My Hardware
I purchased a Chromebook last summer so I could continue writing while I was on holiday. My PC is portable, but too big to really take on the road. The vacation was cancelled, but I had the Chromebook already and so I played with it to see just how much I could do with it.
As it turns out I can do most of what I need a computer for quite easily on a Chromebook. I have even started experimenting with software I don’t use that often. Such as video editing. In general I have been very happy with the results.
My hardware is an ASUS C423na device. It cost me about $240 CAD after taxes. It come with a 14 inch display, 4 gig of RAM, and 32 gig of storage. (Although some of the storage is used by the operating system and the full 32 gig is not available.) The device has 2 USB C connectors and 2 USB 3 ports, an micro SD card slot, and a head phone jack. I upped the local storage by purchasing a 256 gig SD card for about $30 CAD. I added a USB C hub to add a HDMI connection and extra USB connectors. This last piece cost $45 CAD.
The device is very light, which is one of my most important requirements. The battery life is excellent and the speed of the chromebook is not an issue. I use it mostly for email and word processing and for those task the performance is very acceptable. A poor wifi connection will be and video heavy web sites are more problematic if speed is a concern. You can’t beat the quick boot time of chromebooks.
I use the hub to connect the chromebook to an external monitor. (A 32 inch gaming monitor.) The Chromebook has no trouble mirroring or extending the display. So if needed, say when using video editing software, I have plenty of screen place.
I have had no trouble connecting any bluetooth device to the Chromebook. I use this for attaching an external microphone and a bluetooth mouse. The built in mic and touch-pad are perfectly fine, but a mouse is better for long word processing sessions. Likewise an external Snowball mic is better for using the voice dictation features of Word.
The 256 gig micro sd card provides plenty of extra local storage, but I have no problem connecting external 3.5 inch USB hard disks..
One problem I have is connecting to my HP WiFi laserjet printer. I think there is a solution, but I don’t print too much anyway. My research suggests this is more to do with the age of my printer than anything else.
In my next entry I will discuss my feelings about the software options, strengths and weaknesses.