Somehow I always want to install a straight Debian (or OpenBSD) on such devices, but usually you just can't. For the education market though ChromeOS probably isn't that bad and the device looks practical.
How are these newer low cost devices at digitizer/stylus input accuracy and latency? I've been wanting to switch over from my pen and paper doodling to a tablet, but the last tablet I bought (2 years ago) was great at everything except drawing.
Those bezels are obscene and the low perf SoC will harm the experience in a substantial way. Otherwise it would be ok, assuming it supports Android apps.
I might actually buy a convertible soon-ish but it's likely gonna be Chrome on ARM or Windows and Raven Ridge (RR for the GPU perf).
It's an 11.6" screen. Your choices are big bezels or undersized keys on the keyboard. The former is the lesser evil in a race to the bottom product. In a premium package keep the full size keycaps and use a 13" small bezel screen.
In this case the large bezels almost certainly are also to help is pass drop tests by increasing the amount of chassis available to absorb the impact energy from landing on a corner before it reaches and shatters the screen.
Nods (what DanNeely said but let me go on with my own points).
About the bezels, remember the person being sold this computer is not you but instead the educational market with the final end users being people 8 year olds, 12 year olds, 16 year olds, etc.
Aka drops are far more common, accidents are more common, and it is easier to put a plastic bezel with the right amount of flex than a plastic or metal lcd screen. Also it is not just accidental drops, but you are putting these computers in book bags and such, and suddenly the screen breaks for the child or adult does not realized they stacked too much weight onto the laptop without not enough cushion, etc. Aka an accident but not with an obvious error but something more subliminal.
And if your goal is a normal size keyboard, you need a screen bigger than 12" or you need a 11.6" or smaller screen with larger bezels. Aka lots of trade offs are happening in this device and most people are not aware of all the trade offs for they assume their using case would be what an IDEAL child would want, but children are children they are NORMAL and not perfect IDEALS.
Just like with netbooks: "They need a big HD and Windows!" - Then they grew big HDs and Windows and people stopped buying them because they were just cheap and inferior laptops.
I mean, there are more than enough Windows laptops out there. There is no reason to insist in everything being the same.
If you want Windows, you can get Acer Swift 1 (Swift SF113-31). It has better specs but may not match ruggedness of this one. 64GB - $329 or 128GB - $400.
Educational market is a real world, but it is a real world with different needs than the "adult world." Aka you want something that is harder to get viruses on, something with more controlled software (aka internet browser, chrome apps, chrome extensions, textbooks, etc)
Different needs than what you need in Adult Business, or Adult Government.
Looking at the spec table and the article, since when was "Full HD" equal to 1366x768?
"wide-view" and 4 USB ports? Already better specs than many laptops in same price class, and on top of that semi-ruggedized design.. Interesting device.
Speaking from my own experiences, you gotta get a ruggedized Chromebook, no matter what! You will drop your device on a tiled floor sooner or later, trust me. Get one that isn't slippery, one with a spill-proof keyboard too. 4 gigs is the minimum RAM to accept, but if you can get 6 or 8, go with that. This new Asus C213 has my attention as does the newest Acer Spin 11 educational Chromebook . I will buy one of them once I figure out where to buy them.
You can get a Cube i7 book for 350 odd USD. Look at what you are getting.
1080p IPS screen 128GB SSD + SD card slot Wacom EMR pressure sensitive stylus - Almost as good as the surface pro series stylus Decent keyboard More importantly, A Core M3 with 4 GB RAM.
SSD+ Core M3 -> Solid and brisk performance for regular tasks.
Why would anyone buy a chromebook that expensive when you can get full windows 10 machines on reasonable hardware...
The perfect thing to learn. I think that to study such a laptop would be quite enough. It is very convenient that you can carry it with you. And at any time you can use https://edubirdie.com/check-my-grammar/ it is very convenient with its universal function "check my grammar". So start using right now.
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uhuznaa - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
Somehow I always want to install a straight Debian (or OpenBSD) on such devices, but usually you just can't. For the education market though ChromeOS probably isn't that bad and the device looks practical.nathanddrews - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
How are these newer low cost devices at digitizer/stylus input accuracy and latency? I've been wanting to switch over from my pen and paper doodling to a tablet, but the last tablet I bought (2 years ago) was great at everything except drawing.jjj - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
Those bezels are obscene and the low perf SoC will harm the experience in a substantial way. Otherwise it would be ok, assuming it supports Android apps.I might actually buy a convertible soon-ish but it's likely gonna be Chrome on ARM or Windows and Raven Ridge (RR for the GPU perf).
DanNeely - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
It's an 11.6" screen. Your choices are big bezels or undersized keys on the keyboard. The former is the lesser evil in a race to the bottom product. In a premium package keep the full size keycaps and use a 13" small bezel screen.In this case the large bezels almost certainly are also to help is pass drop tests by increasing the amount of chassis available to absorb the impact energy from landing on a corner before it reaches and shatters the screen.
Roland00Address - Thursday, July 20, 2017 - link
Nods (what DanNeely said but let me go on with my own points).About the bezels, remember the person being sold this computer is not you but instead the educational market with the final end users being people 8 year olds, 12 year olds, 16 year olds, etc.
Aka drops are far more common, accidents are more common, and it is easier to put a plastic bezel with the right amount of flex than a plastic or metal lcd screen. Also it is not just accidental drops, but you are putting these computers in book bags and such, and suddenly the screen breaks for the child or adult does not realized they stacked too much weight onto the laptop without not enough cushion, etc. Aka an accident but not with an obvious error but something more subliminal.
And if your goal is a normal size keyboard, you need a screen bigger than 12" or you need a 11.6" or smaller screen with larger bezels. Aka lots of trade offs are happening in this device and most people are not aware of all the trade offs for they assume their using case would be what an IDEAL child would want, but children are children they are NORMAL and not perfect IDEALS.
Hurr Durr - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
It would be so much better with 64 gigs of storage and Windows. Hell, it would actually be usable in the real world.uhuznaa - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
Just like with netbooks: "They need a big HD and Windows!" - Then they grew big HDs and Windows and people stopped buying them because they were just cheap and inferior laptops.I mean, there are more than enough Windows laptops out there. There is no reason to insist in everything being the same.
Cliff34 - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
Good point!Hurr Durr - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
The screen at this pricepoint is the draw. In the ideal world it would be below one kilo though.0iron - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
If you want Windows, you can get Acer Swift 1 (Swift SF113-31). It has better specs but may not match ruggedness of this one. 64GB - $329 or 128GB - $400.Roland00Address - Thursday, July 20, 2017 - link
Educational market is a real world, but it is a real world with different needs than the "adult world." Aka you want something that is harder to get viruses on, something with more controlled software (aka internet browser, chrome apps, chrome extensions, textbooks, etc)Different needs than what you need in Adult Business, or Adult Government.
shadowjk - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
Looking at the spec table and the article, since when was "Full HD" equal to 1366x768?"wide-view" and 4 USB ports? Already better specs than many laptops in same price class, and on top of that semi-ruggedized design.. Interesting device.
DanNeely - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - link
The article doesn't use "Full HD", and both 720i/p and 1080i/p have been tagged as just "HD" since the beginning of the resolution standard.cooperaloop - Thursday, July 13, 2017 - link
Speaking from my own experiences, you gotta get a ruggedized Chromebook, no matter what! You will drop your device on a tiled floor sooner or later, trust me. Get one that isn't slippery, one with a spill-proof keyboard too. 4 gigs is the minimum RAM to accept, but if you can get 6 or 8, go with that. This new Asus C213 has my attention as does the newest Acer Spin 11 educational Chromebook . I will buy one of them once I figure out where to buy them.SharpEars - Thursday, July 13, 2017 - link
Ahh yes, working with the heinous resolution of 1366x768 - pass...andychow - Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - link
Sounds like a great laptop. Long battery life, and you can be rough on it. The one with the stylus is thinner by 0.01"??Roland00Address - Thursday, July 20, 2017 - link
Boo at the dual core x86 atom.Everything else seems like a good deal if this was a quad core x86 atom, or a faster dual core ARM for the PRICE of $349.
But maybe the problem is not the device but the price.
LiverpoolFC5903 - Friday, July 21, 2017 - link
You can get a Cube i7 book for 350 odd USD. Look at what you are getting.1080p IPS screen
128GB SSD + SD card slot
Wacom EMR pressure sensitive stylus - Almost as good as the surface pro series stylus
Decent keyboard
More importantly, A Core M3 with 4 GB RAM.
SSD+ Core M3 -> Solid and brisk performance for regular tasks.
Why would anyone buy a chromebook that expensive when you can get full windows 10 machines on reasonable hardware...
NiamhDuncan - Monday, May 27, 2019 - link
The perfect thing to learn. I think that to study such a laptop would be quite enough. It is very convenient that you can carry it with you. And at any time you can use https://edubirdie.com/check-my-grammar/ it is very convenient with its universal function "check my grammar". So start using right now.leo0136 - Monday, September 23, 2019 - link
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