Re: [PLUG] Laptop recommendations

["Keith C. Perry" <kperry@daotechnologies.com>]

I wasn't going to mention this since the op explicitly said no to Chromebooks but since Rich brought it up, I also have an Acer Chromebook for Work.  One of the reasons I choose that model was because it is an x86 Chromebook with an SD slot, lightweight,  and a backlit (and spill proof) keyboard.  When I don't want to or can't run Chrome OS, I boot into Linux from the SD and I have everything I would need minus some keystrokes that aren't available.  Nothing that has been a huge deal breaker for me yet.

That said, since I'm normally going to VNC or SSH to resources Chrome OS works for 90% or want I do- even remotely since openvpn is available and I can use the same certs.  Yes its a bit awkward but its works just fine (and if it didn't, I could just reboot into Linux).  

Also, Chrome OS battery life is insane.  I get 8 to 10 hours easy and it does NOT get warm.  I can generally do two evenings of working it for 4 hours while streaming content with the Videostream plugin to my Chromecasts (yes, there is a way to do DLNA streaming because you can SSHfs do CIFS mounts).

At 1/2 the cost of an ultrabook, I would strongly recommend taking a look at x86 Chromebooks so you can have the best of both worlds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Keith C. Perry, MS E.E. 
Owner, DAO Technologies LLC 
(O) +1.215.525.4165 x2033 
(M) +1.215.432.5167 
www.daotechnologies.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rich Freeman" <r-plug@thefreemanclan.net>
To: "Philadelphia Linux User's Group Discussion List" <plug@lists.phillylinux.org>
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2017 9:29:01 AM
Subject: Re: [PLUG] Laptop recommendations

On Mon, Feb 20, 2017 at 9:15 AM, Ronald P Guilmet <ronpguilmet@gmail.com> wrote:
> I was looking at Chromebooks for their price. You need to have an internet
> connection for them right. I was confused as to wether or not I could write
> scripts, edit docs, etc with no internet. That's how my iPad behaves, I have
> to be connected to a wifi to do anything. Is that how Chromebooks are?
>

I won't kid you, a Chromebook without internet access is fairly
hobbled.  However, many basic functions can be done offline.

Google docs in particular allows individual documents to be stored
locally so that they can be edited offline, and changes will
automatically sync when the network returns.

There are also video playback applications that work fine offline.
Eventually Google will probably get around to fully supporting Android
on ChromeOS and then all those options will exist as well.  Though,
when they'll finally get around to that is anybody's guess as it has
been just around the corner for years now.

Writing scripts is probably not a big problem offline, though running
them may be.

If you're the sort of person who spends a lot of time on planes/etc I
wouldn't recommend a chromebook as your primary working system, unless
all you do is watch movies on planes or reply to emails.  (And Gmail
offline is fairly lacking compared to the online version.)

-- 
Rich
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