What Computer Did I Get

After my Chromebook was face-planted into the bricks on the fireplace, I needed a computer ASAP, since I work from home and depend on having one. While I really liked my Chromebook, as I explained in my No More Chromebook post, I had decided to get a Windows 8 machine.

To be honest I have been very resistant to moving to a Windows 8 machine, because of all the horror stories and the many tech pundits that have written about how bad it is. But I decided to bite the bullet and just do it.

Since I couldn’t wait to get a replacement from online, I went ahead did a little research and shopped locally (3 stores). I ended up buying a Sony Vaio 15.5” Ultrabook at BestBuy.

This was the first time I have ever purchased a Sony computer, I have always thought of them as a premium product and they are normally out of the price range I stay within. The Vaio was on sale and it had the specs I was looking for, had a touch screen and best of all was priced in the range that I was prepared to pay.

This time I got more of a luggable computer instead of a super lightweight ultrabook, because I don’t really travel all that much and have different needs now than I did a while back.

I also picked up Microsoft Office 2013. Having it just makes my life a lot less miserable, by not having to deal with the compatibility issues that I dealt with between Google Docs to Microsoft Office and then using Dropbox to submit my work.

No More Chromebook

I cannot believe that it has only been a week since I had to replace my Samsung 550 Chromebook computer.

What happened?

My cat decided that he wanted to check my balance and tolerance of pain, by rubbing against my legs as I was carrying my Chromebook into the living room. Because of his twining through my legs, I ended up on the floor with a very loud bang!

Unfortunately, that loud bang was the Chromebook face planting into the fireplace bricks. Needless to say, the Chromebook did not survive the sudden stop. The screen looked like something you would see after a hard night on the town, it was lying flat as a pancake, a few keys popped off and no go on start up.

Decision Time

Since I work at home and need a reliable computer, I had to make a choice fix up my old MacBook Pro or get a new Windows 8 machine.

Wait a minute, wouldn’t the easiest thing to do, just go down to BestBuy and get a cheap Chromebook and not worry about it?

That definitely would have been the easiest thing by far.

2 Weeks of Using Nothing but my Chromebook

A few weeks ago I decided to go exclusively with my Samsung Series 5-550 Chromebook, to see what I would miss and not be able to do on my Chromebook, that could with my MacBookPro or a Windows based PC (I still have access to my wife's).

So how has the experiment gone?

I haven't turned on my MacBookPro since then and only get on the wife's PC to do maintenance type stuff. Otherwise, the Chromebook has done just about everything that I need or want to do.

I was able to maintain my blogs, upload .docx files, .MP4 videos and photos to my work Dropbox account (although there are more steps if I need to edit a document), print to my Canon wireless printer and do everything I am supposed to do without a great deal of difficulty.

Mindset

There is a mindset change that you have to make in order to use a Chromebook effectively.

Instead of looking for things that you CAN'T do with this computer, I had to change my outlook to what I could DO with my Chromebook.

Instagram - Delay and Ignore?

Have you noticed that after the initial furor over the changes to Instagram’s new Terms of Service and their clarification "Thank you, and we're listening" message, that there has not been any further communications or updates from either Instagram or Facebook about this mess.

Kind of strange isn’t it? 

It has been over a week and nothing has changed. I wonder if they are planning to see if they can ride out the initial storm of protests and media buzz and then will just blithely go about their business with the changes to their TOS kept pretty much the way it was written?

I think they know that a majority of their users don’t really care about Instagram's Terms of Service as long as they can just quickly and easily keep using their service without interruption or disruption. Actually I believe that it is only a relatively small but very vocal percentage of users and the online media that are too worried about the changes.

Going All in With Google

When I made the decision to purchase a Chromebook, a month ago,  I didn't fully realize until the other day what that decision actually would mean.

Hmmm what’s up?

Over the years I have purposely tried to avoid putting my technology eggs primarily in one basket.

As Apple, Google and Microsoft are all attempting to create their own technology silos, I purposely tried to kept a finger in all of their silos. I have always believed that being too reliant on any one corporation for all of your technology needs, brings its own dangers. You can read about my previous posts on this thinking:

http://www.onefootinreality.com/2010/07/google-experiment.html

www.onefootinreality.com/2011/04/un-googilizing.html

http://www.onefootinreality.com/2011/07/getting-back-in-bed-with-google.html

However, I am also getting tired of trying to keep straight how I can use this piece of hardware, software or web application that I want to use, when I want to use it and the way that is easiest for me.

My refusal to completely embrace any one of the big three completely for all this time, did keep me more aware of the pros and cons of each. However, it also meant that I didn’t really get to master any of the different tools or applications I was trying to use.
The old saying “Jack of all trades, master of none”, accurately described my use of technology over the past few years.

Moving Away from My iPhone 4S

My work area

It turns out that my Samsung Series 5-550 Chromebook doesn't like the iPhone and the iPhone doesn't like the Chromebook, they do not work all that well together. 

I found using the iPhone with the Chromebook, was more about finding work-arounds to get them to work together, which was quite frustrating at times.

The idea that my iPhone doesn’t integrate worth a damn with my primary computer - the Chromebook is something that wasn’t acceptable to me. So I started wandering around Craigslist and other places, looking to picking up a cheap last generation Android smart phone, since I had never used one before and wondered if it would work any better with my Chromebook.

Pretty quickly I found a HTC Droid Incredible2 on Craigslist for...well let’s just say it was too good a deal to pass up. I did a bit of a little rice bag magic, cleaning, maintenance, a new micro SD Card and now it works like a charm. 

My Chromebook a Month Later

I have had my Samsung Series 5-550 Chromebook for almost a month now (boy that is hard to believe) and  it has become my primary computer!

How did this happen, I have been a Mac or Windows guy, who usually wanted the most powerful high end laptop that he could afford.

Doesn't that sound familiar, I think a lot of us are that way - enticed by the exponentially increasing specs each generation of computers have inside them.

Well I got tired of the hype, hoopla and work that goes into setting up, re-learning and maintaining those platforms.

I have become someone who wants to just use their computer, not screw around with it or sit and watch the spinning wheel or beach ball of death go round and round, while I wait for the damn thing to disappear.