The Collegiate Chromebook Experience
It has been months since I was last found meticulously studying the Google Chromebook, trying to find out if it would be a sufficient computer for not only my leisurely recreational computing, but as well as capable of standing up to my collegiate workload. In my searching I had noticed how there were very few articles or blog posts that I could find from an actual college student who had been using a Chromebook in his or her college setting for some time. In fact, a good majority of the web pages I had dug up were from people like me, trying to find out if the Chromebook could support their educational needs. Ultimately I ended up going in blind, buying the Chromebook anyways, hoping that it would fare well in my collegiate environment, knowing that if need be, I could always head to the library to use one of the more traditional operating systems to get work done.
Luckily, I've found over the past few weeks that the Chromebook seems to be not only satisfying my computing needs, but helping me address those needs even more quickly. In this article, I'll be attempting to address some of my major concerns, and where the Chromebook succeeds of fails in those areas of concern, as well as some of the perks and disadvantages of having a Chromebook rather than a regular laptop.
Initial Areas of Concern:
Connectivity to the campus wireless network- My first concern with my shiny, relatively new Samsung Series 5 550 dealt with my campus wireless network. Before arriving at campus, I was almost certain that I would have troubles with the network, and very likely be unable to connect to the wireless for the whole school year. The reason for this lies in the fact that when you register your computer at my college campus, it prompts you to download the campus' anti-virus. Here at ONU, we use some variation of Bradford's dissolvable agent. Initially I thought "not only does the Chromebook have it's protection built in, but it also can't execute any .exe files to my knowledge (Bradford's dissolvable agent also only claims to support Mac, Windows and Linux). Since I would be able to execute the .exe file, I will continue to be blocked from the network. I went through the registration process with my username, password and serial number, and to my surprise the next page I saw didn't prompt me to download anything, but rather said that my registration was successful. Ever since then, I've had seamless use of the campus Wi-fi. Due to the Campus Wi-fi, I really haven't run into any situations where I have no connection and I need to get something done. The campus Wi-fi is pathetic, but that's what happens when you have a couple thousand people trying to use the same network. However, on occasion I do turn off my Wi-fi settings, just to see how managing would go. Most of the time, I need to use my computer to write papers, make spreadsheets, powerpoints, etc. all of which I can achieve through the use of Google Docs and Slides. By enabling offline editing It's safe to say that I can get all of these things done efficiently. I may not have quite as many features to play around with as I would on, say, Microsoft Word, but the reality is that I likely wouldn't use those features in the first place. I'm writing essays, not recreating the way the world sees a word document. Documents are really the only thing I could think of that I'd need offline, though Slides, Sheets and Drawings are also offline enabled (as of April 25th, 2013). The number of Offline capabilities continues to grow, too. To be honest, once the network connection goes out on my old (retired) Windows laptop, I'd often find myself deeming the computer near useless, even though it had more local functions than my Chromebook might have. The reality is that most of our computing is done on the web nowadays, and we're seldom very far from a wireless or wired connection. Luckily for me, if the Wi-fi goes out and I seriously need the internet, I've got 2 years of free (though very little) 3G from Verizon to mull me through whatever it is that I have to do.
Documents, file types, and Joule- My next area of concern was focused on file types and how well they would integrate into Google Docs. After all, almost all of the average student's computing needs fall under document processing. Papers to write, reports to file, and things of that nature all tend to make up the bulk of college computing. I have been using Google Docs for a little over a year now and haven't run into many issues, none that couldn't be bypassed. However, I suppose my concern was more geared towards document viewing. When I'd download information posted by the professor from our class portal (Joule), occasionally I'll find a document that has been saved in a format that seems to give the native document viewer some trouble. Whereas typically on my Windows laptop, it would open up in OpenOffice.org or Microsoft Word -both of which seem to be compatible with most file types- the Chromebook would use a native document viewer, that occasionally wouldn't support my file type the way I would like it to. Whenever I ran into this problem, there was always a pretty simple solution. Typically, when I have a file type that won't work in the document viewer, simply uploading the document to Google Docs will convert the file type to whatever file type Google Docs are saved in. Frankly, I'd likely end up shooting these documents into Google Docs eventually anyways, as it's simply convenient to have my documents not only on my laptop, but on my Nexus S as well as the library computers, just in case. With Google Docs in its current state, I've yet to run into a file that a professor has posted that I haven't been able to convert into a usable form. The process of converting with GDocs practically takes no time at all, too.
Microsoft Office files (read-only): .doc, .docx, .ppt, .pptx, .xls, .xlsx
Media: .mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .mp3, .ogv, .ogm, .ogg, .oga, .webm, .wav
Images: .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .webp
Compressed files: .zip, .rar, .tar, .tar.gz (.tgz), .tar.bz2 (.tbz2)
Other: .txt, .pdf
One problem I have had with GDocs, and perhaps the only problem I have had, is that it doesn't always allow me to number/bullet point my paper in the manner that my professor requests. This tends to create a bit of a hassle, as then I need to download the document onto a mac or windows computer, and redo all of my numbering or bullet points with the word processor. Is it easy to circumvent? Yes, but it's inconvenient. I would expect, however, that as Google Docs evolves, it will gain more functionality in this area. Sometimes I'll even use Microsoft Word to double-check for any grammatical errors, as Microsoft Word simply has a more advanced grammar/spellchecker. I'll admit, however, that I do find Google Docs to be a much more simplistic word processor, and prefer it over Microsoft Word.
Software specific classes- I am neither an art major, nor a science major, and therefore I don't really have any software specific courses (which are typically multimedia/animation courses). However, I do know that programs that you would need for, say, an architecture/3D modelling class, or a full-blown version of Photoshop will not work on a Chromebook. There are application alternatives, which I can't say I have particularly used, save for some image editors which have worked well when put to a moderate degree of editing skill. They likely wouldn't be able to handle any heavy image/video editing you might have to do, however. I'm also aware of a 3D modelling app, but to be honest, I can't say I've ever had a need for 3D modelling, nor do I expect that I will need that skill in the future. I cannot speak for how well these apps will hold up under various people's workload, but it's probably safe to say they can handle the average person's needs. Classes that specifically require these programs, however, are likely to be very intensive in whatever task the program will be needed for. In which case, it is where the Chromebook will fall short compared to a more traditional laptop.
Google does have a remote desktop app, that, if I'm not mistaken, can help circumnavigate some of the issues that would arise from a Chromebook. However, I know very little about it, and have yet to use it to discover what uses it is capable of.
Battery Life- The Chromebook's 6 hour battery life (though I tend to average about 7 when I keep the screen brightness at a less-than-blindingly-bright intensity) gets me through all of my classes without a problem, and typically has enough juice left in it to get through my homework and leisurely browsing after class. This is great because I never have to occupy extra space in my messenger bag with my charger. I only end up charging my Chromebook once a day, if that, which is great because my old Windows laptop almost had to be constantly plugged into the wall.
Portability- The Samsung Series 5 550 also weighs in at a meager 3.3 pounds. Some of my friends have picked up my Chromebook, only to be shocked by how lightweight it is. On a campus that is larger than Olivet Nazarene University's, I would imagine that this could mean the world to some people. While it only takes me maybe 10 minutes to walk from any one building to another, I can appreciate the fact that my Chromebook weighs less than most of my textbooks. Furthermore, if I was at a State University, where I might be expected to travel great distances from one class to another, I would expect that a heavy laptop would become very bothersome very quickly. Luckily, this little laptop could probably save quite a fair deal of back-ache.
Speed- This one's an obvious one. With an 8 second boot time, I get to work quicker. It's also an overall speedy and smooth experience all around. I don't have to walk around with my computer in sleep mode all day as I go from class to class, as the boot time is probably just about as fast as it would take for others to wake their traditional computers up from sleep mode.
Drawbacks:
There aren't many things I dislike about my Chromebook, but there are a few minor things that have their way of driving me up a wall every now and then.
First of all, uploading files to my online profile can become a hassle. I have to download the document, upload it to Google Docs to edit it, then download it when I'm done, only to submit it to my teacher. Sometimes it just seems counter intuitive to download, upload then download and re-upload a document just to get it to my teacher. It doesn't take too long, but it's inconvenient sometimes when I'm in a hurry.
Secondly, to my knowledge, I can't upload music to my Google Play account from my Chromebook. If I want new music on my account, I either have to buy it from the Google Play Store, or I have to upload it from my old Windows computer. I just feel as though my Google computer should have full integration with all of my Google services, yet I can't upload music from my Chromebook, nor can I have an offline version of Picasa, like I can on a traditional computer. This just irks me. But I really don't mind firing up my old laptop to make it feel important again, if only for a moment (except for waiting for the thing to boot. The Chromebook has ruined boot times for me, which is a good problem to have).
If I missed any areas in which you might have questions about, mention it in the comments and I'd love to be able to include it. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with my Chrome experience, despite being relatively hesitant walking into another year of college with a device some might consider "unconventional."
Luckily, I've found over the past few weeks that the Chromebook seems to be not only satisfying my computing needs, but helping me address those needs even more quickly. In this article, I'll be attempting to address some of my major concerns, and where the Chromebook succeeds of fails in those areas of concern, as well as some of the perks and disadvantages of having a Chromebook rather than a regular laptop.
Initial Areas of Concern:
Connectivity to the campus wireless network- My first concern with my shiny, relatively new Samsung Series 5 550 dealt with my campus wireless network. Before arriving at campus, I was almost certain that I would have troubles with the network, and very likely be unable to connect to the wireless for the whole school year. The reason for this lies in the fact that when you register your computer at my college campus, it prompts you to download the campus' anti-virus. Here at ONU, we use some variation of Bradford's dissolvable agent. Initially I thought "not only does the Chromebook have it's protection built in, but it also can't execute any .exe files to my knowledge (Bradford's dissolvable agent also only claims to support Mac, Windows and Linux). Since I would be able to execute the .exe file, I will continue to be blocked from the network. I went through the registration process with my username, password and serial number, and to my surprise the next page I saw didn't prompt me to download anything, but rather said that my registration was successful. Ever since then, I've had seamless use of the campus Wi-fi. Due to the Campus Wi-fi, I really haven't run into any situations where I have no connection and I need to get something done. The campus Wi-fi is pathetic, but that's what happens when you have a couple thousand people trying to use the same network. However, on occasion I do turn off my Wi-fi settings, just to see how managing would go. Most of the time, I need to use my computer to write papers, make spreadsheets, powerpoints, etc. all of which I can achieve through the use of Google Docs and Slides. By enabling offline editing It's safe to say that I can get all of these things done efficiently. I may not have quite as many features to play around with as I would on, say, Microsoft Word, but the reality is that I likely wouldn't use those features in the first place. I'm writing essays, not recreating the way the world sees a word document. Documents are really the only thing I could think of that I'd need offline, though Slides, Sheets and Drawings are also offline enabled (as of April 25th, 2013). The number of Offline capabilities continues to grow, too. To be honest, once the network connection goes out on my old (retired) Windows laptop, I'd often find myself deeming the computer near useless, even though it had more local functions than my Chromebook might have. The reality is that most of our computing is done on the web nowadays, and we're seldom very far from a wireless or wired connection. Luckily for me, if the Wi-fi goes out and I seriously need the internet, I've got 2 years of free (though very little) 3G from Verizon to mull me through whatever it is that I have to do.
Documents, file types, and Joule- My next area of concern was focused on file types and how well they would integrate into Google Docs. After all, almost all of the average student's computing needs fall under document processing. Papers to write, reports to file, and things of that nature all tend to make up the bulk of college computing. I have been using Google Docs for a little over a year now and haven't run into many issues, none that couldn't be bypassed. However, I suppose my concern was more geared towards document viewing. When I'd download information posted by the professor from our class portal (Joule), occasionally I'll find a document that has been saved in a format that seems to give the native document viewer some trouble. Whereas typically on my Windows laptop, it would open up in OpenOffice.org or Microsoft Word -both of which seem to be compatible with most file types- the Chromebook would use a native document viewer, that occasionally wouldn't support my file type the way I would like it to. Whenever I ran into this problem, there was always a pretty simple solution. Typically, when I have a file type that won't work in the document viewer, simply uploading the document to Google Docs will convert the file type to whatever file type Google Docs are saved in. Frankly, I'd likely end up shooting these documents into Google Docs eventually anyways, as it's simply convenient to have my documents not only on my laptop, but on my Nexus S as well as the library computers, just in case. With Google Docs in its current state, I've yet to run into a file that a professor has posted that I haven't been able to convert into a usable form. The process of converting with GDocs practically takes no time at all, too.
Chrome OS supports the following file types:
One problem I have had with GDocs, and perhaps the only problem I have had, is that it doesn't always allow me to number/bullet point my paper in the manner that my professor requests. This tends to create a bit of a hassle, as then I need to download the document onto a mac or windows computer, and redo all of my numbering or bullet points with the word processor. Is it easy to circumvent? Yes, but it's inconvenient. I would expect, however, that as Google Docs evolves, it will gain more functionality in this area. Sometimes I'll even use Microsoft Word to double-check for any grammatical errors, as Microsoft Word simply has a more advanced grammar/spellchecker. I'll admit, however, that I do find Google Docs to be a much more simplistic word processor, and prefer it over Microsoft Word.
Software specific classes- I am neither an art major, nor a science major, and therefore I don't really have any software specific courses (which are typically multimedia/animation courses). However, I do know that programs that you would need for, say, an architecture/3D modelling class, or a full-blown version of Photoshop will not work on a Chromebook. There are application alternatives, which I can't say I have particularly used, save for some image editors which have worked well when put to a moderate degree of editing skill. They likely wouldn't be able to handle any heavy image/video editing you might have to do, however. I'm also aware of a 3D modelling app, but to be honest, I can't say I've ever had a need for 3D modelling, nor do I expect that I will need that skill in the future. I cannot speak for how well these apps will hold up under various people's workload, but it's probably safe to say they can handle the average person's needs. Classes that specifically require these programs, however, are likely to be very intensive in whatever task the program will be needed for. In which case, it is where the Chromebook will fall short compared to a more traditional laptop.
Google does have a remote desktop app, that, if I'm not mistaken, can help circumnavigate some of the issues that would arise from a Chromebook. However, I know very little about it, and have yet to use it to discover what uses it is capable of.
External Hard Drive Support:
I'd be lying if I said I knew a fair deal of how external hard drive compatibility works. I know I've connected a few externals to my Chromebook, and they've worked seamlessly, which was a small area of concern going into my college career, just in case one of my floor-mates had some sweet files I felt I needed. It appears as though Chrome OS supports a good amount of external storage devices though. The list is as follows:
- Ext2
- Ext3
- Ext4
- FAT
- HFS+ (read-only on journaled HFS+)
- ISO9660 (read-only)
- NTFS
- UDF (read-only)
Perks:
Portability- The Samsung Series 5 550 also weighs in at a meager 3.3 pounds. Some of my friends have picked up my Chromebook, only to be shocked by how lightweight it is. On a campus that is larger than Olivet Nazarene University's, I would imagine that this could mean the world to some people. While it only takes me maybe 10 minutes to walk from any one building to another, I can appreciate the fact that my Chromebook weighs less than most of my textbooks. Furthermore, if I was at a State University, where I might be expected to travel great distances from one class to another, I would expect that a heavy laptop would become very bothersome very quickly. Luckily, this little laptop could probably save quite a fair deal of back-ache.
Speed- This one's an obvious one. With an 8 second boot time, I get to work quicker. It's also an overall speedy and smooth experience all around. I don't have to walk around with my computer in sleep mode all day as I go from class to class, as the boot time is probably just about as fast as it would take for others to wake their traditional computers up from sleep mode.
Drawbacks:
There aren't many things I dislike about my Chromebook, but there are a few minor things that have their way of driving me up a wall every now and then.
First of all, uploading files to my online profile can become a hassle. I have to download the document, upload it to Google Docs to edit it, then download it when I'm done, only to submit it to my teacher. Sometimes it just seems counter intuitive to download, upload then download and re-upload a document just to get it to my teacher. It doesn't take too long, but it's inconvenient sometimes when I'm in a hurry.
Secondly, to my knowledge, I can't upload music to my Google Play account from my Chromebook. If I want new music on my account, I either have to buy it from the Google Play Store, or I have to upload it from my old Windows computer. I just feel as though my Google computer should have full integration with all of my Google services, yet I can't upload music from my Chromebook, nor can I have an offline version of Picasa, like I can on a traditional computer. This just irks me. But I really don't mind firing up my old laptop to make it feel important again, if only for a moment (except for waiting for the thing to boot. The Chromebook has ruined boot times for me, which is a good problem to have).
If I missed any areas in which you might have questions about, mention it in the comments and I'd love to be able to include it. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with my Chrome experience, despite being relatively hesitant walking into another year of college with a device some might consider "unconventional."
I love the simplicity of the Chromebook. I also like Google Docs. It is really good for collaborative editing. However maintaining the formatting becomes an issue when I need to share the docs with folks who are using MS Office. In those cases I use the MS Web Office in Skydrive. Works really well on the Chromebook :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this, I had yet to find such a thorough review, from someone who needs the chromebook for the same reasons I do. You have swayed me, and i am going to purchase one soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you again.
Hey man, thanks for the encouraging words! I'm glad you had a positive take-away from the article. One of the great things about ChromeOS is that it's continually evolving, and so are the apps. So when I mentioned offline Documents in Google Docs in the article, that only meant Word documents. Now that includes PowerPoint, Spreadsheets and more.
DeleteThanks for writing this, I was looking for a more detailed investigation into the chromebook. I'm looking to purchase this next year for college (I'm a senior right now) and I really want to find something simple where I can access the internet, write papers, and listen to music. I already use Chrome all the time, so it wouldn't be much of a switch. A few questions-because it primarily uses only google apps, do you know if it allows Spotify to download? Also, from all the other reviews I have read, I know you can access Google Documents offline, but not powerpoints/spreadsheets. Is this an extremely recent thing they updated? And would you recommend purchasing the 3G, just to be safe? I'm definitely someone who is used to Windows laptops/computers, and I don't necessarily prefer google docs over Word, but I feel like with such a long battery life, lightweight/portability and quick start up, I'm not going to find a better deal for that price. You also mentioned science majors - do you not recommend this for Biology majors? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHey Sarah, thank you so much for taking time to reply. It's actually really helpful for me to be able to alter my blog post and see what my readers are looking for.
DeleteIn regards to your questions: As far as downloading the Spotify player to the device itself, you won't be able to do that necessarily. You will, however, be able to use the Spotify web player. There is an app that will help it feel as though you have the Spotify player, it basically shoots you straight to the Web Player it gives you a nice little app that makes it feel legit though.
Here's a screen cap of what that'll look like:
http://imgur.com/37RfFMA
As you can see, it's chillin' right next to my webcam, Google Play Music, and all my other apps.
You could find that app here: http://goo.gl/fZzMA
As far as Google Slides (PowerPoint) go, you can check the app itself in the webstore here: goo.gl/RPq9t. The lightning bolt shows that it works offline. Pretty sure Offline slides are a very recent update, but it goes to show that more apps are beginning to work offline. The rest of the offline apps can be found here: http://goo.gl/YorQ9
To be honest, over the past year there has been maybe one time where I needed to use my Chromebook while unable to connect to the Wi-Fi.
The one time I "needed" to flip on my 3G was while I was at a friend's house, and I was too lazy to ask for the Wi-Fi password. It's comfortable knowing that if I need to get online I have the 3G, but I definitely have not been making a whole lot of use of it. It is nice to know I could browse the web while in a long trip in the car though. The assurance, to me, is worth the extra cash.I haven't ever said to myself "Oh, I'm so stupid for paying extra for this 3G". If you don't feel like you need it, I can tell you that you probably won't need it if you really feel like saving 100 bucks now. I just didn't want to regret saving that $100 down the line.
I'm waiting on a buddy of mine who's a Bio student to respond, but in the mean time, the only reason a Chromebook wouldn't work out is if you needed to download some sort of program for your major. I know a couple Chemistry, Nursing, and other intense Science majors, and none of them have ever had to download any software for their major. Chances are, you're pretty safe.
Ultimately, it takes a small leap of faith to leave something as familiar as Windows. It's always weird knowing you're going to own something so different than what most people are using. I think the transition was really smooth though. It's really easy to get the hang of, and the benefits of my Chromebook have left me with something I still get to brag about every time I come home and my parents ask me if it has given me any trouble yet, because I get to say "nope" every time!
If you have any more questions, feel free to shoot another reply or hit me up with an Email.