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So I picked up an Acer R11 today. It's definitely the most plastic computer I've ever used... but holy crap I can't believe how well Android apps work on it. I literally cannot. I've tried so, so many devices to do the tablet + laptop thing and this one might be the best yet. Windows 10 tries, it really does, but the apps aren't there. The iPad Pro, even with the Smart Keyboard cover, doesn't quite get it right. I'm gonna recommend this thing to everyone I know. I only wish it was slightly more premium feeling. [Edit: is there any way to skip tracks playing through an Android app with a keyboard shortcut? I can always pull up the notification so it's not a big deal if there's not.] asecondduck fucked around with this message at 23:42 on Feb 11, 2018 |
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Feb 11, 2018 23:39
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Atomizer posted:Now you can see why the R11 is one of my recommendations! Also, don't tell silence_kit how well Android apps work, he'll have an aneurysm.... Atomizer posted:For a more "premium" version of the R11, that would basically suggest a metal-bodied device, no? If that'd do it for you I'd suggest either the Asus Flip C101 (ignore the C100) for a 10" device or the Acer R13 for a 13" one. You could also go for the Samsung Pro/Plus or the Asus Flip C302, but those are generally going to run $400-500 depending on specs, sales, and new/refurb status whereas the first two I mentioned are around $300. I think the R11 will be fine for me for now. In a couple years I’ll probably gift it to my daughter and pick up a newer, metal-clad Chromebook for myself though. Atomizer posted:As far as the music skipping in an Android app, no, you can't just use the keyboard for that unless the app were configured to do so. Remember, Android apps are primarily designed to be used with a touch interface, and they don't necessarily know when they're being run on ChromeOS instead. You can't just start an app on your AndroidOS phone, for example, and force open the on-screen keyboard and expect it to do something; the commands have to be explicitly mapped to keys. For what it’s worth, my Airpods’ “tap twice to skip track” works, so that might be good enough for me. I didn’t usually listen to music without headphones anyway.
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Feb 12, 2018 14:23
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AverySpecialfriend posted:What are the prospects for installing win or maybe even macos on a pixelbook? I want to do music recording on it which I'm sure is doable in your average linux distro though idk how well From what I can tell from some cursory googling, the effort involved is probably not worth the extra couple hundred you'd spend on a laptop that comes with Windows or OS X from the manufacturer.
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Feb 12, 2018 19:17
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AverySpecialfriend posted:But I'm poor There are plenty of good new or used laptops that will do what you want and more in the $600-$800 range. Check eBay for used MacBook Pros, as someone that has a mid-2014 MBP I can confirm that, even though it's a few years old, it still runs DAW software like a champ. asecondduck fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Feb 12, 2018 |
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Feb 12, 2018 19:35
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and anything past $800 comes out of pocket (my apartment got broken into and my x250 got swiped - ty renters insurance) so I'd like something $800 or less
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Not at all productivity apps but oh my goodness Dosbox Turbo works perfectly on my R11. DOOM! But, more importantly, installing Steam via a Ubuntu Crouton meant that I could see if Portal works. It does. There are some framerate hitches, but it actually goddamn runs. [Edit: IT CAN PLAY PORTAL 2. Why has Steam not partnered with Google with a special Chromebook version of Steam? One that checks to see if the hardware can reasonably run games so you don't get fools trying to install, I dunno, Bioshock Infinite... Actually I gotta find an SD card so I can see if Bioshock Infinite can run.] asecondduck fucked around with this message at 03:13 on Feb 13, 2018 |
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Feb 13, 2018 02:38
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MC Hawking posted:
It's actually a lot easier to access than that. Open up the ChromeOS settings, scroll down to the "Google Play Store" section, tap the box under it, then tap "Manage Android preferences". Unless I'm only seeing that because I have Developer Mode enabled. I will never not need to sideload .apks on any device I could conceivably sideload .apks onto, I even hacked my Nook eReader back in the day because I wanted to be able to install a .cbr reader... and the Awful app. asecondduck fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Feb 14, 2018 |
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Feb 14, 2018 03:46
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I FOUND A WORKAROUND TO ACCESS THE ANDROID STYLE SETTINGS MENU WITH MORE SYSTEM OPTIONS/INFORMATION
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MC Hawking posted:I am the walking epitome of a facepalm right now. Eh, the fact that you can get to Android settings with the method I outlined isn’t obvious. The only reason I knew about it was because I had to enable .apk sideloading on my Chromebook to install Apple Music. So I’m now three days into Chromebook ownership and I’m still being impressed by it. There’s one website in particular that I use to read comic books that is incredibly resource heavy on every device I’ve used it on (including my MBP and iPad) but the Chromebook doesn’t even break a sweat. It never has, even when I spent a half hour playing Portal 2 it only got moderately warm in my lap. So far the only real “issue” I’ve encountered is that it doesn’t work great with my AirPods—the volume will randomly decide to halve itself while listening to music, and a reboot only fixes it sometimes. Also, when I play a video, the audio is slightly out of sync not only with the video but also between the two earbuds, which was a very strange experience when I first tried it. That said, I didn’t really expect the AirPods to play nice with a Chromebook anyway so it’s not a huge issue.
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Feb 14, 2018 04:51
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So I have discovered an (rather minor) issue with my R11: it consumes more battery in sleep mode than any other laptop I've used. At first I thought it was because I had the "Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep" enabled, but even after disabling it, the laptop drains about 25% of its battery when left in sleep mode for 10-12 hours. After some googling, it appears this issue is something that plagues all of Acer's Chromebooks. There doesn't seem to be a solution, per se, but then I remembered that Chrome OS takes all of maaaaybe 15 seconds to boot up from shutdown. So now I just shut down my Chromebook if I'm gonna be leaving it unplugged for more than a few hours.
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Feb 27, 2018 13:25
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I doubt that the Linux containers will be an advertised feature outside of developer circles. They might show off Steam running Portal 2 in ads (because it absolutely DOES work on the hardware, and performance might even be better because I’m not also running a desktop manager), but that would probably be the most they do.
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Feb 27, 2018 19:55
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spincube posted:Thing is, whether it's an advertised feature or not doesn't matter if, in order to be functional and add value, it spoils the simplicity of the ChromeOS experience. From what I'm seeing, it'll be an optional add on (literally an extension) that the user has to actively seek out and install. Grandma won't be accidentally installing WINE and then calling up her grandkids to figure out why Microsoft Word is behaving strangely. The simplicity of ChromeOS will only be ruined if you, the end user, actively seek out ruin it. spincube posted:For example, right now the deepest user-facing guts my Chromebook has - Google Drive integration aside - is the Downloads folder. Which is great, because the expectation is that you're going to do all your work in webapps 'in the cloud', and only use the Downloads folder for storing downloads. It's all that's needed. I'm also curious about this, as well as how they'll handle executable permissions for directories on SD cards. I'm guessing the answer is that it won't, and I'll have to use a workaround similar to the one I'm currently using on my Xubuntu Crouton so I have my Steam Library on an SD card instead of the internal storage.
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Feb 27, 2018 23:57
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IuniusBrutus posted:What is the best way to set up a legacy printer (HL-2270DW)...without using a non-Chrome OS device? I have it hardlined into my network, but since it isn't Cloudprint ready that doesn't do me any good. Afaik the only way is to connect the printer to another device. Apparently Raspberry Pis work pretty well for that.
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Mar 4, 2018 19:06
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Toshimo posted:I haven't met a tablet I've been happy with and I've got a desktop-replacement level laptop already, so I thought maybe I'd give one of these a try on the cheap to see if it will do the mundane stuff I'd like in a more portable form. That one should be able to do all that, though if by reading comics you mean .cbrs, you'll need to install an app from the Play Store.
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Mar 5, 2018 23:58
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Walh Hara posted:So while looking for an IRC client with XDCC support that runs on chrome os or android I found some articles about this crostini project which seems really cool. Basically it's an ongoing project at google that will allow chrome os users to run native linux apps in a container. Yeah, I've been following this with great interest over at r/ChromeOS. I mean, it was easy enough to get Crouton installed and set up for Steam (heck, I even managed to get WINE installed and the Windows-only StudioOne DAW 99% working in it, which is kinda nuts) but being able to run Linux apps natively in ChromeOS would be awesome. Hopfully Linux apps don't end up being a Pixelbook-exclusive feature.
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May 7, 2018 20:27
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Cheesemaster200 posted:I have had my pixelbook for about six months now. [snip] Dumb question I suppose but have you tried power washing?
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May 13, 2018 01:37
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[Edit: nevermind, got my laptops confused]
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May 14, 2018 18:06
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So I threw my R11 onto the Canary channel because Linux apps got enabled on it. Installed GIMP as a test and it works fine. Retroarch didn't respond to any keyboard or mouse inputs, and Steam install failed because no CPU speed is listed in the hardware profile it checks during installation. So absolutely nowhere near ready for prime time, but it's on its way! Also I wish I had enabled Canary a long time ago, as I like getting new stuff and changes early, even if it's buggy (I've had the OS crash daily so far). Probably my favorite thing is that they've dramatically improved the scaling on non-native resolutions, meaning that running the built-in display at 1518x853 no longer makes my eyes bleed. [Edit: Hah, I just got a kinda amusing bug--I got a notification stating that "Your device administrator has rolled back your machine, your data will be deleted and your device reset." Bemused (I'm not part of any administration profile, my computer is mine), I restarted my computer and... nothing. Same OS version, all my data is intact. Hooray for buggy pre-beta software!] asecondduck fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Aug 19, 2018 |
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Aug 19, 2018 21:10
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Hadlock posted:Can you try installing Visual Studio Code on it and let me know if it works? Maybe try downloading a plugin too if it actually works. I've got little-to-no experience with Visual Studio Code (it looks pretty neat though!) but I was able to install, launch it, and add the Python extension. Typing code in it was a little slow, though, possibly because hardware accelleration isn't enabled in Linux apps. Hyper installs and launches but it's just a blank screen. I can click the top left and get the menu to pop up and open a new window, which DOES result in a working instance, but like VSC it's very slow to type and run. So neither usable yet but I'm sure they will be once Linux apps aren't in super-pre-beta.
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Aug 22, 2018 17:25
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My R11 on Canary now has Google Assistant  And it's only crashed twice today!
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Oct 25, 2018 21:06
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Rhyno posted:My old Samsung CB has an SD slot but the card sticks out 1/3 of the way when inserted (as designed). Has that changed? I tossed it in a backpack and snapped the card reader in half once. In my Acer R11 it sits flush. In my mid-2014 MacBook Pro, a machine that is better designed in nearly every way (and was four times the price), the SD card sticks out. 
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May 21, 2019 23:45
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So after not touching it for awhile I pulled out my Acer R11 and wow, things have progressed notably. I was able to get Studio One 2 (a digital audio workstation) running on it with Crossover with... okay, a decent amount of trouble, but it worked. Apple Music is now installable natively from the Play Store, and Linux is now officially supported, so I have GIMP, Audacity, and Apple Music running with minimal effort and no developer mode. Of course, it's not a terribly fast device (though Chrome OS is almost unbelievably fast given the specs) and the screen is an unfortunate size/resolution... so I'm considering getting a refurb Pixelbook to replace it. However, the R11's keyboard is, in my opinion, one of the best keyboards I've ever used. Has anyone used the R11 and Pixelbook and can compare the keyboards? I know everyone says the Pixelbook has a great keyboard but seriously I love the R11's. asecondduck fucked around with this message at 17:54 on Nov 10, 2019 |
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Nov 10, 2019 17:52
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Atomizer posted:Yup, the R11 notably was a model that had early support for Android apps. What's up with the display though? I know it's 11" and WXGA, do you just wish it was a higher resolution, or slightly larger to better justify a higher resolution? (Because even at 12-13" FHD can be overkill at native resolution, at least on ChromeOS.) RichterIX posted:Just piggybacking on this post to say I still really love my r11. If they made the exact same thing over and over again but just made it 1080p and gave it a current processor I'd probably just keep buying them every few years After some more reflection I think I'm gonna just stick with my R11. [Edit: To clarify the resolution thing, Chrome OS does something pretty clever, which is that it zooms out webpages so the non-native resolution isn't terribly noticeable in Chrome. But Android apps and stuff like text in the launcher looks bad at the less-than-native resolution.] asecondduck fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Nov 11, 2019 |
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Nov 11, 2019 02:33
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The Google Pixel Slate Black Friday deal is live in the Google Store and I couldn't resist the M3 Slate for $449. Also grabbed the Brydge keyboard and a Pixelbook Pen since they were literally free with it. asecondduck fucked around with this message at 16:29 on Nov 25, 2019 |
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Nov 25, 2019 16:21
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Statutory Ape posted:Tbh that is really cool I've been day dreaming about a useable tablet on an OS that I prefer So, about the tablet use... Granted, my experience with Chrome OS and tablet mode has been with my 2-in-1, but Chrome OS is not nearly as tablet-use-focused as, say, an iPad is. In order to splitscreen Android apps, the app has to support resizing. So, for example, Apple Music only works in full screen mode in Chrome OS. Also, when in tablet mode, only two apps are supported in splitscreen mode--there's no slide over (super handy for a quick Twitter scroll through or quickly changing music) or window mode like in non-tablet mode Chrome OS. Also, the Slate is slightly larger and heavier than the already-questionably-for-handheld-use 12" iPad Pro. Personally, what I really want is a Pixelbook, but not at the Pixelbook prices, or a Pixelbook Go... that could occasionally be used as a tablet. So I think the Slate+Brydge combo is gonna work really well for me! But when it comes to using it as just a tablet, I have my expectations managed.
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Nov 26, 2019 01:31
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So the Brydge keyboard for my Slate arrived today (the Slate itself is coming tomorrow, boo). I was hoping that I could test out the keyboard with my R11, but while the trackpad works (and works well, it's glass and larger than my R11's) the keys themselves don't. Here's hoping that it's just some quirky Chrome OS thing and not an indicator of a faulty keyboard... One thing that was pleasantly surprising is that the keyboard is almost exactly the same size as my R11. I didn't actually check the dimensions of the Pixel Slate but I had assumed that the height and width would be larger than the R11 due to the screen size difference but I didn't stop to think about how large the R11's bezels actually are. Also the Brydge keyboard feels... Pretty good? It's a little squishier than the R11's and my , but there's plenty of travel and the keycap size is only slightly smaller. I'll know better after I've actually typed something on it and not just pretended to.
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Nov 29, 2019 21:29
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Atomizer posted:I haven't tried that specific combo myself, but I'm presuming that if it's a Bluetooth device, it simultaneously connects as a separate keyboard and pointer device. Check the settings to see if you can enable the keyboard somewhere, as it should work on any device unless I'm missing something here. I tried looking through settings and didn't come up with anything, and after digging through some of the Amazon questions that Brydge answered it seems like there's some sort of firmware tweaking they do to only make the keyboards work on the device they're intended for--which on one hand is lovely, but on the other hand I don't really intend to use the keyboard with anything else, I was just bored and wanted to test it a bit.
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Nov 30, 2019 13:43
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Okay, Pixel Slate has arrived and it's set up. The Brydge keyboard works fine with it, thankfully. It's a little annoying that I'm not gonna be able to use it as a backup keyboard with other devices, but I got it for free with the Slate so I'm not actually complaining. I have to press further on the keys than any of my other laptop keyboards, so I'm occasionally missing letters on it, but overall it's not bad. Not, like, perfect, but I'm sure I'll get used to it soon enough. The M3 Slate is noticeably faster than my Celeron-featuring Acer R11 (no surprises there). Video websites were always a little laggy, especially when fullscreening YouTube, no issues here. Oh and the screen... man, Chrome OS looks nice at high resolutions. I did try scaling down from 100%, since that's what I do on my rMBP, but yeah, Chrome OS doesn't handle it gracefully. Thankfully, my main reason for wanting to be able to scale apps--Android apps being rather huge--is taken into account with the higher resolution, to the point where a couple of them have fonts that are almost too small at 100%. So that's awesome. When connected to the keyboard and closed, the Pixel Slate/Brydge keyboard is almost exactly the same size as my R11. It's wild. If you're looking for a new Chromebook, I would seriously give the Slate a look at the $450 price. Especially with the free keyboard and pen. [Edit: Okay after having used it some more I really like the Slate + Brydge combo. It's truly the 2-1 device I've been chasing since the original Asus Transformer I bought ages ago. The pen is actually super useful for tablet mode, being able to handwrite short things in tablet mode is great--the handwriting processing and recognition is excellent. I'm now really annoyed that Google fumbled the launch as badly as they did, since it effectively killed off the concept of a Chrome OS tablet, but also happy because I got a killer deal on it.] asecondduck fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Nov 30, 2019 |
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Nov 30, 2019 20:27
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[Edit: the following is only relevant if your Chromebook has a dual core processor that uses Hyperthreading to add two more virtual cores, such as the M3. Sorry for not originally including this distinction] So Google disabled Hyperthreading as of Chrome OS version 79. This effectively disables two of the cores on your Intel-powered device. Apple has done a similar thing on their computers. For comparison, Microsoft has taken no action, and Intel's official stance is that the decision to disable Hyperthreading should be up to the user. I won't post a link here, because reenabling it would leave your device potentially vulnerable and exploitable to some nasty-rear end attacks, but there have been instructions posted elsewhere online of how to turn Hyperthreading back on. asecondduck fucked around with this message at 16:39 on Dec 1, 2019 |
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Dec 1, 2019 14:43
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Sorry, that is an important distinction. I'm not really sure of an easy way to tell if your Chromebook's processor is using HT to have "four" cores by way of two virtual cores on a dual core processor, like the M3 on the Pixel Slate does. I guess the easiest way is probably to open Cog on your Chromebook--if you see four cores, but only two (the first and third) are showing any usage, then your Chromebook was using HT to emulate two virtual cores until recently. If you're seeing usage on all four, then you have a true quad core processor and you don't need to worry about Google disabling the virtual cores for your safety at all. [Edit: Google has a list of devices that previously used Hyperthreading here: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/mds-on-chromeos] asecondduck fucked around with this message at 16:34 on Dec 1, 2019 |
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Dec 1, 2019 16:29
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When docked in the Brydge keyboard, my Pixel Slate feels and acts like a Chromebook. Full stop. It even changes the UI to the "laptop" UI instead of the tablet one. The trackpad is also quite good--not as good as the one on my rMBP, but leagues better than any Windows trackpad I've ever used, or the one on my Acer R11. I imagine the experience is the same with the official Google keyboard, except that's not nearly as lap-friendly (the same issue that plagues other "tablet with a connectable, optional keyboard" devices like Microsoft's Surface or the iPad Pro). Basically the Slate + Brydge = Pixelbook... except you can pull the screen off and use it as a tablet, if you want to.
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Dec 1, 2019 17:04
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64bit_Dophins posted:I just order the Acer Chromebook C732-C6WU from the Amazon cyber monday sale. Is this one any good? Hmm. Celeron + 4GB is basically the minimum specs you want on a Chromebook, and the processor in that Chromebook is worse than the one in the R11, which works... okay, not great. I didn't realize how slowly webpages loaded on it until I got the Slate last week. No touchscreen might make Android apps a little frustrating, though--you can use the mouse to interact with them, but you'll have a better time with them on a touchscreen. They're great for filling holes in Chrome OS, though. I was so happy when Apple Music finally got official Chromebook support so I could stop sideloading it. That said, the $125 price I'm seeing on Amazon isn't bad--honestly, that's decent for the price. It's supported for four more years, too, so it's got that going for it.
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Dec 3, 2019 00:55
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fondue posted:Brydge out of stock in the google store. Buy it with the Slate keyboard, by the Brydge elsewhere, flip the Slate keyboard. You'll probably break even at least.
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Dec 4, 2019 03:10
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fondue posted:Is the Brydge that much better? Why is it less expensive? The Brydge essentially turns the Slate into a Pixelbook. It uses Bluetooth, but it connects almost immediately and from what I can tell is actually smart enough to send the last keypress before it connects. You do have to keep it charged, but it comes with a C-C cable that you can plug directly into the Slate to charge it. As for why it's less expensive, I couldn't really tell you, but it's half off on their website right now probably because the Pixel Slate failed.
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Dec 6, 2019 16:32
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