Choosing a Chromebook - any suggestions?

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › Choosing a Chromebook - any suggestions?

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#310874 27-Nov-2023 22:53

My wife is working for an organisation that does not supply laptops.

She can gain access to the system via the web and does so when at home. However she would like to be able to do that when mobile. I suggested that a Chromebook would probably be a cheaper and lighter solution to trying to purloin my 16" MBP (as if..!) but non-Macs are a bit of an unknown territory to me.

She quite likes the idea of being able to seperate the screen and keyboard but that is not essential.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Quality is more important than price within reason.

Thanks

1 | 2

3013 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 866

Subscriber

#3164825 28-Nov-2023 06:15

My personal opinion is that chromebooks don’t belong anywhere except for primary school and some high school.

how would the said corporate environment handle the Chromebook? (Thinking MS Active Directory etc).

there’s a few entry level laptops that should do the job….HP and Lenovo…

if the said company doesn’t provide laptops or devices, then who pays for the data access if you want to be “mobile” when accessing their system?

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3164839 28-Nov-2023 07:41

You pay. Quite common since my wife works as a contractor not as an employee.

The access is all web based via something called Citrix.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3164841 28-Nov-2023 07:45

ChomeOS has come a long way in the last few years. There is most definitely a case for there use in a business environment.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3164843 28-Nov-2023 07:48

@Geektastic have a look at a YouTube channel at the link below, it covers Chrome OS in business very extensively.

https://youtube.com/@itGenius_?si=bloJxzXFvGtMHhsh

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3165140 28-Nov-2023 14:49

Thanks @MikeB4 that was handy.

I checked and you can put Citrix onto Chromebooks so I think it’ll work and avoid the added hassle of me having to provide support for Windows!

I’ve asked SWMBO to check with the IT department that there’s no reason they wouldn’t want one being used but since it’s all web I can’t see why they’d be especially concerned.

Stu1

1892 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 489

ID Verified

Subscriber

#3165167 28-Nov-2023 16:24

Geektastic: Thanks @MikeB4 that was handy.

I checked and you can put Citrix onto Chromebooks so I think it’ll work and avoid the added hassle of me having to provide support for Windows!

I’ve asked SWMBO to check with the IT department that there’s no reason they wouldn’t want one being used but since it’s all web I can’t see why they’d be especially concerned.

How would it work with Teams ect?,I find chromebooks not the best working with Microsoft organisations. Teams often is separate to Citrix access . Just a consideration

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3165431 29-Nov-2023 08:29

I don’t know. Good point. I’ll find out how necessary that is.

Having never worked in the modern office I’m somewhat unaware of these requirements!

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2174

Subscriber

#3165440 29-Nov-2023 09:25

Chromebooks can run android apps, so thats how they can run teams etc, or run it out of a browser window.

Honestly I wouldn't do it. You'd be better off with the cheapest MacBook Air from a flexibility point of view.

Kookoo

869 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 407

Trusted

#3165550 29-Nov-2023 10:27

If you're still considering a Chromebook, if working on the go is a factor, I'd recommend staying away from AMD based ones - they're really power hungry compared to Intel. You get a slightly better bang for buck performance and spec wise, but you're stuck with a laptop-grade charging adapter, and the battery doesn't last nearly as long as with Intel kits.

Hello, Ground!

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3165858 29-Nov-2023 18:14

My wife liked the look of the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 which is Intel Celeron based.

marpada

487 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 182

#3165914 29-Nov-2023 18:39

Geektastic:

My wife liked the look of the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 which is Intel Celeron based.

Hope she's a very patient woman.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

Handle9

11923 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9674

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3165923 29-Nov-2023 18:58

lxsw20:

Chromebooks can run android apps, so thats how they can run teams etc, or run it out of a browser window.

Honestly I wouldn't do it. You'd be better off with the cheapest MacBook Air from a flexibility point of view.

This is the way I'd go if you are an apple household

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2174

Subscriber

#3165925 29-Nov-2023 19:10

Or an iPad with keyboard - it would then meet the detachable keyboard requirement.

MadEngineer

4591 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2570

Trusted

#3165928 29-Nov-2023 19:21

Make sure you get one with a 1080p screen

My wife borrowed our son’s Chromebook for accessing 365-based training portals recently for work and it worked well. Lenovo branded MacBook-air styled thing and it well survived a whole year of being dragged to n from intermediate school in a back pack.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

Ruphus

469 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 181

#3165952 29-Nov-2023 20:03

I got my daughter one of these to replace her now dead, very plain 11.6" basic Chromebook.

Buy the ASUS Factory Remanufactured C424MA 14" FHD Chromebook Intel Celeron... ( ) online - PBTech.co.nz

Also +1 for getting something with a larger screen and FHD.

1 | 2