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I dont get it , for the price of a chromebook , one can get a netbook with a full linux plateform to install whatever stack one needs (and ides like netbeans/ec

by camus 14y ago

I dont get it , for the price of a chromebook , one can get a netbook with a full linux plateform to install whatever stack one needs (and ides like netbeans/eclipse/sublimetext2...) , what's the point being a chromebook for development purposes ? ( it is a question not a rant against chromebooks )

Lewisham 14y ago
Because Chromebooks are zero administration, and easily replaceable. Having set up my Mac OS X environment for the umpteenth time, and wrestled with wireless backups flaking out again, Chrome OS is the new "it just works". And if your laptop gets squashed by a steam roller, you buy another one, and you're back where you were. Of course, what the article is describing means that you are back to admin hell again, which I don't advocate at all. Googlers use a Chrome Remote Desktop to get work done on a Chromebook, which helps, but of course, requires someone else to punt off the sysadmin, otherwise it's your problem again, just one step removed. I wouldn't purchase a Chromebook as a primary development environment. I would purchase it as a home machine if I already have a work machine.
ecspike 14y ago
For me personally, it's not a environment I'd want to develop in 100% but it's nice for vacations or conferences. 2.5lbs vs 6lbs when you are in and out of a couple of airports and train stations is a big deal. I've not been able to duplicate the battery life in a netbook running Linux 100% of the time. My side hustle is tech writing so most of my dev work is on my "big Bertha" Linux box and when I'm out and about and need to do light dev and mostly write or consume, I'm on the Chromebook.
ConstantineXVI 14y ago
The ARM Chromebook looks to be a much nicer piece of hardware than anything under $250 on Amazon's top 20 list of netbooks[0]; bigger screen, dead silent (no spinning HDD, no fans), great battery life, and a keyboard/touchpad better than nearly every low/mid-end PC laptop I've used. And you lose this benefit if you go outside CrOS as described in the article (I'm fine using it as a SSH terminal myself), but they're more or less disposable. I could chuck mine out the window, watch it get trampled in a conveniently timed parade, run out to Best Buy and pick up another one, and I'm right back where I was minus only $250 and an hour (incl. drive time and re-syncing). [0] http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Computer-Accessories-Netbook-Computers/zgbs/electronics/1232596011/ http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Computer-Accessories-Netb...
- camus 14y ago
  ok , so it is for the SSD ?
luser001 14y ago
Can you get 6h battery life for $250? I have the Samsung one and it delivers on the battery life promise.
- camus 14y ago
  6 hours ? really ?wow, if i can get 3 hours with my MB i'm happy. thanks. I was always suspicious about listed battery lifetime.

by camus 14y ago

Lewisham 14y ago

Because Chromebooks are zero administration, and easily replaceable. Having set up my Mac OS X environment for the umpteenth time, and wrestled with wireless backups flaking out again, Chrome OS is the new "it just works". And if your laptop gets squashed by a steam roller, you buy another one, and you're back where you were. Of course, what the article is describing means that you are back to admin hell again, which I don't advocate at all. Googlers use a Chrome Remote Desktop to get work done on a Chromebook, which helps, but of course, requires someone else to punt off the sysadmin, otherwise it's your problem again, just one step removed. I wouldn't purchase a Chromebook as a primary development environment. I would purchase it as a home machine if I already have a work machine.

ecspike 14y ago

For me personally, it's not a environment I'd want to develop in 100% but it's nice for vacations or conferences. 2.5lbs vs 6lbs when you are in and out of a couple of airports and train stations is a big deal. I've not been able to duplicate the battery life in a netbook running Linux 100% of the time. My side hustle is tech writing so most of my dev work is on my "big Bertha" Linux box and when I'm out and about and need to do light dev and mostly write or consume, I'm on the Chromebook.

ConstantineXVI 14y ago

The ARM Chromebook looks to be a much nicer piece of hardware than anything under $250 on Amazon's top 20 list of netbooks[0]; bigger screen, dead silent (no spinning HDD, no fans), great battery life, and a keyboard/touchpad better than nearly every low/mid-end PC laptop I've used. And you lose this benefit if you go outside CrOS as described in the article (I'm fine using it as a SSH terminal myself), but they're more or less disposable. I could chuck mine out the window, watch it get trampled in a conveniently timed parade, run out to Best Buy and pick up another one, and I'm right back where I was minus only $250 and an hour (incl. drive time and re-syncing). [0] http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Computer-Accessories-Netbook-Computers/zgbs/electronics/1232596011/ http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Computer-Accessories-Netb...

camus 14y ago
ok , so it is for the SSD ?

luser001 14y ago

Can you get 6h battery life for $250? I have the Samsung one and it delivers on the battery life promise.

camus 14y ago
6 hours ? really ?wow, if i can get 3 hours with my MB i'm happy. thanks. I was always suspicious about listed battery lifetime.