if you do not have internet you cannot do anything on a Chrome book, it does not have a hard drive for storage, you will not be able to download chess engines or such
google will track everything you do and the amount of ads are unlimited, other than that it is worth it
Google has been working on app that can be used offline. Gmail offline, Google doc offline ect. You can now do some thing without internet with a chromebook. But still, I never use a computer without internet anyway...
The Chromebook I am looking for is the Acer C720, it has a 16 GB SSD hardrive which helps the computer boots very fast. 5-6 seconds and the thing is ready to use, from Youtube videos I have seen.
True Google is most likley doing some tracking but I believe the same is true for Microsoft and Apple too.
PS: No ad with an adblocker.
Hi folks. I've been using Chromebooks exclusively for about a year now (currently on an Acer C720p), and yes most Google apps (mail, docs, cal, etc.) work offline, but frankly, the only time I've ever been without wifi has been on an airplane, and even that has been growing less frequent. I play on chess.com, run Shredder, and a few other browser-friendly chess apps, and so far I haven't been turned away from any site I might access from my legacy MacBook. I say go for it. You won't regret the decision to dump viruses, updates, and OS lag.
Cheers,
b.
Thank you DarbNimmish for your insights,
Truly the appeals of the chromebook are that they are low-cost computers (you just can't find a decent Windows laptop under 300$), no viruses to worry about and no more annoying Windows updates and harddrive to format. With a click of a button you can do a Powerwash and reset your chromebook to the initial factory state.
The only aspect that worries me in terms of playing chess exclusively on a chromebook is to find a good chess engine. I have been using SCID on Windows 7 but now I will need to find a web based alternative. You mention Shredder, where can I find it for web usage?
I've found this one on Lichess: http://en.lichess.org/paste
It seems poweful enough for my needs, does anyone use it here?
Chromebooks are the worst. I have to use them at my school. You are better off buying a tablet.
Just a quick follow up: I purchased the HP chromebook 14 and I had it less than a week. The battery simply wouldn't charge so I had to return it for refund. I don't think I'll buy another, at least not until Chrome OS becomes more open.
The big issue with chromebooks is that they are ''Google All The Way''. Everything works great but taking a step back you realize how much you are kept prisoner within the Google ecosystem. And how much data you give them in the process.
I purchased second-hand laptop and installed Ubuntu on it, and it works great. I think I'll stick with a OS like Linux or Windows for the time being. These systems are more 'democratized', I can use whatever apps by whatever company I choose.
Heck, I think Google should have ported Android on the PC instead. At least you can choose your browser, your apps ect. All in all I think Chrome OS suffers greatly from it's limitation and that Google went too far by controlling what people should use.
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Hi,
Since my laptop has let me down, I am looking for a low-budget computer to replace it (I don't have much money these days). I learned about the chromebooks of Google which are powered by Chrome OS a lightweight operating system built around the Chrome browser. That sounds great. I was wondering what are your chess experience with it? I intend to use a mouse with it instead of the touchpad.
Thanks.