The old blogging laptop died.
I followed the recommendations of a person who recommended an inexpensive Chromebook. They said installing Linux would be a snap and it would be almost invisible vis-a-vis a Windoze platform.
The problem is that Ubuntu Linux will not activate the WIFI so I cannot connect to the network. I am forced into Chrome if I want to access the internet.
Using Chrome leaves something to be desired. For one thing, the slider bar on the right side of the screen is thread-thin which may be OK for 26-year-old eyes but is a cast-iron Pelosi for my 62-year-old eyes.
I am a heavy user of snipping tool and of right-click and copy images. So far there is no joy in Chrome.
I am a heavy user of bookmarks and it is not obvious how to execute them in Chrome.
I can download Firefox but am unsure regarding how (or if I can) install it on the Chrome box.
Alphabet/Google makes money off of the ads. There are lots and lots of popups. I need an ad-blocker but am unsure that Alphabet will support it because that cuts revenue.
Change makes me grumpy.
***Update One*** I have been running in "Guest mode" which is reducing functionality and the ability to save things. I may have to pop up-periscope as a logged on user to see if I can install Firefox or Brave.
Just remember, with Google, YOU are the product. And they don't just make money off the ads, they make money by sharing the information they gather about where you "go" on the internet. Spend a good half hour researching Chrome regarding privacy. Then start looking at the Brave browser. Fast, Good, or Cheap is pretty much an ironclad rule. Chromebooks are cheap and fast solutions.
ReplyDeleteI've got a Chromebook that somebody gave me. It's functional. That's all I can say for it...
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't do it again. I've really got to fight with it to make it do what I want. The default appears to be EVERYTHING gets saved to the cloud, no privacy allowed, you must watch the popups and intrusive ads and all cookies must be allowed to harvest all the data we want...
Damn communists!
ERJ, I seldom have any opinion things technological as I can barely use technology, but I never found Chromebooks to be user friendly or particularly useful for me.
ReplyDeleteI use Brave as a browser, which as I understand has some concerns as a browser (they all do, apparently) but have been very happy with. Also, I recommend Ghostery for ad blocker.
I used Ubuntu on a Toshiba for... 7 years? You get used to it. Its point and click like winblows once you get it installed and running. Theres prolly a tech article that could help getting the wifi working. The forums on ubuntu.org were very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used Linux in a while, as mentioned it can do everything Windows can, and more than Chrome.
ReplyDeleteI agree with DaveS and I avoid Google products where possible. I also avoid saving to the cloud; I want a copy of my stuff and I'll handle backup myself. There is already enough tracking and data out there on me. Also, if it's in the cloud they can deny you access whenever they want, or tech errors and connectivity issues can keep you from it.
Additionally, Chrome books are cheap and low powered. When I get a better laptop (soon) I will NOT be looking at them.
Get on fleabay, or microcenter.com and get another laptop, refurbished or off lease. I bought a thinkpad t431s, 12G ram i5 for like $170. This is the beginning of the year, a lot of leases are up and the market is fat.
ReplyDeletethe i7 thinkcentre I'm typing this on cost me a grand total of $330. 512G SSD, 16G ram, winders 10 pro.
No reason whatsoever to suffer a chromebook.
Joe - I have had great success purchasing used equipment from Discount Electronics online. Customer service is actually human, and every transaction I've had with them has been flawless.
ReplyDeletehttps://discountelectronics.com/
Can't add anything to the discussion. Do what you gotta.
ReplyDeleteCheck govdeals.com auction site. A lot of University sell off old computers and laptops through it. Admittedly many times as pallet loads but often as individual units. I'm lucky enough to live with in driving distance of such a university and my last two desk top computers came from them. All come completely erased and I had to have an OS reinstalled .
ReplyDeleteBeware. I have been burned doing exactly that. Some of the sellers will sell scrap units without saying that is what they are. Read the description in detail. If it doesn't say they were working when removed from service, don't touch them.
DeleteIf you think you are having trouble 'cause you're an Old Guy just be glad you aren't 10 -15 years older. For us it's DUUHHH....--ken
ReplyDeleteTry Linux Mint. It has never given me any real problems with WiFi or Bluetooth Since about four years ago. It also seems to be more Windows like to the user in normal operation. Firefox, Chromium (Open source version of Chrome), or Brave all seem to work fairly well. Each has its own little quirks on some websites, but the same is true when using different browsers in Windows.
ReplyDeleteAlso the user group for Linux Mint can answer pretty much any question or issue, usually with a step by step that you can copy and paste. I've been using Linux Mint at home for about ten years now.
When I thought about getting a Chromebook I was told that it is little more thana glorified cell phone in its abilities.
ReplyDeleteI will second Linux Mint. It's the most Windows-like of all Linux distros that I've tried. That said, I've never been able to get Linux to work for me, even when I was willing to make some substantial compromises. I'd go with TechieDude's suggestion. The refurbed Thinkcentre I'm using was about $200 as I recall, and that was some years ago. A modest upgrade to an SSD and it just soldiers on and on and on.
ReplyDeleteI'd have suggested what I've done since I stopped "rollin' my own" think-boxes. Buy a refurbished one from a mail-order big boxer that comes with a mature OS and cram it with RAM. Eyes are fading so I HDMI-linked a cheap flat screen TV.
ReplyDeleteWorks for me..
I have had good experience with "renewed" computers on Amazon. When my wife's computer died just before Christmas I bought her this one for less than $400: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0913KTG56/. It's an HP Elitebook 840, well equipped. She loves the small size and light weight.
ReplyDeleteActually, it's an Elitebook 830 with the 13.3-inch screen. I'd buy one for myself too, if it were in the budget but my six-year-old laptop still works fine, although I have had to replace the battery twice.
DeleteWhile I can understand Mint being one of the lightweight distros of Linux, my preferred choice is Elementary. While getting used to it, keeping it "housed" on a usb drive can give extra benefits. for privacy and portability.
ReplyDelete