Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromebook

[Maxxam]

Excellent secondary machine

http://www.zdnet.com/amazons-top-se...n-windows-or-mac-os-it-runs-linux-7000009433/

We all know now that Windows 8 sales have been.... disappointing. You can blame the hardware. You can blame Windows 8's mixed-up interfaces. You can blame the rise of tablets and smartphones. Whatever. The bottom line is Windows 8 PC and laptop sales have been slow. So, what, according to Amazon, in this winter of Windows 8 discontent has been the best selling laptop? It's Samsung's ARM-powered, Linux-based Chromebook.

Shocked? Amazed? Why? The Chromebook has several things going for it.

The Chromebook Gallery
First, it's cheap. The list price for $249. On Amazon, it's currently going for more than that: $317. Why is it selling for more? It appears that retailers are taking advantage of the demand for this lightweight laptop. Even at that price it's cheaper thanany of the other laptops in Amazon's top 20 laptop list.

Second, anyone who can use a Web browser can use a Chromebook. After all its interface is primarily the Chrome Web browser. Who can't use a browser?

True, there is Linux under the hood but you have to go out of your way to find it. Windows 8 PCs, on the other hand, require you to re-learn how you use your desktop. Advantage: Chrome.

Don't think that just because Chromebook works best with the Web that it's helpless without an Internet connection. It's not. For example, you can edit documents even without an Internet connection to Google Docs/Google Drive.


As others are also discovering, the Chromebook works really well for daily work.. To quote ZDNet's own James Kendrick, my "recent purchase of a Chromebook surprised me by proving how well it works for me. After a week of using the Chromebook, that surprise has morphed into total satisfaction."


He's not the only one. Think about your own work. Do you spend 90% of your time working on the Web? Using software-as-a-service or Web apps most of the time? If you do, you might just find, as Amazon buyers have, that a Linux-powered Chromebook is all the laptop you need.

 

[EPDC]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

So does anyone on here have/use one? I was looking at getting my wife a new laptop. She would use it for browsing, keeping track of recipes (light word processing), uploading and printing pictures.....how well does this machine handle this?

 

[junyloko]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

I really want to buy one for my mother
anyone has one ? review ?

 

[FutureBrandNu]

I don't have one but I was very interested when they first came out. But I didn't even have the $250 to spend on the Chromebook, so I went even cheaper. I took an old Dell laptop I had (about 6 yrs old) and installed Ubuntu on it and removed Vista. Best decision I ever made! Linux uses so much fewer resources, that now I use this old laptop as a daily, light use laptop. When I had vista on it, the laptop was so old, I couldnt even watch a YouTube video without it skipping and the sound stuttering. Now with Ubuntu, its perfect as my second laptop. So long story short, its like having a chromebook, just a little heavier in weight but a lot cheaper in my pocket since I had the old laptop laying around and collecting dust anyway!


-Sent From My HTC EVO 4G Using Tapatalk 2

 

[Maxxam]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

So does anyone on here have/use one? I was looking at getting my wife a new laptop. She would use it for browsing, keeping track of recipes (light word processing), uploading and printing pictures.....how well does this machine handle this?

It can do everything Chrome can do. Printing can be tricky depending on what you have. I have a cloud ready printer, so it's simple.
More info on that here: http://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/howitworks.html

I HAD the more expensive one the 550, but my mother got it and isn't giving it back. fast boot time, instant resume... it has over 1000 reviews and its a 4.1 star product. I've used the $249 one and its smooth up until maybe 15 tabs or so... it only has 2GB of RAM. Plays 1080p video without issue and the trackpad is second only to Macbooks. They really fixed the issues that existed on the cr-48. Keyboard is excellent too, imo. The people I know who have one love it as a secondary device. It's not for everyone, but it's good at what it does. And as a benefit, you can install Ubuntu on it if you need a "real" operating system

I'm waiting on the Nexus Chromebook that should be coming later this year... probably at Google I/O. Allegedly it will have a touchscreen... perhaps it will eventually run Android apps as well

 

[EPDC]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

It can do everything Chrome can do. Printing can be tricky depending on what you have. I have a cloud ready printer, so it's simple.
More info on that here: http://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/howitworks.html

I HAD the more expensive one the 550, but my mother got it and isn't giving it back. fast boot time, instant resume... it has over 1000 reviews and its a 4.1 star product. I've used the $249 one and its smooth up until maybe 15 tabs or so... it only has 2GB of RAM. Plays 1080p video without issue and the trackpad is second only to Macbooks. They really fixed the issues that existed on the cr-48. Keyboard is excellent too, imo. The people I know who have one love it as a secondary device. It's not for everyone, but it's good at what it does. And as a benefit, you can install Ubuntu on it if you need a "real" operating system

I'm waiting on the Nexus Chromebook that should be coming later this year... probably at Google I/O. Allegedly it will have a touchscreen... perhaps it will eventually run Android apps as well

Any issues reading external drives (hard drives and thumb drives) through usb?

 

[THREAD_CRITIC]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

I think mainman called this

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

The youngest programmer uses the Chromebook

Do the right thing Google.

 

[Maxxam]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

Any issues reading external drives (hard drives and thumb drives) through usb?

I've had no problems

 

[EPDC]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

I've had no problems

thanks for the info.

 

[Maxxam]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

The youngest programmer uses the Chromebook

Do the right thing Google.

thats a macbook... Samsung bit the look

thanks for the info.

 

[Cock Head Jones]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

I think mainman called this

Lol and ninjas gave me hell in that thread. "Who is gonna buy this shit! It sucks!"

I have a few. They are pretty dope.

Theres a site called Chromestory that lists every tip, trick, and little known shortcut. Highly recommended...

If u use a lot of Google products...it's a no brainer. Best advice is to write down how u use ur computer for a day... like if ur on Facebook, write that. If u are using excel fur 2hrs, write that..

If at the end of the day u realize that u don't use many/any installed programs like Photoshop...Ur a goodcandidate for one. Even if u do need a lot of those programs, it still makes a great backup. My best tech purchase in a long time...

 

[exiledking]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

my brother copped one for my nephew. Lil dude LOVES IT.

 

[knightmelodic]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

Looks real sharp. Unfortunately, I have enough computers right now. Interested to see what the google interface will become. Seems everybody is trying to create ecosystems like apple did. That was the whole point of W8.

 

[Maxxam]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

Lol and ninjas gave me hell in that thread. "Who is gonna buy this shit! It sucks!"

I have a few. They are pretty dope.

Theres a site called Chromestory that lists every tip, trick, and little known shortcut. Highly recommended...

If u use a lot of Google products...it's a no brainer. Best advice is to write down how u use ur computer for a day... like if ur on Facebook, write that. If u are using excel fur 2hrs, write that..

If at the end of the day u realize that u don't use many/any installed programs like Photoshop...Ur a goodcandidate for one. Even if u do need a lot of those programs, it still makes a great backup. My best tech purchase in a long time...

Good looking out on that site... hadnt heard of it before
I've been high on the idea since I first heard about it... got one of the cr-48's and saw the potential if they upped the specs and fixed the trackpad issues. The Aura update changed it all... now you have HP, Acer, Samsung and Lenovo making them... Acer says it already accounts for 5-10% of there sales
Most people are not editing video (the usual claim from detractors ) or using photoshop... for TONS of people a computer = the internet. thats all they use it for... Facebook, youtube, email, porn

 

[Maxxam]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

thanks for the info.

Also... if you buy one new, you get 100Gb free Google Drive space for 2 years. It can only be activated one time for one account per machine though... even after factory reset

 

[Cock Head Jones]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

Not to mention 100gb of online storage...

I wound pay $550 for a higher spec model right about now... i5, 4gig ram,128gb ssd and a better display and I'd be good.

It's actually the perfect porn, movie, pirate machine since it can surf thru all the virus infected internet without any worries... Plus its a cheap way to keep all Ur extra curricular activity locked to 1 cheap machine...

 

[GAMETHEORY]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

why should anyone get this and not Mac Book Pro?

 

[EPDC]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

why should anyone get this and not Mac Book Pro?

 

[Cock Head Jones]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

why should anyone get this and not Mac Book Pro?

Prolly the same reason u bought a altima and not a phantom idiot.

 

[Maxxam]

Re: Amazon's top selling laptop doesn't run Windows or OS X, it's Samsung's Chromeboo

why should anyone get this and not Mac Book Pro?

Ask all those people on Amazon who are buying this more than they are macbook pros.

It's a better value, dollar for dollar. Everybody doesn't want or need a $1000+ laptop to look at porn and facebook. Please dont tell me everyone with a mac is editing hollywood movies in final cut and making top 10 hits in Logic.