3 ms·
Biased opinion here (working for Google). I love Linux and I would consider myself a power user (understanding HW arch, working with kernel sources). Basic Ch
by jagrsw 4y ago
Biased opinion here (working for Google).
I love Linux and I would consider myself a power user (understanding HW arch, working with kernel sources).
Basic Chromebook apps (+ Play Store) are something that "just work" for 80% of time for my use-cases (which is, browser and ssh-ing into a power machine in ze cloud/DC). I also have rather good understanding of threat models here, and the quality of the sandboxes and HW roots-of-trust, hardening and software isolation on a typical Chromebook, so it gives me a relative piece of mind for specific use-cases (personal/family files etc.). Supporting an extended family, if they can get used to Chromebooks (it covers 99% of their needs, esp. that Android apps can be installed here) is a bliss.
Customizing Linux is mental fun, but on a road you probably something that just works, and typical Linux is rough at edges - GFX support, hibernation, esp. if you don't want to stick to some LTS distro, b/c you always need this newer package for dev purposes or tinkering.
The remaining 15% is covered by a VM, which seems really nicely integrated (X11 proxy etc). The remaining remaining 5% cannot be covered - custom kernels, custom USB drivers, occasional need to use Windows, but that's fine, I can do that on a desktop or on some random, cheap, low-power laptop.
In essence, it's just a thin client on steroids, which almost always works in its basic form. But if you want something more interesting, there's always a VM with some Linux distro, or Android apps via the Play Store. But these are optional and don't affect stability of the core system, if you don't use them.
- hn_throwaway_99 4y agoI'm the poster of the original comment, and I don't work for Google, but your comment pretty much summed up perfectly my thoughts as well, and is a big reason why I'm a ChromeOS fan.
- mkozlows 4y agoI agree that there are tons of great use cases for Chromebooks (I've owned like eight of them, including the Chromebook Pixel, and love them), but I also think that once you start getting into Android or Linux-heavy use cases, native devices are better than Chromebooks. An Android tablet is a muuuuuch better experience for running Android apps than the Pixel Slate. A Framework running Fedora is a muuuuuch better experience for doing dev work than a Chromebook. ChromeOS is great when used for what it is, and it's cool that it can flex to handle edge casey things with VMs. But if the VM stuff is most of what you want to do, just go a different way.
- duped 4y ago> I've owned like eight of them This is something that jumps out to me - over how many years and why did you replace them?
- mkozlows 4y ago9 years, and I'm exaggerating a bit for effect; it's actually five of them. (HP 11 G2 in 2013, bought because it was tiny and worked well. Replaced with a Toshiba something, because it had a better screen and was faster. Replaced with a Chromebook Pixel 2015 because it was the god tier amazing Chromebook of your dreams. Replaced with an HP X2 because it was a convertible tablet and I wanted a convertible tablet. Replaced with a Pixel Slate because it was a faster and better-screened convertible tablet and I like things that are better.) None of them were replaced because I strictly speaking needed to replace them, and all got handed over to someone else who happily used them.
- kelvie 4y agoLess biased opinion here (don't work for google, don't hold stock, am primarily a Linux user at home), but I use(d) a Pixelbook for all the same reasons mentioned above, though I now use a Framework as my primary laptop, but mostly because I wanted to switch from Chrome -> Firefox for a bunch of other reasons.