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And in the best traditions of modern product sites - what this thing actually is? It is a generic computer to run Windows? A media player? Google Chrome device

And in the best traditions of modern product sites - what this thing actually is? It is a generic computer to run Windows? A media player? Google Chrome device? Can it run Linux? It seems I have been let to know everything about this device, including the model of the security chip inside and its military certificate code, but I can't seem to understand what this box is actually for.

iand 3y ago
It's a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromebox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromebox which is a class of small computer that run ChromeOS
sofixa 3y ago
It's kind of in the name, which is why they probably thought they don't need to say it. It's a Chromebox, meaning, a computer running ChromeOS. Usually those can run Linux with some tweaks.
- jeffbee 3y ago
  Every Chromebox runs Linux.
  - mobilio 3y ago
    And Android too...
  - bdcravens 3y ago
    It's semantics, but I think it's useful to reserve the name "Linux" for devices that are the unrestricted version of the OS, otherwise the name starts to become as generic as the term "smart".
    - jeffbee 3y ago
      Describe a way in which the Linux implementation of ChromeOS is “restricted”.
      - cbm-vic-20 3y ago
        Are we talking "Linux, the kernel", or "Linux, the typical user experience"?
        jeffbee 3y ago
        I reject the idea that a terrible UX is an integral part of Linux.
      - bmicraft 3y ago
        Kernel changes that are not in the upstream kernel yet for one
      - bdcravens 3y ago
        Inability to change DE, upgrade kernel, use kernel modules, etc.
      - jchw 3y ago
        Well, for starters, with dm-verity and secure boot to prevent modifications to the root filesystem. IMO it's beside the point. Calling ChromeOS "Linux" is like calling cells "mitochondria". One could argue that the same could be said about the somewhat standard Linux desktop stack you'd find on Ubuntu or Fedora installs, and that's true. However, that's probably mostly just a consequence of the fact that Linux doesn't have an actual standard userspace. The closest it has is the defacto set of components you're likely to find in any GNU/Linux distro, and they are quite different than what you'll find when you boot up ChromeOS or Android.
      - cthulberg 3y ago
        Disclaimer: I daily utilize a cheap Chromebook as a lightweight typewriter, and I love it. However, it's important to note that Linux on this device is subject to certain restrictions: It operates within a containerized environment, which limits both disk space allocation and system-wide access. Accessing the terminal requires navigating through a "virtual machine", and files are shared within the /mnt/chromeos directory. Additionally, the utilization of USB devices is layered behind the primary operating system support and Linux backups are separate from the overall operating system backups.
    - hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
      You may be talking about 2 different things: 1. Yes, ChromeOS is based on Linux, but it's not really what most people would refer to as "Linux". I think this is what you're talking about. 2. ChromeOS does have, however, some great technology to run an unrestricted version of Linux in a container, called Crostini: https://chromeos.dev/en/linux https://chromeos.dev/en/linux . I used to use a high end Pixel book (which was a great machine, really sad Google discontinued it - surprise, surprise, I know) as a primary dev laptop, it ran VSCode, postgres, etc. very well.
      - bdcravens 3y ago
        Yes, it is based on Linux, as are many televisions, car radios, phones, and other devices. That's my point re "smart" devices. Crostini is a VM, and isn't 100% unrestricted. I'd classify it in the same category as WSL or Parallels.
    - isr 3y ago
      You can switch any chromebook into "developer mode". Then you get bash within the terminal app, with full sudo access. At that point, as you poke around, you find that chrome os is actually built on top of gentoo Linux. And there is a 3rd party pkg manager (chromebrew) which gives you gcc, and thus a whole host of additional pkgs. Yup, its linux all right. Even without going the crouton (chrome into another distro) or crossing (vm running separate linux distro) route.
  - dreamcompiler 3y ago
    The Linux kernel has always been present in ChromeOS internally. But until about 2021, it was a PITA to convert Chrome machines to "real" Linux; you had to establish a dual-boot environment which was finicky and the process was different on every machine. But now Google has improved the process so you can basically just flip a switch and use the underlying Linux [0] [1]. It's kind of like WSL, but to me it feels like 100% Linux. [0] https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/install-linux-on-your-chromebook https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/install-linux-on-your-chromeboo... [1] On Intel Chromebooks. For ARM Chromebooks, you still need to dual-boot to get something that feels like "real" Linux. [2] [2] Which is kind of ironic given that ChromeOS can run Android apps now, and Android apps are ARM based [3], so they have to be run in emulation mode on Intel CPUs. [3] Okay they're bytecode based. Android apps on Intel Chromebooks used to run the JVM in emulation mode (I think) but there may now be a native Intel version of Dalvik or whatever-Google-calls-their-JVM-these-days.
    - jacquesm 3y ago
      The 'flip a switch' is a bit of a shortcut, it usually isn't just a switch but can be a screw that acts as a jumper and you'll need to open the device to access it. Well worth it though, especially if you max them out on RAM after installing Linux and you can get them for little money as 'bricked' for instance out of contract dedicated Google Meet hardware.
jklinger410 3y ago
It is an expensive web browsing machine
- gardnr 3y ago
  > And with up to 32 GB DDR4 memory... It's definitely a high-end web browsing machine. The TPM and sandbox model makes it pretty handy to use as daily driver for web browsing. Definitely a good recommendation for non-technical friends and family that need more than a device with 4GB ram.
  - linsomniac 3y ago
    For around 5 years I used a Chromebook as my primary home computer, and it worked really great. It was a HP 13 g1, with the very high res display, insane battery life, 8GB RAM. I bought it for $550-ish, and a couple years ago got my son one and myself a spare, upgraded box (partly because it finally supported the Linux subsystem), those were each around $100. For running ChromeOS, it was spectacular. I ended up using it a lot for connecting into my work Linux box and doing work things via tmux+mosh. And then for browsing. I ended up replacing it with a MacBook Pro, for way, way more money, but it's a top notch computer, can do the occasional videos that I couldn't do on my other computers, but I still blush at how much it cost. I do really miss the "just reboot into updates". Right now I'm putting off a MacOS update because I know the machine will be fully out of commission for at least an hour when I do.
- ankurdhama 3y ago
  On which you can run linux apps and android apps.
bryanlarsen 3y ago
It's a Chromebox, and that's in the name. If you don't know what that is, nobody at the ASUS marketing organization would or should ever expect you to click on the page.
- eli 3y ago
  Google really isn't great at marketing. I'm sure there are many people who could use a Chromebox who don't know what it is.
  - zilti 3y ago
    Nah, it's for the best if as few people as possible use that crap
  - smoldesu 3y ago
    It's a box. It has Chrome on it. In a world of ambiguously named yet-successful products, I think Chromebook/Chromebox is the most straightforward naming convention you could ask for.
    - eli 3y ago
      I like ChromeOS but it has <2% market share and has the same name as the most popular web browser in the world. Every windows and mac computer is also a "box with Chrome on it."
      - smoldesu 3y ago
        I don't like ChromeOS, but I gotta admit it's a perfectly fine name for the system. They don't bury the lede ("this runs Chrome") and they suffix it with a brief product identifier. If you are looking for a device with Chrome on it, this will qualify. If you need a Windows machine or a Mac, they aren't pretending to compete with them. Is there a more straightforward name that even makes sense here?
        eli 3y ago

iand 3y ago

It's a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromebox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromebox which is a class of small computer that run ChromeOS

sofixa 3y ago

It's kind of in the name, which is why they probably thought they don't need to say it. It's a Chromebox, meaning, a computer running ChromeOS. Usually those can run Linux with some tweaks.

jeffbee 3y ago
Every Chromebox runs Linux.
- mobilio 3y ago
  And Android too...
- bdcravens 3y ago
  It's semantics, but I think it's useful to reserve the name "Linux" for devices that are the unrestricted version of the OS, otherwise the name starts to become as generic as the term "smart".
  - jeffbee 3y ago
    Describe a way in which the Linux implementation of ChromeOS is “restricted”.
    - cbm-vic-20 3y ago
      Are we talking "Linux, the kernel", or "Linux, the typical user experience"?
      - jeffbee 3y ago
        I reject the idea that a terrible UX is an integral part of Linux.
    - bmicraft 3y ago
      Kernel changes that are not in the upstream kernel yet for one
    - bdcravens 3y ago
      Inability to change DE, upgrade kernel, use kernel modules, etc.
    - jchw 3y ago
      Well, for starters, with dm-verity and secure boot to prevent modifications to the root filesystem. IMO it's beside the point. Calling ChromeOS "Linux" is like calling cells "mitochondria". One could argue that the same could be said about the somewhat standard Linux desktop stack you'd find on Ubuntu or Fedora installs, and that's true. However, that's probably mostly just a consequence of the fact that Linux doesn't have an actual standard userspace. The closest it has is the defacto set of components you're likely to find in any GNU/Linux distro, and they are quite different than what you'll find when you boot up ChromeOS or Android.
    - cthulberg 3y ago
      Disclaimer: I daily utilize a cheap Chromebook as a lightweight typewriter, and I love it. However, it's important to note that Linux on this device is subject to certain restrictions: It operates within a containerized environment, which limits both disk space allocation and system-wide access. Accessing the terminal requires navigating through a "virtual machine", and files are shared within the /mnt/chromeos directory. Additionally, the utilization of USB devices is layered behind the primary operating system support and Linux backups are separate from the overall operating system backups.
  - hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
    You may be talking about 2 different things: 1. Yes, ChromeOS is based on Linux, but it's not really what most people would refer to as "Linux". I think this is what you're talking about. 2. ChromeOS does have, however, some great technology to run an unrestricted version of Linux in a container, called Crostini: https://chromeos.dev/en/linux https://chromeos.dev/en/linux . I used to use a high end Pixel book (which was a great machine, really sad Google discontinued it - surprise, surprise, I know) as a primary dev laptop, it ran VSCode, postgres, etc. very well.
    - bdcravens 3y ago
      Yes, it is based on Linux, as are many televisions, car radios, phones, and other devices. That's my point re "smart" devices. Crostini is a VM, and isn't 100% unrestricted. I'd classify it in the same category as WSL or Parallels.
  - isr 3y ago
    You can switch any chromebook into "developer mode". Then you get bash within the terminal app, with full sudo access. At that point, as you poke around, you find that chrome os is actually built on top of gentoo Linux. And there is a 3rd party pkg manager (chromebrew) which gives you gcc, and thus a whole host of additional pkgs. Yup, its linux all right. Even without going the crouton (chrome into another distro) or crossing (vm running separate linux distro) route.
- dreamcompiler 3y ago
  The Linux kernel has always been present in ChromeOS internally. But until about 2021, it was a PITA to convert Chrome machines to "real" Linux; you had to establish a dual-boot environment which was finicky and the process was different on every machine. But now Google has improved the process so you can basically just flip a switch and use the underlying Linux [0] [1]. It's kind of like WSL, but to me it feels like 100% Linux. [0] https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/install-linux-on-your-chromebook https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/install-linux-on-your-chromeboo... [1] On Intel Chromebooks. For ARM Chromebooks, you still need to dual-boot to get something that feels like "real" Linux. [2] [2] Which is kind of ironic given that ChromeOS can run Android apps now, and Android apps are ARM based [3], so they have to be run in emulation mode on Intel CPUs. [3] Okay they're bytecode based. Android apps on Intel Chromebooks used to run the JVM in emulation mode (I think) but there may now be a native Intel version of Dalvik or whatever-Google-calls-their-JVM-these-days.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    The 'flip a switch' is a bit of a shortcut, it usually isn't just a switch but can be a screw that acts as a jumper and you'll need to open the device to access it. Well worth it though, especially if you max them out on RAM after installing Linux and you can get them for little money as 'bricked' for instance out of contract dedicated Google Meet hardware.

jklinger410 3y ago

It is an expensive web browsing machine

gardnr 3y ago
> And with up to 32 GB DDR4 memory... It's definitely a high-end web browsing machine. The TPM and sandbox model makes it pretty handy to use as daily driver for web browsing. Definitely a good recommendation for non-technical friends and family that need more than a device with 4GB ram.
- linsomniac 3y ago
  For around 5 years I used a Chromebook as my primary home computer, and it worked really great. It was a HP 13 g1, with the very high res display, insane battery life, 8GB RAM. I bought it for $550-ish, and a couple years ago got my son one and myself a spare, upgraded box (partly because it finally supported the Linux subsystem), those were each around $100. For running ChromeOS, it was spectacular. I ended up using it a lot for connecting into my work Linux box and doing work things via tmux+mosh. And then for browsing. I ended up replacing it with a MacBook Pro, for way, way more money, but it's a top notch computer, can do the occasional videos that I couldn't do on my other computers, but I still blush at how much it cost. I do really miss the "just reboot into updates". Right now I'm putting off a MacOS update because I know the machine will be fully out of commission for at least an hour when I do.
ankurdhama 3y ago
On which you can run linux apps and android apps.

bryanlarsen 3y ago

It's a Chromebox, and that's in the name. If you don't know what that is, nobody at the ASUS marketing organization would or should ever expect you to click on the page.

eli 3y ago
Google really isn't great at marketing. I'm sure there are many people who could use a Chromebox who don't know what it is.
- zilti 3y ago
  Nah, it's for the best if as few people as possible use that crap
- smoldesu 3y ago
  It's a box. It has Chrome on it. In a world of ambiguously named yet-successful products, I think Chromebook/Chromebox is the most straightforward naming convention you could ask for.
  - eli 3y ago
    I like ChromeOS but it has <2% market share and has the same name as the most popular web browser in the world. Every windows and mac computer is also a "box with Chrome on it."
    - smoldesu 3y ago
      I don't like ChromeOS, but I gotta admit it's a perfectly fine name for the system. They don't bury the lede ("this runs Chrome") and they suffix it with a brief product identifier. If you are looking for a device with Chrome on it, this will qualify. If you need a Windows machine or a Mac, they aren't pretending to compete with them. Is there a more straightforward name that even makes sense here?
      - eli 3y ago