Recommend a budget laptop please!

[Dave7]

They are essentially very simple compact long battery life things that use the internet for lots of stuff - they come with a fair wack of free online storage where you can store all of your stuff.

Onboard storage is limited but there is nothing to stop you plugging in a pendrive for more offline storage.

Having most stuff online and little offline is actually something I find protects me from my own recurring stupidity in not backing stuff up properly.

Contrary to what some folk think you can do a fair amount of stuff offline - type documents etc etc.


Yes you can download photos - in fact if you later decide that some are embarassing in any way you can wipe the entire thing and reinstall the system in less time than a windows laptop would take to decide if it needs to update you.

You don't need a virus checker.

You can sync them with an android tab so that all the same stuff is available to you.

Why dont you need a virus checker ?

 

[Dave7]

@Dave7 A Chromebook runs on the android chrome operating system which is a much lighter OS than windows so doesn’t need a very powerful processor to run fast. It also uses less power so battery life is longer. Most of the better ones also have a touch screen so you can use it like a tablet, better for viewing media and surfing. They also update automatically
I ditched windows laptops years ago and use a iPad now which is also brilliant for the above tasks and the iOS is a breeze to use. My kids have a Chromebook and it’s also perfect for them, very simple to use. My preference would be for an iPad, go into an Apple and try one.

Just googling prices etc.
Am I reading correctly that you cannot have youtube on an Ipod/ipad thingy ? We tend to use youtube a fair bit.

 

[Cycleops]

As an adjunct to @Blue Hills post the Chromebook free storage is 100GB free for two years after that you have to pay but the the data you have uploaded will still be be free to access.
Extra storage can be added to your Chromebook by inserting a SD card as well as an external pen drive..

@Dave7 YouTube is available from the App Store on iPad.

 

[gunja99]

Chromebooks aren't Android OS, they are Chrome OS. I love them, secure, simple, etc.

They are basically an operating system based just on googles Chrome Web Browser, but these days you can install Android Apps, and even Linux Apps (let's not go there for now) on them. There is a new Lenovo Duet out, which has detachable keyboard with it for < £300, and plenty of other options (the Asus C101p I have 2 of, but they getting dated now).

Word and office apps are available as android apps, but they not the full blown Windows versions, and you'll need a subscription.

I use mine in evenings for youtube, emails, web based stuff, a little bit of gaming, and netflix etc. the 2 in 1 devices I love as you can turn them to tablets (though heavy). https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptop...adQbMujBtg-mAPYRQ88aAmEZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds getting rave reviews that one

 

[Blue Hills]

Why dont you need a virus checker ?

The virus checking is done online by the system I think.
Someone feel free to correct me.
I have never seen anyone say that you need one.

As an additional advantage the operating system updates seamlessly in the background.
You can also manually do this - I do sometimes just so I can see what's happening/where the bandwidth is going.
It doesn't take long at all.
I once even wiped a chromebook and then reinstalled the system using Spoons wifi - no way would I do that with anything windows - I always felt like I needed serious alcohol or drugs ingestion after a windows update though.

 

[Blue Hills]

As an adjunct to @Blue Hills post the Chromebook free storage is 100GB free for two years after that you have to pay but the the data you have uploaded will still be be free to access.
Extra storage can be added to your Chromebook by inserting a SD card as well as an external pen drive..

@Dave7 YouTube is available from the App Store on iPad.

15GB is free forever though.

I haven't used anywhere near mine yet. Had the machine on that account for well over two years. Have never paid anything.

 

[Blue Hills]

Just googling prices etc.

Prices have gone up a bit as they have become more popular I think.

My 15 inch metal cased one cost a fair bit under £200.
I then picked up an 11inch one (perfect for travelling, cycle touring, or using on your knees in front of the telly) for £99.
One thing folks should be aware of is that operating system updates are only supplied for a limited number of years.
Then no more updates.
You can check this on the machine.
Good idea to check this on an individual machine, particularly if it seems very cheap.

 

[gunja99]

Don't get me wrong, whilst I love me chromebooks, there are people who won't get on with them, and if you have some windows app you must install, then you need a windows computer (in this community, think specialised mapping/routing software), or Garmin Connect if you need that, etc.

I have a powerful windows/linux dual boot laptop, but most of my time at home I use the chromebook. If I want to do video editting or programming I get the chunky laptop out, for everything else, as long as runs in browser, has an android app, then the CB is perfect, fast, boots in seconds, reboot to update (no more 2-4 hours of windows updates!).

I do use google docs, sheets, etc for word processing and spreadsheets, not quite as feature full as Word/Excel, but covers 99% of my needs for the office apps, and you can print etc from ChromeOS.

Chromebook for web browsing, social media, emails, content consumption, mobile games. Anything more advanced go windows/Mac OS, but not as nice/cheap.

My 70 year old father now moved to Chromebooks, but his wife went back to windows... Horses for courses

 

[gunja99]

One thing folks should be aware of is that operating system updates are only supplied for a limited number of years.
Then no more updates.
You can check this on the machine.
Good idea to check this on an individual machine, particularly if it seems very cheap.

That is a very good point, my oldest one think stopping updates this month. Great machine. Think google say 6 years min from launch (not purchase). It will still work as it did, but just say that no more updates coming... But good point to mention about Chromebooks. Though Android phones get 2 years if that these days....

 

[Blue Hills]

and if you have some windows app you must install, then you need a windows computer (in this community, think specialised mapping/routing software), or Garmin Connect if you need that, etc.

Yes I need to get my old Lenovo laptop out of storage now and again to update my Etrexes (god knows why you can't do this via a platform neutral website - I mean the garmin isn't bleedin windows is it?) - I dread it - it feels so damn clunky after being used to my chromebooks.

 

[Cycleops]

The update thing applies to all devices and is unavoidable as the software Updates of the various systems get ahead of the hardware but will still run but not with the same level of security and other features.

 

[gunja99]

Yes I need to get my old Lenovo laptop out of storage now and again to update my Etrexes (god knows why you can't do this via a platform neutral website - I mean the garmin isn't bleedin windows is it?) - I dread it - it feels so damn clunky after being used to my chromebooks.

Yeah I had a 310xt watch which used Ant, and only booted into windows for garmin connect (used linux exclusively at the time), so annoying, until found out than Samsung phones have ANT in (still think the S20 does), and there a cheap (£3) android app what could sync them off my phone to garmin, strava, loads of others. Now I got a 945XT dont need to worry.

 

[gunja99]

The update thing applies to all devices and is unavoidable as the software Updates of the various systems get ahead of the hardware but will still run but not with the same level of security and other features.

Kind of, but windows tends to be around forever, and upgradable (win 10 free forever, well free in the way they send everything you do back to MS headquarters).

Can more easily re-use an old laptop, than other devices. (You can technically remove ChromeOS, and put Linux on chromebooks, and maybe I will do that with this one coming out of support).

 

[Blue Hills]

(You can technically remove ChromeOS, and put Linux on chromebooks, and maybe I will do that with this one coming out of support).

If you do this I'd be interested in your experience.
Although I know you can do this I fear it may be a bit beyond me.

 

[sleuthey]

Lenovo IdeaPad S130 11.6 Inch Celeron 4GB 64GB Cloudbook

I bought one of these on Black Friday for £120 and am very pleased