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I switched my dad over to Chrome OS and never looked back. Now he tells all of this fiends to do the same thing because it's so much simpler. I really wish ther

I switched my dad over to Chrome OS and never looked back. Now he tells all of this fiends to do the same thing because it's so much simpler. I really wish there was a better open source alternative because Google is evil these days but...

tgsovlerkhgsel 8y ago
This. With Linux you still end up having to fix stuck updates or some other small thing at least once a year (and with Ubuntu, reinstall at least every 4 years to stay on a supported LTS release), the hardware compatibility is usually kind-of-but-not-entirely OK, and the UX is nowhere near as user friendly. With a Chromebook, you put it in front of them, set it up, show them, and if it breaks, you can ship them a new one from Amazon, remind them where they have written down their password, get them to sign back in, and done.
Baeocystin 8y ago
Are Mint Boxes still available? I just checked at https://linuxmint.com/store_mintbox.php https://linuxmint.com/store_mintbox.php , and they appear to be out of stock, but maybe that's a temporary thing. That being said, yeah, all family members in the Momputer class of usership have been upgraded to ChromeOS devices. They, to a one, love them, too.
SiVal 8y ago
Yes, I think the ChromeBook idea is probably the best "computer as managed appliance" for our older relatives these days, BUT I really would prefer to get the OS from a company that didn't have so much interest in surveilling and managing society.
- steelframe 8y ago
  It's a bit of a chore, but you can switch off surveillance on Chromebooks through a series of configuration changes: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/keep-google-spying-kids-chromebook https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/keep-google-spying-kids-c... Combine with the usual DuckDuckGo, Apple Maps/OpenStreetMap, Posteo, uBlock Origin, and friends, and you have a pretty good maintenance-free privacy solution.
tomohawk 8y ago
Chromebooks are a good idea, but they don't really work all that well for some simple use cases. We have a popular printer that everything else works with, but the chromebooks only work sporadically. Apple, Windoes, Linux - they all work just fine. Software from the app store is hit or miss, and when it works, there are often display issues, etc.
- lgleason 8y ago
  That is an issue, depending on the printer you have for them, but is solvable.

tgsovlerkhgsel 8y ago

This. With Linux you still end up having to fix stuck updates or some other small thing at least once a year (and with Ubuntu, reinstall at least every 4 years to stay on a supported LTS release), the hardware compatibility is usually kind-of-but-not-entirely OK, and the UX is nowhere near as user friendly. With a Chromebook, you put it in front of them, set it up, show them, and if it breaks, you can ship them a new one from Amazon, remind them where they have written down their password, get them to sign back in, and done.

Baeocystin 8y ago

Are Mint Boxes still available? I just checked at https://linuxmint.com/store_mintbox.php https://linuxmint.com/store_mintbox.php , and they appear to be out of stock, but maybe that's a temporary thing. That being said, yeah, all family members in the Momputer class of usership have been upgraded to ChromeOS devices. They, to a one, love them, too.

SiVal 8y ago

Yes, I think the ChromeBook idea is probably the best "computer as managed appliance" for our older relatives these days, BUT I really would prefer to get the OS from a company that didn't have so much interest in surveilling and managing society.

steelframe 8y ago
It's a bit of a chore, but you can switch off surveillance on Chromebooks through a series of configuration changes: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/keep-google-spying-kids-chromebook https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/keep-google-spying-kids-c... Combine with the usual DuckDuckGo, Apple Maps/OpenStreetMap, Posteo, uBlock Origin, and friends, and you have a pretty good maintenance-free privacy solution.

tomohawk 8y ago

Chromebooks are a good idea, but they don't really work all that well for some simple use cases. We have a popular printer that everything else works with, but the chromebooks only work sporadically. Apple, Windoes, Linux - they all work just fine. Software from the app store is hit or miss, and when it works, there are often display issues, etc.

lgleason 8y ago
That is an issue, depending on the printer you have for them, but is solvable.