I've been upgrading all my electronics since I decided to start vlogging. New desktop, webcam, action cams, lights, and still more upgrades coming. One harsh reality is that I think it's time to retire my Samsung Chromebook. I've owned it for a little over 4 years, it's been a great little laptop but it's getting slow, the keyboard is starting to stick a little and the functionality of a Chromebook is limited.
I bought the Chromebook at Office Depot. It was a floor model on sale. I can't remember the exact price but I think I only paid around $129 for it. I had always wanted to try a Chromebook and at that price I couldn't resist.
Shortly after I bought the Chromebook, my regular, daily use laptop took a crap on me. I decided to run an experiment and see if I could use only the Chromebook for the entire summer. To my surprise, it was pretty much able to handle all my needs. The only thing it couldn't really do for me is edit video and although I was able to do basic web design, coding on it took a bit of creative thinking`. Besides that, I was able to trade crypto, blog, and do just about everything else I did on my normal computer. My Chromebook summer ended and I did purchase a used laptop from Ebay mainly for video editing and coding.
I'm guessing the Chromebook is about 4 years old now and for the most part it gets used daily. I often use it while I watch tv and write blog posts with it, check social media, and take it with me when I travel. It's lightweight and fits great in my backpack. It's also semi-retired already because it's main use is sitting next to the bed where I use it for listening to music and watching charts while I sleep... SMH, yes I sleep with crypto charts opened next to my bed and often wake up and start trading in the middle of the night. The Chromebook is just able to meet those needs.
The Chromebook sits on a shelf at the foot of my bed. I purchased some external speakers for it and listen to music while I lay in bed. I also sleep with crypto charts opened to keep an eye on price.
Surprisingly the Chromebook saved the day when I was camping. My phone died and I needed it for Google maps. I was a couple hours from home, and really needed GPS to return. Besides using the Chromebook as a nightlight in the tent, I was also able to charge my phone with it in the morning. I had read an article online a couple weeks earlier about using a Chromebook to charge a dead phone and to my surprise it worked! Once again, reading silly posts on the internet saved the day!
So, like an old friend who has come to my rescue repeatedly, I've grown attached to the little Chromebook that could!
I wish Chromebook manufactures would up their game. You can install Linux beta on Chromebooks now but the problem is most Chromebooks have very limited storage space. If I could find a Chromebook that was reasonably priced, with a big enough hard drive to install Linux Beta, and was able to code and edit video, I would definitely get another one.
Seriously, in the four years I've had it. I think it only failed on me one time. I did a basic "power wash" Chromebook speak for a factory reset and the computer was back to normal. Besides that, I tend to do a power wash every 6 months to keep it running fast.
These are great computers for people that have limited use. For an average personal computer user that checks social media, answers email, and maybe writes a blog or Facebook post, these Chromebooks are practically maintenance free. They're not great for gaming, but they cover the basics of what most "average" users might need.
So, I guess I'm going to start looking into another lightweight laptop that will meet my needs. I'd love something with comparable battery life. With a little configuration tweaking you can get the Chromebook batteries to last 11 - 12 hours no problem. For the most part, this little laptop has been bulletproof!
I'm going to need something with decent hard drive space, a long lasting battery and durable enough to get bounced around in my backpack. I tend to travel and I'll also work from my backpack when I don't feel like sitting around the house. Durability is important!
I'll start shopping now and maybe this will be my Christmas present to me after the new year starts!