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I've actually gone even farther. The last 4 laptops I've bought have all been 50 dollar used Chromebooks. Pull out the write-protect screw, flash new firmware a
by RuggedPineapple 3y ago
I've actually gone even farther. The last 4 laptops I've bought have all been 50 dollar used Chromebooks. Pull out the write-protect screw, flash new firmware and install linux. If it's got enough eMMC space Windows 10 LTSC runs too (depending on model) but I find xubuntu or Fedora XFCE plays nicer with 16 gigs of space.
I have a beefier desktop for serious things, but in terms of everyday machines they work fantastically.
- theodric 3y agoInteresting. Any models you'd care to recommend? I'm looking for a cheap, functional Linux laptop to replace my ThinkPad, and this option sounds promising.
- RuggedPineapple 3y agoFor the aftermarket firmware that allows non-ChromeOS OSs, theres a compatibility list at https://mrchromebox.tech/#devices https://mrchromebox.tech/#devices that will show you if full UEFI firmware is available, and the write-protect method you need to disable. I usually browse around Mercari looking for a system with specs that are acceptable, then check the list to see if its supported. I haven't paid more then around 50 bucks for any of them.