The issue with Chromebooks is usually not performance but price. It was supposed to be a very basic system at a good price. But many of them are more costly than equal or better Windows systems.
Is it ok to wipe out the hard drive and install linux on them? I remember in the past it was not so easy, which is why I never bought one. Chrome OS just doesn't interest me and if they somehow lock the hardware to the OS it's a no-go.
Linux has gotten better support for them over the years. IDK the amount of supported or unsupported HW. The current limiting factor of them is normally storage with 32GB or less being common.
There are a lot of compatibility issues, mainly revolving around audio and BIOS support.
Look at gallium OS's wiki, if the chromebook you want isnt listed on that compatibility list, and mr.chromebox hasnt made a custom firmware, you're not going to get anywhere with linux.
Speaking from experience: its not worth the headache VS getting a halfway decent laptop in the first place.
The problem with Chromebooks is the OS. I've bought several chromebooks, wipe the OS and put LinuxMint or some Ubuntu variant on there and they're fantastic. Gave them to family, and they use them for 5-10 years, basically until the battery dies. The nice thing about Linux is the very long support life on them, and they're almost bullet proof when it comes to dealing with viruses.
Put linuxOS + teamviewer for helping family remotely and openoffice / chrome/ skype and its all my parents need.
I strongly disagree with your statement about them being very basic systems. They do allow that, but at least for me the point of buying one is that unlike some other OS:s applications cannot write garbage to OS files and bloat it, thus making them slower... not to mention injecting viruses is usually done with that method. I truly wish OEM:s would at least offer one model that goes away from mind set you are describing. So why chromebook you would ask:
1) it can run most linux apps now, that includes steam btw depending on your laptop might support gpu acceleration as well... and even though it is now possible to play gta V etc on linux through emulation, I wouldn't hold my breath with current integrated gpus. 2) play store: means insanely good library of once windows only applications being offered 3) way faster boot time than linux/windows 4) Doesn't really require anti-virus
To my understanding where chromebooks are lacking is ability to use kubernetes with them, which I consider major downfall for developers... I mean kubernetes was developer by google, make it work! I am probably going to by 3700C if there is 16GB ram model (would prefer 32gb, but i am being realist). Second reason not to buy one is ram if you are developer, at least not anything with less than 16gb of ram, those ide:s will eat it up in no-time. On my area I could not find Asus flip with 16GB and their support was no help at all. third this is not gaming laptop, even though you can now install steam to some, this is for the moment for casual playing... at least until someone puts decent gpu on one of the chromebooks or chromebooks start supporting external gpu:s, and even then I would probably stay with windows until gaming on chromebooks becomes more mainstream and less hacky.
If they retain the same competitive pricing they're known for, AMD's netbook offerings sound like a fantastic improvement for entry level laptop value. I remember getting a laptop for $700AUD with a measly 2.4Ghz 7200U only 3 years ago. That being said, they really handicapped the GPU on Dali, I hope the Picassos aren't too expensive or the Dalis are really cheap Thanks for the writeup!
The Ryzen 4000u series seems like it would be a better match for the price/performance of Chromebooks. It isn't that the 3000 series was bad, necessarily but instead that the 4000 series was a substantial performance uplift over the previous generation. Windows laptops toting these chips are a fantastic value right now and offer phenomenal performance for those who actually need powerful CPU performance in a smaller package. Chromebook users don't typically fall into this category and anything with a core m3 (a fanless dual core chip btw most of which don't even enable hyperthreading on ChromeOS devices) will offer snappy user experiences for years.
Higher end Chromebooks will be even more future proof but with the way Chromebooks have been proliferating into the mobile space the last few years, I'd imagine professional app developers will be forced to port their applications over to them sooner than later. At that point, the higher end iGPUs found in these Ryzen chips will come in handy for those wanting to do GPU bound tasks. More intensive games can hit the playstore too, though it's pretty damn awesome that I can play a game like GTA vice city completely fluidly on a fanless m3 6y30 equipped chromebook. Streaming services negate the need for higher end graphics hardware though so it may take time before 11th gen core and 4000 series Ryzen chips hit Chromebooks.
Chrome books totally suck at anything other than a personal user, for work users the issues with integrating with MS office products makes it pointless in the real world, for students etc or just as a simple browser its fine
Greeeaaaaaaat, now Google can spy on me via a system running an AMD CPU too. I'm so very excited for the new platform upon which I can be creeped on despite not consenting to the invasion.
Seriously, just go buy a cheap Windows laptop and dump Linux on it. You're getting the same bang for your buck and a lot less of Google sniffing your panties and logging the chemical composition of the odors.
Yeah I'm not much of a Linux guy but if you're going that route you're much better off getting a Windows laptop as a starting point. I installed Windows on exactly ONE Chromebook, and it was a PITA. Only reason I did it was I got a refurb on mega clearance.
Well for one thing they're using an older GF process, so they are cheaper. Plus they aren't gobbling up precious 7nm TSMC wafers, which means more chips for higher-margin SKUs and/or models sold in more competitive market segments.
I thought it had something to do with GF 12nm wafer agreement, and as stated by alexvrb, there is a limited amount of TSMC production. They still have to buy a certain volume through 2021. Idk why they are still using the excavator design. Maybe it's really cheap for them.
Given the AMD-China joint venture for the Zen 1 architecture any device made using that platform could in theory be made from the ground up completely in China which removes a lot of regulatory hurdles for selling in China. Which is a big deal for something with a very low profit margin because jumping hurdles costs money.
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Marlin1975 - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
The issue with Chromebooks is usually not performance but price. It was supposed to be a very basic system at a good price. But many of them are more costly than equal or better Windows systems.shabby - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
That and the fact that it stops getting updates eventually, dumb google.niva - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
Is it ok to wipe out the hard drive and install linux on them? I remember in the past it was not so easy, which is why I never bought one. Chrome OS just doesn't interest me and if they somehow lock the hardware to the OS it's a no-go.ballsystemlord - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
Linux has gotten better support for them over the years. IDK the amount of supported or unsupported HW. The current limiting factor of them is normally storage with 32GB or less being common.TheinsanegamerN - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
There are a lot of compatibility issues, mainly revolving around audio and BIOS support.Look at gallium OS's wiki, if the chromebook you want isnt listed on that compatibility list, and mr.chromebox hasnt made a custom firmware, you're not going to get anywhere with linux.
Speaking from experience: its not worth the headache VS getting a halfway decent laptop in the first place.
PUBLuigi - Tuesday, November 3, 2020 - link
You can run Linux apps natively in Crostini without even touching the OS itself.PUBLuigi - Tuesday, November 3, 2020 - link
Google is updating all Chromebooks for something like 8+ years after their release date...webdoctors - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
The problem with Chromebooks is the OS. I've bought several chromebooks, wipe the OS and put LinuxMint or some Ubuntu variant on there and they're fantastic. Gave them to family, and they use them for 5-10 years, basically until the battery dies. The nice thing about Linux is the very long support life on them, and they're almost bullet proof when it comes to dealing with viruses.Put linuxOS + teamviewer for helping family remotely and openoffice / chrome/ skype and its all my parents need.
rangerdavid - Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - link
Nice. But have you easily overcome the compatibility issues someone else motioned above?compvter - Monday, November 23, 2020 - link
I strongly disagree with your statement about them being very basic systems. They do allow that, but at least for me the point of buying one is that unlike some other OS:s applications cannot write garbage to OS files and bloat it, thus making them slower... not to mention injecting viruses is usually done with that method. I truly wish OEM:s would at least offer one model that goes away from mind set you are describing. So why chromebook you would ask:1) it can run most linux apps now, that includes steam btw depending on your laptop might support gpu acceleration as well... and even though it is now possible to play gta V etc on linux through emulation, I wouldn't hold my breath with current integrated gpus.
2) play store: means insanely good library of once windows only applications being offered
3) way faster boot time than linux/windows
4) Doesn't really require anti-virus
To my understanding where chromebooks are lacking is ability to use kubernetes with them, which I consider major downfall for developers... I mean kubernetes was developer by google, make it work! I am probably going to by 3700C if there is 16GB ram model (would prefer 32gb, but i am being realist).
Second reason not to buy one is ram if you are developer, at least not anything with less than 16gb of ram, those ide:s will eat it up in no-time. On my area I could not find Asus flip with 16GB and their support was no help at all.
third this is not gaming laptop, even though you can now install steam to some, this is for the moment for casual playing... at least until someone puts decent gpu on one of the chromebooks or chromebooks start supporting external gpu:s, and even then I would probably stay with windows until gaming on chromebooks becomes more mainstream and less hacky.
Unashamed_unoriginal_username_x86 - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
If they retain the same competitive pricing they're known for, AMD's netbook offerings sound like a fantastic improvement for entry level laptop value. I remember getting a laptop for $700AUD with a measly 2.4Ghz 7200U only 3 years ago.That being said, they really handicapped the GPU on Dali, I hope the Picassos aren't too expensive or the Dalis are really cheap
Thanks for the writeup!
PUBLuigi - Tuesday, November 3, 2020 - link
The Ryzen 4000u series seems like it would be a better match for the price/performance of Chromebooks. It isn't that the 3000 series was bad, necessarily but instead that the 4000 series was a substantial performance uplift over the previous generation. Windows laptops toting these chips are a fantastic value right now and offer phenomenal performance for those who actually need powerful CPU performance in a smaller package. Chromebook users don't typically fall into this category and anything with a core m3 (a fanless dual core chip btw most of which don't even enable hyperthreading on ChromeOS devices) will offer snappy user experiences for years.Higher end Chromebooks will be even more future proof but with the way Chromebooks have been proliferating into the mobile space the last few years, I'd imagine professional app developers will be forced to port their applications over to them sooner than later. At that point, the higher end iGPUs found in these Ryzen chips will come in handy for those wanting to do GPU bound tasks. More intensive games can hit the playstore too, though it's pretty damn awesome that I can play a game like GTA vice city completely fluidly on a fanless m3 6y30 equipped chromebook. Streaming services negate the need for higher end graphics hardware though so it may take time before 11th gen core and 4000 series Ryzen chips hit Chromebooks.
alufan - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
Chrome books totally suck at anything other than a personal user, for work users the issues with integrating with MS office products makes it pointless in the real world, for students etc or just as a simple browser its finePeachNCream - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
Greeeaaaaaaat, now Google can spy on me via a system running an AMD CPU too. I'm so very excited for the new platform upon which I can be creeped on despite not consenting to the invasion.Seriously, just go buy a cheap Windows laptop and dump Linux on it. You're getting the same bang for your buck and a lot less of Google sniffing your panties and logging the chemical composition of the odors.
Alexvrb - Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - link
Yeah I'm not much of a Linux guy but if you're going that route you're much better off getting a Windows laptop as a starting point. I installed Windows on exactly ONE Chromebook, and it was a PITA. Only reason I did it was I got a refurb on mega clearance.69369369 - Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - link
Excavator 🤢Samus - Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - link
Ian,The A6-9120C is actually an A4-series part.
Cheers!
Ptosio - Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - link
I wonder, what's the rationale of manufacturing Zen 1 cores once you already have Zen 2? Is it really cheaper to produce old design CPU?Alexvrb - Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - link
Well for one thing they're using an older GF process, so they are cheaper. Plus they aren't gobbling up precious 7nm TSMC wafers, which means more chips for higher-margin SKUs and/or models sold in more competitive market segments.icetorch - Monday, September 28, 2020 - link
I thought it had something to do with GF 12nm wafer agreement, and as stated by alexvrb, there is a limited amount of TSMC production. They still have to buy a certain volume through 2021. Idk why they are still using the excavator design. Maybe it's really cheap for them.Lakados - Tuesday, September 29, 2020 - link
Given the AMD-China joint venture for the Zen 1 architecture any device made using that platform could in theory be made from the ground up completely in China which removes a lot of regulatory hurdles for selling in China. Which is a big deal for something with a very low profit margin because jumping hurdles costs money.blackbird1000 - Friday, December 25, 2020 - link
New Chormebook to me. And I love IT - Get a Chrome book whet Linux Apps supportWork Time on battery weeks, not days.
8 Gb Ram. 128 Gb Flash. A pentium not celeron, 15", touch
Cheep around 250$
And your can instal and run Ubuntu from Chorme, it works
It works so well that I no longer consider installing a clean Linux, or doing dual boot