Small Cheap Computers With Keyboard and Screen: Samsung Series 3 11.6″ Chromebook at Robert Pogson

This could be the best PC on the planet for some people:

It’s highly mobile and, folded, protects its screen,
It will last 6h on a small battery, 2 cells,
keyboard, 2gB RAM, 16gB SSD, Wifi, and HDMI out
It has a dual-core Xynos ARM CPU clocked at 1.7gHz
It’s Chrome OS, not that other OS, and
If you do everything on the web, it works for you.

If you spend all day on the web and rarely print documents, this thing will do the job. If lack of local apps is a problem, that may well be compensated by automatic maintenance of software and no viruses for that other OS. That’s priceless. This machine won’t bog down on you. For me the lack of keyboard is a killer for tablets and the small screens kill me for smart phones. This gadget is close to ideal for what I do. Oh, the price? $250. It is very affordable. I expect its other advantages will easily pay for itself over its lifetime. I could see myself with one of these as I putter around in the greenhouse, kitchen or out on the veranda or workshop. It could be the right way to do IT, even for an old guy.

I do a fair amount of word-processing and spreadsheets but Google Docs and what I can put on Beast may be enough for me. Probably all it lacks is a mouse. I hate those touchy pads. Not in Canada, yet. Pity.

Samsung Series 3 11.6" Chromebook 2GB Memory 16GB Solid State Drive XE303C12-A01US – Best Buy.

UPDATE SJVN played with one over the weekend.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.

4 Responses to “Small Cheap Computers With Keyboard and Screen: Samsung Series 3 11.6″ Chromebook”

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1 Chris Weig Oct 20th, 2012 at 2:12 am

Uncle Bob will even willingly turn over his “friends” to Google’s data hoarders to prove a point (and satisfy his Microsoft hate at the same time). So 11.6″ notebooks are now “small cheap computers”? You don’t say, Uncle Bob!
2 eug Oct 20th, 2012 at 10:29 am

“What can Linux really steal from Apple?”

http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/Should-Linux-Take-a-Lesson-From-Apple-76422.html
3 dougman Oct 21st, 2012 at 2:44 am

Google data hoarders?…. and M$ does not do inspect your data??

Windowss XP EULA, Section 7:

Consent to Use of Data

You agree that Microsoft and its affiliates may collect and use technical information gathered in any manner as part of the product support services provided to you, if any, related to the Product. Microsoft may use this information solely to improve our products or to provide customized services or technologies to you. Microsoft may disclose this information to others, but not in a form that personally identifies you.

I’ve had two customers ask me about Chromebooks for their business just recently, they are starting to catch on.
4 Robert Pogson Oct 21st, 2012 at 3:01 am

Chromebooks are rather silly if you want a general-purpose machine but if you want something that can browse and pose no other danger, they are just the ticket.