New Laptop

[Raziel]

Can you run ms office on a Chromebook?

If you are a general user (i.e. not an enthusiast like some of the guys here), don't buy a chromebook.

Windows laptops are fudging cheap now, can run office (with no brick readers/translations/etc.) and connect to anything you want (printers, phones, etc.), leverage any web service, etc.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/list/Laptops/categoryID.68257300 Take a look, Microsoft Store (best place as they don't allow the OEM's to put bloatware on Laptops sold in their store), you can find cheaper elsewhere, but the signature builds and service there is usually decent (not really familiar with the UK stores)

 

[richie_spur]

Haven't used ChromeOS, but I run Linux Mint on my desktop and can use MS online (but don't generally need to - Libreoffice is OK). My kit is over 10 years old, although it is 64bit, and runs as smooth as a baby's posterior. Very low maintenance, very low malware issues, and no viruses prevalent in the wild.

The best thing recently though is that Steam are releasing SteamOS, a gaming Linux variant, and are starting to release a fair few games in Linux natively. Steam is apparently a bugger on a Chromebook, but you could install Linux alongside or SteamOS when it comes out to play FM (http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/laptop/bring-steam-gaming-your-chromebook-3591011/)

 

[milo]

If you are a general user (i.e. not an enthusiast like some of the guys here), don't buy a chromebook.

Windows laptops are fudgeing cheap now, can run office (with no crud readers/translations/etc.) and connect to anything you want (printers, phones, etc.), leverage any web service, etc.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/list/Laptops/categoryID.68257300 Take a look, Microsoft Store (best place as they don't allow the OEM's to put bloatware on Laptops sold in their store), you can find cheaper elsewhere, but the signature builds and service there is usually decent (not really familiar with the UK stores)

I don't agree with that. Chromebooks are a doddle to use and require no maintenance whatsoever.

 

[Raziel]

I don't agree with that. Chromebooks are a doddle to use and require no maintenance whatsoever.

Mate .. we will disagree, its about do apps work, will my printer/phone/usb device connect, etc.

Easy enough if you know a little, but I've spent 25 years supporting family and friends ... I know how clueless people are with standard fare ..

 

[Roland Beurre]

I bought something from the Asus Eeebook range. Probably not this exact model but something like it: https://www.asus.com/uk/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_EeeBook_X205TA/

I guess it is trying to be Microsoft's answer to the Chromebook, because my one only has a 32Gb SSD drive, and about 12 Gb of that is taken up with Windoze 8.1, but limited storage space is not too big a hassle for me, as I have network attached storage (NAS), plus the laptop takes micro SD cards that you can use to supplement storage.

Apart from Windows insisting that my NAS is a media server (it is, but I also keep data files on it), requiring a workaround involving mapping drives, I have no problems hooking up printer/phone/usb, so in that regard I second Raziel's comments.

I can't comment about Chromebooks, as I try to avoid having anything to do with the tax dodging advertising company behind them (let's hear it for duckduckgo.com).

I'm even getting used to Windows 8.1, though I don't think I will be switching from Linux Mint as my OS of choice any time soon on my other computers.

I'm not nearly as geeky as I used to be way back when, but regarding installing Linux alongside the Chrome OS, I thought there was something in the BIOS of modern machines that made this a bit tricky to do; all in the name of making machines safer for the user, of course, and nothing to do with makers of operating systems putting pressure on PC companies to kill off the notion of free software.

I am sure there are workarounds but if the OP is just interested in a "fire and forget" set-up, then a dual boot system is probably a step too far.

Should anyone care, though, my laptop Linux OS of choice is Peppermint, especially for a dark ages low-spec machine.

 

[richie_spur]

I'm even getting used to Windows 8.1, though I don't think I will be switching from Linux Mint as my OS of choice any time soon on my other computers.

Should anyone care, though, my laptop Linux OS of choice is Peppermint, especially for a dark ages low-spec machine.

Out of interest, how do you find using Peppermint over Mint LXDE? I've used Mint LXDE on a friend's really low spec netbook and it runs well when even XP struggled. Was Peppermint a fork from Mint at some point?

I run Mint 17.2 Cinnamon on 10-year-old hardware (although 64-bit) and it runs well, better than Win 8.1 on a new laptop.

I am sure there are workarounds but if the OP is just interested in a "fire and forget" set-up, then a dual boot system is probably a step too far.

Back to markysimmo, if you have an older laptop you only want internet, email, download, video, music, standard office docs etc, try one of the above before making a purchase, it might give you another good few years out of what you already have. As a bonus you'll be in with the Linux crowd, who make even the number of iSheep people look large...

 

[Bullet]

Mint, Peppermint, Cinnamon? Ice Cream Sandwich, Jellybean, Kitkat? Bowlocks.

Roland... "I'm not nearly as geeky as I used to be....should anyone care, though, my laptop Linux OS of choice is Peppermint"

Jesus H Christ, listen to yourself man.

Take your trousers off, put some tights and wellies on, go out and enjoy yourself.

 

[Baleforce]

i'm still enjoying the @richie_spur comment

As a bonus you'll be in with the Linux crowd

 

[richie_spur]

i'm still enjoying the @richie_spur comment

But there's Roland ... and me ... and ... um...

Seriously though, Android is Linux-based so more people use it than you might think. And I know most people just buy new hardware with Windows pre-installed but it's also worth having a Linux dvd handy so you can recover stuff from Windows if bad stuff happens. Just boot from the disk and you'll see all the files on all your drives and be able to copy stuff to backup. It's less of an issue when people have a NAS, but you'd be amazed how many people still store all their photos and music on the C drive in Windows...

 

[Baleforce]

But there's Roland ... and me ... and ... um...

Seriously though, Android is Linux-based so more people use it than you might think. And I know most people just buy new hardware with Windows pre-installed but it's also worth having a Linux dvd handy so you can recover stuff from Windows if bad stuff happens. Just boot from the disk and you'll see all the files on all your drives and be able to copy stuff to backup. It's less of an issue when people have a NAS, but you'd be amazed how many people still store all their photos and music on the C drive in Windows...

nah, just buy a Mac

 

[richie_spur]

nah, just buy a Mac

Big money when the original requirement was surfing the net and bit of email!

It's true Mac OS goes wrong less than Windows (after all it shares a Unix base with Linux) but when Mac hardware goes (and it does) it's very pricey to sort out...

 

[milo]

But there's Roland ... and me ... and ... um...

Seriously though, Android is Linux-based so more people use it than you might think. And I know most people just buy new hardware with Windows pre-installed but it's also worth having a Linux dvd handy so you can recover stuff from Windows if bad stuff happens. Just boot from the disk and you'll see all the files on all your drives and be able to copy stuff to backup. It's less of an issue when people have a NAS, but you'd be amazed how many people still store all their photos and music on the C drive in Windows...

Can I add my name to the Linux crowd?

 

[Baleforce]

one of the many beauties of it is it's an open club, it'll run on anything if you are prepared to tinker with it, may your crowd be many and merry

(personally I can't be arsed, I do that stuff for my day job)