really not a useful concept in electronic devices
This is the first time I've had to buy a device online. I had a laptop which could be used as both a laptop and a tablet, and when in laptop mode, I used the keyboard, but when in tablet mode, I could use the touchscreen. I'd honestly never heard of a chromebook, so reading the description, I thought it was just a laptop the same as my own. It isn't. A chromebook is a device completely dedicated to all things chrome....one even needs to have a google account to sign in and use it, and google is the search engine. The thing which makes it most difficult to use is the complete lack of instructions or consistency. It kept rejecting saved passwords, even after I'd just changed them to make it happy. I finally got it to accept passwords, but then it keeps changing its mind about whether it wants me to use an app for a certain website, or the website itself.....it did that with my Waitrose several times before finally deciding to just let me use the website. The apps don't always work....for instance, the Waitrose app that it wanted me to use was clearly meant for my phone, and didn't work well. The device kept asking me to tie in my phone to the device, and as inconsistently as the chromebook works, I think I won't be doing that. Being honest, it's neither a tablet nor a laptop. It's a maddening bit of both in one, and even the device itself seems to get confused as to what it wants to be. It doesn't even seem to be consistent in how it wants one to use the keyboard or the touchscreen. I can use the curser to click options in a website, but have to use the touchscreen to move up or down the screen because it won't let me use the curser to do so; I'm having to learn everything by trial and error. I've seen small laptops with similar features instore when buying my devices over the years, and thought that's what this was. There isn't any fault in the device, which appears to be what it was meant to be; that said, now that I know what a chromebook is, I will never buy one again. It's been a nightmare to figure out, but I think I can get by with it for the length of time devices last these days. It's quite obvious in descriptions what idea pads are in laptops, but if someone doesn't know what a book is, the descriptions won't tell you. I am by no means unused to laptops or tablets, or in how to use them. I'm fairly tech savvy, having worked on computers since the first days they came from the mainframes to the desktop, and was able to work codes to create and tweak my own websites. I've owned several different types of laptops; but this doesn't mean that I know what a chromebook is. So, I know that there are likely to be others out there who also don't know, and before they buy one, I wanted to give my viewpoint. They're an unmitigated disaster, take a few days, a few full days, to get set up and working, which is all done by trial and error, and they aren't very useful at all. I prefer a laptop. I was looking for a small laptop. I hope that people who also aren't familiar with this type of device will benefit from my review. I have a mixture of apps and websites on my chromebook because the device itself isn't consistent in what it wants. There are apps for everything these days, as we can use our phones for everything on the internet now. This chromebook just doesn't seem to have any consistency in how it wants to be used.....there was no way I was going to attach my phone to it. I would likely have had nothing but problems with my phone thereafter. So, I cannot recommend anyone getting such a device as this, especially since it's tied to Google only. To have to sign into a google account to even be able to get into the device tells one of the challenges which lie ahead.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
