't simply attributable to low FPS. I'm sure part of the issue is software optimization, but beyond that I'm aware that the CPU/iGPU/RAM combination isn't great for game performance to begin with.

I'll continue to play around with it and see what I can get to run on it, but a pair of issues is that: my connection is pretty rear end, so it takes quite awhile to download new games, and external storage isn't recognized, so I can't easily make space for additional games.

Yeah, it looks like that laptop is really geared for game streaming services, which can be really impressive but rely on a speedy Internet connection and can easily run afoul of data caps. I tried out the GeForce Now 3080-tier and it compared favorably to running games natively, but that was on a relatively fast, uncapped connection.

Xiphas
Nov 5, 2004
It looks like my Pixelbook is dying, the keyboard is registering phantom key presses and the screen is glitching out. To replace it, I think I'm going to go with an ARM 2-in-1. I'd like something about the size of the Pixelbook with a nice screen.

It looks like the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is my only option right now? Any one have it and have any opinions? Are there any better alternatives?

CaptainSarcastic
Jul 6, 2013



Hey, it looks like the Best Buy deal on that ASUS Chromebook is up again.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-2-in-1-14-touchscreen-chromebook-intel-core-m3-8100y-8gb-memory-64gb-emmc-silver/6512628.p?skuId=6512628

It is one helluva value at this price. My partner has never used a Chromebook before, and she took to it very easily and really likes the one I got her.

Rhyno
Mar 22, 2003
Probation
Can't post for 9 years!
Man, I think I will get another one. I'm lazy enough that it'll just be easier to have one in each place I spend most of my time.

Mental Hospitality
Jan 5, 2011

After a few months of ownership of my Kompanio828/MT8192 Acer 514, I am still very pleased with it. It might not have the muscle of an i3, but it has 8GB of ram and is just quick enough for my usual 12 open tabs. Also, the battery life is....it is ridiculous. It's like a Terminator, it just will not stop.

Xiphas
Nov 5, 2004

Mental Hospitality posted:

After a few months of ownership of my Kompanio828/MT8192 Acer 514, I am still very pleased with it. It might not have the muscle of an i3, but it has 8GB of ram and is just quick enough for my usual 12 open tabs. Also, the battery life is....it is ridiculous. It's like a Terminator, it just will not stop.

How's the keyboard and trackpad? In my opinion, those are the most important things in a Chromebook and it's really not something you can find information on most of the time.

Mental Hospitality
Jan 5, 2011

Xiphas posted:

How's the keyboard and trackpad? In my opinion, those are the most important things in a Chromebook and it's really not something you can find information on most of the time.

I think the trackpad is actually really nice for an under $500 machine. It's made of some weird recycled material that feels more like an incredibly smooth metal finish than plastic. Very comfortable from a friction standpoint. The keyboard is perfectly fine for an inexpensive device. No glaring faults like missed keystrokes or double strikes/phantom keypresses, it's also backlit. The feel is similar to my 1500 dollar Asus gaming laptop with very little flex, if maybe just a hair louder and with a tiny amount less travel (not surprising considering it's a much thinner device). I don't think I'd have any problem doing a lot of typing on it.

ExcessBLarg!
Sep 1, 2001
Trip report: I tried Chrome OS Flex (the new CloudReady) on a 2015 Dell XPS that had been previously running Windows 8 and went all WARNING EOL WARNING. It went into a bootloop after installation, but I was able to get it to boot just enough to enable cros_debug run a dmesg. It turns out the stock SSD has broken TRIM support, not really a surprise for a 2015 SSD, so I got that replaced and now it works great.

Given this was a top-of-the-line ultrabook for its time, I think it's pretty competitive performance-wise to new Chromebooks. The battery is in good condition too.

I kind of want to resurrect my old Haswell Chromebox by installing UEFI and Flex on it. I have more modern hardware to do that with, but it seems appropriate to run a semi-official OS build on official, but EOL hardware.

bull3964
Nov 18, 2000

DO YOU HEAR THAT? THAT'S THE SOUND OF ME PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK.


The Framework Chromebook is starting to hit reviewers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvF8jzmuJmM

Nothing too surprising, mostly just an unboxing for now. It does seem though that it doesn't include biometrics and it's unclear if the $30 biometric add on will work with ChromeOS yet.

Atomizer
Jun 24, 2007



bull3964 posted:

The Framework Chromebook is starting to hit reviewers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvF8jzmuJmM

Nothing too surprising, mostly just an unboxing for now. It does seem though that it doesn't include biometrics and it's unclear if the $30 biometric add on will work with ChromeOS yet.

Nice, and today I just got the notification that they're preparing our batch for shipment.

bull3964
Nov 18, 2000

DO YOU HEAR THAT? THAT'S THE SOUND OF ME PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK.


Atomizer posted:

Nice, and today I just got the notification that they're preparing our batch for shipment.

Yup, I did too. Looks like they are going to start shipping next week.

drunkb
Aug 14, 2009


The Great Twist
This deal is up again. It is killing me not to buy it, but I really don’t need it.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-2-in-1-14-touchscreen-chromebook-intel-core-m3-8100y-8gb-memory-64gb-emmc-silver/6512628.p?skuId=6512628

CaptainSarcastic
Jul 6, 2013




Yeah, I thought about posting it again myself. I've bought 2 of these, and it is impressive how fast it became my partner's main device, especially since it is her first Chromebook. It's weird to see how mismatched it is versus the other Chromebooks they have on sale - it blows comparably-priced machines out of the water, and competes reasonably with the devices like twice the price. I don't know if it's a loss-leader or if someone is clearing out overstock, but it's a really good deal.

RichardA
Sep 1, 2006
.
Dinosaur Gum
Pity best buy blocks international paypal accounts/freight forwarders. At that price it would be much cheaper to buy and ship than getting the equivalent locally.

MrNemo
Aug 26, 2010

"I just love beeting off"

Amazon UK have a similar deal and an upgraded version with 8GB RAM and an i5 processor for around £100 more. I've got a 5 year old chromebook at this stage which is starting to show its age, I'm wondering if that extra processor/RAM is worth 50% more?

Mental Hospitality
Jan 5, 2011

How does the m3-8100y compare to the newer Jasper Lake dual/quad core processors? I'm assuming it's probably faster than the 2C N4500 found on a lot of other inexpensive chromebooks.

E: 8 gigs of ram too? That is most definitely a certain buy for that price. 8GB of ram on a chromebook has been wonderful.

Mental Hospitality fucked around with this message at 16:41 on Nov 25, 2022

waffle iron
Jan 16, 2004

Mental Hospitality posted:

How does the m3-8100y compare to the newer Jasper Lake dual/quad core processors? I'm assuming it's probably faster than the 2C N4500 found on a lot of other inexpensive chromebooks.

E: 8 gigs of ram too? That is most definitely a certain buy for that price. 8GB of ram on a chromebook has been wonderful.

I have an Asus C434 with that CPU and 8GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC. It's a slightly improved version of the C433 -- mostly screen and the all the case is aluminum instead of just part. I've had it since August 2019 and it's very reasonable for web browsing with a lot of tabs open and some light Linux container use for a couple desktop programs. The 64GB is a little tight sometimes, but I just put stuff I need in Google Drive. Both have support until June 2026, so I'd recommend it.

waffle iron
Jan 16, 2004
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFFZH9LN $299.99

Lenovo - 2022 - IdeaPad Flex 5i - 2-in-1 Chromebook Laptop Computer - Intel Core i3-1115G4 - 13.3" FHD Touch Display - 8GB Memory - 256GB Storage

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bull3964
Nov 18, 2000

DO YOU HEAR THAT? THAT'S THE SOUND OF ME PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK.


My Framework Chromebook shipped! Don't have an estimated arrival date yet since it shipped directly from Taiwan, but hopefully it will arrive sometime next week.

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