Chromebook Update 2019

-
For those of us who are more technically inclined, this post is for us. For those of us who are here for the Lectionary Reflections, those are still continuing but you might want to skip this post (though I think some of us might find it insightful).

I’ve recently been following Jason Evangelho on Twitter. Jason writes for Forbes about Linux and hardware and has been looking at different Linux Operating Systems (OS) — Deepin, elementaryOS, Manjaro, Ubuntu, etc. — and the user experience they offer. This morning I saw the following tweet:

2019 may mark the beginning of Linux for the PC masses … just not on actual Linux machines.
#Chromebook #WSL2

It prompted my response:

I’ve used a #chromebook as my daily driver since 2015 and I’ve been in IT for 20 years. One of the best tech decisions I’ve ever made. It convinced me that most people (90% +) could do everything they need with one.

When I sent a link about my experience with Chromebooks, I realized I only had two posts about them and I hadn’t written an update since 2016! This post is to rectify that oversight.

Within the last few months my wife and I both replaced our old Chromebooks. A Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 for her which replaced her long since unsupported Samsung Chromebook 2, and an Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA (from here on, C302) for me which replaced my aging Toshiba Chromebook 2. Both of these Chromebooks are touch-screen, 2-in-1 models meaning they have a 360o hinge that allows them to be transformed into several different modes — tent, presentation, tablet, a standard laptop, and anything in between. Her’s has a stylus (she likes taking notes and annotating things with it); mine doesn’t (I really don’t have a need for one).

While her computer is more current than mine (her’s was released in July of 2018; mine was released about a year earlier) and has some additional features (e.g., support for Linux apps), mine has a couple of features that I liked better.

My C302 has a quad-core Intel m3 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and a 12.5 HD display. At first I thought the display needed to brighter (it’s only about 300 nits), but I’ve learned that it really doesn’t. I usually have it set to about 75% brightness and only turn it all the way up when I’m watching a movie or YouTube video but even then it depends on the content.

The C302 also has a backlit keyboard, which is a must for me as I sometimes write in low-light. And the keyboard itself is one of the best keyboards I’ve used. Ever.

One of the biggest improvements to the Chrome OS environment (that’s the Operating System for Chromebooks; think Windows on a Dell or macOS on a Mac) is the ability to install Android applications. This has changed the game in a lot of ways (and with the ability for some Chromebooks to use Linux apps I mentioned above changes it even further). Anything that’s in the Google Play store can be installed on a Chromebook. Now, granted, some of those apps might not scale properly (because they were made for a phone instead of a computer), but, for the most part we haven’t had any issues with the apps we’ve installed.

For example, I’ve installed Amazon’s Kindle Reader for Android and it scales just perfectly with my 1920 x 1080 display. As I read mostly eBooks, this was one of the primary reasons I wanted a 2-in-1, touchscreen laptop. Some people may not like the 16:9 aspect ratio of the display (it makes for a long portrait mode), but I don’t mind it at all. Couple this app with a Bible app (say, Biblegateway or YouVersion) and the Comixology app (so I can read comics), and I’m all sorted!

The battery on my C302 is astonishingly long lasting. I can generally go a couple of days without having to charge it. And this is while watching YouTube or Netflix about 3 times a day (bus ride to and from work plus during my lunch period).

All in all, I couldn’t be more happier with my new Asus Chromebook C302CA. It’s a great upgrade and I look forward to using it for years to come.



~~~
In the Love of the Three in One,

Br. Jack+, LC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Linux Mint 5

-
Image
It's been a while since I did a technological (read: geek) blog, so I thought I would update you on what's going on. As you are aware, I am a full-fledged geek by trade and passion and I have gone from Windows to Mac to Linux.  My Linux evolution went from Linspire to Mepis to PCLinuxOS to Ubuntu .  I stayed with PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu for the longest.  However, I have always read good things about another distribution called Linux Mint .  It's based on the latest Ubuntu release but with a lot of add-ons.  The latest version is called Linux Mint 5, Elyssa.  So, at the office, I downloaded the latest iso and tried it out to see how it all worked. First of all, there are always some things I keep in mind when trying any new Linux distro, the primary thing being, 'How would the average user feel about using this OS?'  'Is it (very) simple to install?  Is it easy to use?  Is it easy to get help?  Is it easy to add or remove applications?  Is the terminal (command ...
Read more

The OS Problem

-
I recently purchased a new laptop.  It's a Gateway M-6843 .  It's wonderful!  The very first thing I did, of course, was install Ubuntu 8.04.1 .  I plugged in the laptop and booted from the Ubuntu CD and clicked the install icon.  After about a week, I saw this blog detailing how this person got a refund from HP because he didn't want to use Windows Vista.  So, I started the process with Gateway.  It's been about a week and it's going to be a long process.  Customer Support at Gateway gave me the run-around so I am in the process of writing a letter to the Corporate Office. The reason for all of this is because of the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) from Microsoft.  According to the EULA, if I choose not to use Vista, I should contact the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM, in my case this would be Gateway) for a refund or credit.  But this begs the question: Why don't people get this option before buying the system?  That is, instead of having the cust...
Read more

Series: New Testament Eschatology

-
Image
From time to time, I hear a lot about the early church’s understanding of the “end of the world” or their belief that the “Second Coming of Jesus” would take place within their generation. And it’s usually not in a very good light. “They were obviously mistaken,” is often the remark I hear most. I know it’s hard to imagine but what if we’re mistaken? What if we’ve misunderstood what they meant? I’m hoping that this series on some of the major statements from the New Testament about the “end of the world” will show that they weren’t mistaken in their understanding of the “signs of the times.” Before we begin, however, let’s look at some terms that will have to be used. As most of you know, I try to refrain from using big “church” words. My reason for this is because those words are like suitcases where ideas and thoughts and understandings are packed into them. To explain the words would mean a long time spent unpacking the suitcases and explaining their contents. While such a pil...
Read more