mikeler
Moderator
I bought an Asus Chromebook Flip for Father's Day 2 months ago. Up until 4 years ago, I was purely a Microsoft Windows guy since Windows 3.1 (dating myself I know). For the record, I think Windows 7 is excellent but I find Windows 8 and 10 incredibly frustrating without third party shells.
I've been primarily using a MacBook Air at home for the past 4 years and absolutely love it. So again, this purchase was not a need. I just wanted to see what it was like. It should be noted that I'm writing this from Google Chrome on my Mac which is my browser of choice. I prefer the Mac when I'm doing a lot of typing over the smaller Chromebook since there is better keyboard spacing on the larger Mac.
I was debating about paying $269 for something I didn't need but when the price dropped to $249 I pulled the trigger on the 4 GB model. One of the best things about the Chromebooks is the low price versus Apple.
I bought the Chromebook flip for several reasons. It's a combined laptop and tablet (I don't currently own a tablet). I also prefer a hard key board that is attached. The Google Play Store and all its Android apps will be coming this fall. They are already there in OS Developer mode (more on this at the end). but I'm too chicken to try that out.
So I mentioned the keyboard earlier. I have fat fingers and can still type just fine on it. When you put the Chromebook into "flip" tablet mode, the keys deactivate and are now the bottom of your tablet. It's kind of weird at first but then you trust the keys won't work in tablet mode after awhile.
If you allow no password required on warm up, you have instant access to the machine. No wait at all. You do have to use your Gmail/Google Accounts password to login. Bootup is super quick after a power down. It takes me longer to enter my password.
Until the Google Play Store becomes available, you are limited to Google Chrome browser only apps. So if you need word processing or spreadsheets, then Google's online office suite or Office 365 are your main choices at the moment. Once Android apps become available, I think this machine is going to put major pricing pressure on Apple and Microsoft.
If you don't have an internet connection, I don't see a reason to buy this machine. It's just a nice stable product to browse the web until Android apps arrive. Like many Google products, it just stays out of your way and works. I haven't had a crash yet. I setup my "task bar" with all my favorite short cuts. Each one just opens up a Google Chrome tab.
Pros: Inexpensive, stable, fast bootup time, simple, light, both tablet and laptop, secure, quick OS updates, super long battery life (10 hours)
Cons: A slightly larger keyboard would be perfect. No apps until the fall, you really need internet for this to shine. If Google Chrome browser doesn't work for your specific needs then getting another browser requires going into Developer Mode of OS which erases all your settings in the stable version of the OS. Sometimes the wireless signal does not get picked up as well as my other PCs.
I'll update this thread when the App Store goes live in the stable version of the OS. Until then, feel free to ask me any questions.
I've been primarily using a MacBook Air at home for the past 4 years and absolutely love it. So again, this purchase was not a need. I just wanted to see what it was like. It should be noted that I'm writing this from Google Chrome on my Mac which is my browser of choice. I prefer the Mac when I'm doing a lot of typing over the smaller Chromebook since there is better keyboard spacing on the larger Mac.
I was debating about paying $269 for something I didn't need but when the price dropped to $249 I pulled the trigger on the 4 GB model. One of the best things about the Chromebooks is the low price versus Apple.
I bought the Chromebook flip for several reasons. It's a combined laptop and tablet (I don't currently own a tablet). I also prefer a hard key board that is attached. The Google Play Store and all its Android apps will be coming this fall. They are already there in OS Developer mode (more on this at the end). but I'm too chicken to try that out.
So I mentioned the keyboard earlier. I have fat fingers and can still type just fine on it. When you put the Chromebook into "flip" tablet mode, the keys deactivate and are now the bottom of your tablet. It's kind of weird at first but then you trust the keys won't work in tablet mode after awhile.
If you allow no password required on warm up, you have instant access to the machine. No wait at all. You do have to use your Gmail/Google Accounts password to login. Bootup is super quick after a power down. It takes me longer to enter my password.
Until the Google Play Store becomes available, you are limited to Google Chrome browser only apps. So if you need word processing or spreadsheets, then Google's online office suite or Office 365 are your main choices at the moment. Once Android apps become available, I think this machine is going to put major pricing pressure on Apple and Microsoft.
If you don't have an internet connection, I don't see a reason to buy this machine. It's just a nice stable product to browse the web until Android apps arrive. Like many Google products, it just stays out of your way and works. I haven't had a crash yet. I setup my "task bar" with all my favorite short cuts. Each one just opens up a Google Chrome tab.
Pros: Inexpensive, stable, fast bootup time, simple, light, both tablet and laptop, secure, quick OS updates, super long battery life (10 hours)
Cons: A slightly larger keyboard would be perfect. No apps until the fall, you really need internet for this to shine. If Google Chrome browser doesn't work for your specific needs then getting another browser requires going into Developer Mode of OS which erases all your settings in the stable version of the OS. Sometimes the wireless signal does not get picked up as well as my other PCs.
I'll update this thread when the App Store goes live in the stable version of the OS. Until then, feel free to ask me any questions.
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