Light-weight PC wanted:::Chromebook vs Surface (laptops, desktop, HDD, operating system)
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What exactly is a Chromebook~? I think a Surface is like a computer and tablet all in one, correct~? I found some small PCs at Best Buy recently that were like $196-300. They didn't tell me they were Chromebooks but looking at the website, I think they were. I'm thinking about buying a small light-weight PC since my Dell Inspirion is awful heavy when I travel. I'm wanting a Windows 8 (but would consider the new Windows 10) and something where I can do a document and spreadsheets. What would you all suggest and what would you say to stay away from~?
I have a Chromebook, I'n on it right now. If all your are doing is using a web browser (Chrome, in this case) and don't mind using Google Docs and Google Sheets, (or I think MS Office has web based Word and Excel now) a Chromebook could work well for you. I have the Acer C720P touchscreen and I like it a lot.(Check the amazon reviews of this machine) I've had it over a year now. It does 95% of what I need to do. It's more portable and has much better battery life than my Lenovo laptop. No worries about computer virusus either with a Chromebook.
You can work offline with a Chromebook but they don't have much storage space, mine has 32gb. You can plug in a USB flash drive for more space.
This Chromebook got me into using Google Drive a lot more and now I work out of that primarily (backing things up to my PC laptop). Now that I use so many different devices it's good to be able to access my files from any of them. When I had to go out of town on short notice earlier this year to spend 4 weeks helping my mother when she got injured I had all my files available in Drive when I used her computer while I stayed with her.
I have a Chromebook, I'n on it right now. If all your are doing is using a web browser (Chrome, in this case) and don't mind using Google Docs and Google Sheets, (or I think MS Office has web based Word and Excel now) a Chromebook could work well for you. I have the Acer C720P touchscreen and I like it a lot.(Check the amazon reviews of this machine) I've had it over a year now. It does 95% of what I need to do. It's more portable and has much better battery life than my Lenovo laptop. No worries about computer virusus either with a Chromebook.
You can work offline with a Chromebook but they don't have much storage space, mine has 32gb. You can plug in a USB flash drive for more space.
This Chromebook got me into using Google Drive a lot more and now I work out of that primarily (backing things up to my PC laptop). Now that I use so many different devices it's good to be able to access my files from any of them. When I had to go out of town on short notice earlier this year to spend 4 weeks helping my mother when she got injured I had all my files available in Drive when I used her computer while I stayed with her.
Thanks for the info
Now what exactly is Goggle Sheets~? I have an Android phone and have that on it as well as Docs & Slides, but never used it or anything. Is this like a word document~?
Who makes Acer PCs~? I was told at Best Buys recently, that Lenovo was IBM who was bought out.
Google Docs is similar to Microsoft Word. It's easy to convert from one to the other too.
Google Sheets = Excel.
Google Slides = Powerpoint
Google Draw is a basic graphics program.
I don't know who makes Acer, but they seem to be decent machines.
Yes, I think IBM is now Lenovo. I bought my Lenovo laptop after reading in this forum and others post from IT folks who said they were good computers. I've had my laptop for almost 3 years and it's been fine. It's a low end Z575 model and a little light in the processing end (1.5 ghz) but I didn't know much about laptops when I bought it. Last year my bf got a Lenovo desktop and we looked for one with a good processor (3.8ghz) it was a Windows 7 one for $300 (tower only).
I really like the Asus Transformer T100TA. It is very small but reasonably powerful (Quad Core, 2GB/64GB SSD) and it runs off a single 10W 5V USB adapter that is super small compared to most laptop bricks. I am running Windows 10 (upgraded from 8.1) and it runs 10 well. There is also a model with an HDD in the keyboard if you need more storage. Also I have a 128GB MicroSD for my documents. I have seen the Transformer go for <$200.
Yes a chromebook and a Surface tablet are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I kind of want a chromebook for travel, so if something happens to it, it wouldn't be as much of a loss. I also want a Surface for desktop purposes because of it's portability and it's touch surface (I sometimes have problems with RSI).
Chromebook:
------------
Less expensive
Chrome operating system, not windows
Lower end processor
Meant to run applications 'in the cloud' meaning it is meant to be connected to the internet a lot, and you don't install applications on it
Surface:
---------------
Can get very expensive
Windows operating system
Has lower to higher end processor
Runs windows applications just like your desktop
Can replace a desktop
The news reported last night about Lenovo's had issues with their battery. It gets very hot and one laptop exploded and caught a house on Fire.
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