OT: Cheap Laptop probably Chrome

[sokyroadie]

Looking for a cheapish Chrome laptop for internet access while traveling (car). I think a 14" minimum screen, but not a requirement. Lets say max. $299.00.

Best Buy has a HP for $199.00 supposedly $200.00 off:

HP - 15.6" Chromebook Laptop - Intel Processor N200 - 8GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Natural Silver
Model:15a-nb0013dxSKU:6535992
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6...?skuId=6535992

Appreciate the experts weighing in.

BTW - not stuck on Chrome, but seems the best for what I want to use it for.

[Dired]

Originally Posted by sokyroadie

Looking for a cheapish Chrome laptop for internet access while traveling (car). I think a 14" minimum screen, but not a requirement. Lets say max. $299.00.

Best Buy has a HP for $199.00 supposedly $200.00 off:

HP - 15.6" Chromebook Laptop - Intel Processor N200 - 8GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Natural Silver
Model:15a-nb0013dxSKU:6535992
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6...?skuId=6535992

Appreciate the experts weighing in.

BTW - not stuck on Chrome, but seems the best for what I want to use it for.

Got this one for the wife for $185 using a coupon promo they ran a few weeks ago - it's excellent.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/276237750527

Kid needs a 14" and touchscreen for school and I'm holding out for this deal:
https://slickdeals.net/f/17838459/?u...external+share

Pro tip - the new chromebooks come with 1 year of google ai plus premium (usualy $20/mos), which you keep even if you return the hardware.

[benb]

My son has a Dell Chromebook for school.

That has got to be one of the nastiest screens I've seen on a laptop since the 1990s. Amazingly bad screen, and because it's running 2024 Google software the experience is worse than the 1990s because all the ChromeOS software and Google Classroom stuff was designed around some Nerd's 30" 4k screen at Google HQ.

Actually I just looked it up and the one my son has (Dell) is an 11.6" screen with a 1366x768 screen.

The last laptop I had with a screen worse than that was the first one I purchased in 1995 when I was 18.

So just beware of the screens and maybe go check them out in person. Otherwise you're going to be doing a heck of a lot of scrolling as Chrome takes up almost the whole screen with it's Chrome (Chrome literally means the decorations on an application that look cool but waste space). The original intent of Google's Chrome Browser was for it not to waste all your screen space with Menu bars and controls... these days it has failed at that job.

I would probably want Windows if I was severely budget constrained and it was my choice. The Chrome OS experience is just so bad if you're used to Windows or Mac. I would say you at least don't have to worry about it getting screwed up like Windows, but that has gotten a lot better. And things like plugging in a Mouse and expecting it to work are much less likely than on Windows. We have actually tried that... thought the mouse was broken until we plugged it into my Mac and it was working perfectly. You could see the mouse connected in Chrome OS but it didn't actually let you use it.

The other thing is breaking them.. our school had insurance for $40 or something. The Principal gave the tally of how many were broken last year. Something like 60/400 chromebooks broken to the point they had to be completely replaced in a school year. And this in a school with a full time Chromebook repair tech who can replace screens, keyboards, cases, etc.. in school. We bought a protective case too.

[Dired]

Originally Posted by benb

My son has a Dell Chromebook for school.

That has got to be one of the nastiest screens I've seen on a laptop since the 1990s. Amazingly bad screen, and because it's running 2024 Google software the experience is worse than the 1990s because all the ChromeOS software and Google Classroom stuff was designed around some Nerd's 30" 4k screen at Google HQ.

[Likes2ridefar]

The nerds that would never be caught using a puny 30” (32” minimum) 4k screen take issue with such comments

[benb]

Yah I typed that sitting in front of the 2x 34" monitors my employer paid for.

In any case like last night I was helping my son proofread a paper and the way the screen is setup out of the box with the default font sizes in Google apps neither one of us could tell a period apart from a comma with the screen on our lap. We had to increase the zoom.

There is nothing really wrong with the Chromebook it's really the software not being well setup. Google Classroom is really a horror show. Everyone at the school openly admits it but say you just can't beat free.

14" might be a LOT better. That is much more in the size range of normal laptops these days. The screen might not be as sharp but default fonts will at least be closer to the correct size.

The thing with plugging in a mouse and it sees it but doesn't let you use it is probably down to it being based on linux. Linux is famous for that stuff. Even when I put linux on my PS3 I remember the mouse didn't work and I had to hack on the drivers.

[el cheapo]

For some really great deals...look at pawn shops for laptops. I've bought a couple over the years and never had a problem. Right now I'm using a Lenovo gaming system (paid $350 retail $1200). And everything is negotiable at pawn shops. Check to see what return policy they have. Good luck.

[CAAD]

I rather have a full Windows PC. The chrome books I feel are limited in what they can do. My chrome book is just sitting on a shelf now. There always comes a time when you try to do something computery on it and the thing just can't do what you want it to do. At least with a Windows computer everything just works without needing a workaround.

[sokyroadie]

Originally Posted by CAAD

I rather have a full Windows PC. The chrome books I feel are limited in what they can do. My chrome book is just sitting on a shelf now. There always comes a time when you try to do something computery on it and the thing just can't do what you want it to do. At least with a Windows computer everything just works without needing a workaround.

I am basically retired and have a nice desktop, and an older windows laptop which has limited battery life and not worth putting any money in. I have never used a Chrome PC so not against a windows laptop.

Thanks for the replies.

[rice rocket]

I like fanless Chromebooks, less stuff to go wrong and no heat buildup.

Snapdragon processors (basically glorified smartphone CPUs) sip power, and suspend/resume cleanly without the whole rigmarole of Intel stuff.

[Alistair]

Did I miss your intended use for this laptop? If it’s just surfing the web, email, etc then maybe a tablet would get you more bang for your money?

[sokyroadie]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

I like fanless Chromebooks, less stuff to go wrong and no heat buildup.

Snapdragon processors (basically glorified smartphone CPUs) sip power, and suspend/resume cleanly without the whole rigmarole of Intel stuff.

I am looking at a couple of basically identical Lenovo units.

Processor : Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 7c Gen 2 Processor (2.50 GHz )
Memory : 4 GB LPDDR4X-2133MHz (Soldered)
Storage : 128 GB eMMC
$219.00

or

Same, but:
Memory : 8 GB LPDDR4X-2133MHz (Soldered)
$269.99

I assume it's worth around $50.00 for double the memory? They are fanless also.

[robt57]

My very subjective 17 cents:

I found the cheap Chrome stuff really sluggish and slow. 4 years ago I replaced my wife's Yoga [broke screen] with Samsung - Galaxy Chromebook 2 - 13.3" QLED Touch Screen - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB eMMC.

I thought it was pretty expensive frankly, but to me the lower stuff lacked just too much. And last min x-mas gift for my honey.

These are about 450.00 or less now, I paid well over 5 as it was latest/greatest. I'd buy it again.

The Celeron one is way cheaper, but again I find those sluggish. Her Yoga II that she dropped was also I3. I had got a like new used Celeron used off Craigslist after the drop, she lived with that until x-mas I got her the I3 Chrome Sammy. It was so sluggish, I wasted the 175.00 I paid for it. Although it is still my DNS server running ubuntu/pi-hole 24/7 broken screen and all.

I should mention I was a PC/Network consultant and am adept @ un-crippling a windows machine. Striping processes off etc. Even with a cleanout and stopping a ton of bloat from starting running the Celeron Yoga was tediously slugginh IMO.

My note pad is Also Yoga, 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1355U 1.70 GHz. A Celeron is 1/10 that.


Side note: get one with alloy case, and flip to tablet, The case and hinges won't be why you'll retire it. I have repaired and tossed many a lap/note due to case/hinge failures.

Watch which gen intel processor if you go 'I' series. find site [ample] on the net and A/B gen 5 VS gen 13 etc before the spend.

[tbike4]

Originally Posted by CAAD

I rather have a full Windows PC. The chrome books I feel are limited in what they can do. My chrome book is just sitting on a shelf now. There always comes a time when you try to do something computery on it and the thing just can't do what you want it to do. At least with a Windows computer everything usually works without needing a workaround.

FIFY. Just joking around. But really, get a used MacBook.

[tylercheung]

or even a used ipad if using for internet access in a car - bc of cellular ability?