Related
Not sure where else to put this but as its a viewsonic product ill try here. Has anyone got or played about with the viewpad? 10" capacitive screen runnign windows 7 and android 1.6.
Quite interested in it but cant seem to find that many reviews, hands on guides to it.
Mainly interested in the windows side of it if it works well enough really for installing windows programs with the android side for apps. Unfortunate its only 1.6 though and not at least 2,1.
skimminstones said:
Not sure where else to put this but as its a viewsonic product ill try here. Has anyone got or played about with the viewpad? 10" capacitive screen runnign windows 7 and android 1.6.
Quite interested in it but cant seem to find that many reviews, hands on guides to it.
Mainly interested in the windows side of it if it works well enough really for installing windows programs with the android side for apps. Unfortunate its only 1.6 though and not at least 2,1.
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately I don't think you'll find too much interest/help in this section as though Sears Mis-stated that the tablet we bought ($379) was a VP 10 it's actually a GTab10... the difference being the VP10 is a an Atom (Proc.) Based tablet shipped with Windows and Android 1.6 vs. GTab being an ARM/Tegra2, Malata SMB-A1002 Proto design hybrid running a yet fully baked Android 2.2 version... so this new section is for GTabs and the 2 tabs with similar names are totally incompatible beasts
I did try a search and found soem new interesting news for the VP10... it's getting 2.2 update it seems...
http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f27/viewsonic-viewpad-10-android-2-2-update-coming-41795/
jtbnet said:
Unfortunately I don't think you'll find too much interest/help in this section as though Sears Mis-stated that the tablet we bought ($379) was a VP 10 it's actually a GTab10... the difference being the VP10 is a an Atom (Proc.) Based tablet shipped with Windows and Android 1.6 vs. GTab being an ARM/Tegra2, Malata SMB-A1002 Proto design hybrid running a yet fully baked Android 2.2 version... so this new section is for GTabs and the 2 tabs with similar names are totally incompatible beasts
I did try a search and found soem new interesting news for the VP10... it's getting 2.2 update it seems...
http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f27/viewsonic-viewpad-10-android-2-2-update-coming-41795/
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Click to collapse
I'm thinking about getting it today, first time seeing it, love the dual boot feature, was looking to either get the tab or a windows tablet, but now I want this, has anyone tried it out yet?
got one
I have a vpad10 (with the official froyo update installed) and can give you my experience...
First one returned with faulty touchscreen, second one fine, both suffer from dubious build quality (creaky joints etc). Screen is good, nice and bright and responsive (2nd time round anyway). Speakers are rubbish... my phone one's are better!
Runs windows 7 well, as well as an atom netbook (which it essentially is). Windows is surprisingly touch friendly, but not a patch on Android. Good for work though as still can't get goodies like MS Office on other tablets. Screen rotates automatically, but is more annoying than useful as I never use it portrait.
If you want it for Android forget it... Android is just a bit of a toy on an x86 processor... can't install all the Google Apps including calendar/contacts. If I keep mine I will probably change partitions to give the whole SSD (a very limited 16gb) to Windows.
In summary, this tablet is not the best of both worlds, rather the best compromise you'll find. Windows won't run on tegra chips, and Android won't play well with Intel (yet).
I'd be happy to answer any other questions anyone has.
I've been using my almost every day since I got it luckily for Christmas last year and love it. Viewsonic has recently updated Android so it can run 2.2 (Froyo) I would link you but I don't have 8 posts.
I'm use it everyday for my work and lifestyle.
jabuzan said:
I have a vpad10 (with the official froyo update installed) and can give you my experience...
First one returned with faulty touchscreen, second one fine, both suffer from dubious build quality (creaky joints etc). Screen is good, nice and bright and responsive (2nd time round anyway). Speakers are rubbish... my phone one's are better!
Runs windows 7 well, as well as an atom netbook (which it essentially is). Windows is surprisingly touch friendly, but not a patch on Android. Good for work though as still can't get goodies like MS Office on other tablets. Screen rotates automatically, but is more annoying than useful as I never use it portrait.
If you want it for Android forget it... Android is just a bit of a toy on an x86 processor... can't install all the Google Apps including calendar/contacts. If I keep mine I will probably change partitions to give the whole SSD (a very limited 16gb) to Windows.
In summary, this tablet is not the best of both worlds, rather the best compromise you'll find. Windows won't run on tegra chips, and Android won't play well with Intel (yet).
I'd be happy to answer any other questions anyone has.
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Click to collapse
Just pulled a Viewpad 10PI from ebay with Windows 7. I can't get it to boot into windows unless I have a keyboard installed. Is there a way to make Windows the default OS?
Thanks.
tomlogan1 said:
Just pulled a Viewpad 10PI from ebay with Windows 7. I can't get it to boot into windows unless I have a keyboard installed. Is there a way to make Windows the default OS?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is the original vpad10, but sounds like your grub loader is the problem. Suggest reinstalling everything - android first then Windows 8 to get the fancy new Windows bootloader screen.
** To update everyone reading my original revue, the latest build of android x86 works brilliantly on this tablet, including all google apps and access to the play store. Windows 8 loads up but due to low screen resolution, will not load metro apps (unless you do a quick reg hack to stretch the screen - google it). After nearly 2 years use and a few drops, it's still going strong, good battery life, and upgraded hdd to 32g is much better.
I usually do not start threads and hang in the shadows here on xda, but I love the site and all the awesome development.
With that said:
Please do not close this thread - This is not a question, or a discussion about a computer. The new Samsung Chromebook with the ARM chip is basically an Android tablet built like a laptop running chrome. It has a Samsung Exynos 5 Dual processor, so this falls under Android development and HACKING for devices that do not have a forum on XDA.
So I have this device and I have to say, it's very well built for the price. The only negative is that it runs Chrome. Now - I'm not here to bash on Chrome OS and I don't need a discussion on the pros and cons of it...
The point of starting this thread is to get Android ported over to this thing. I actually went out and purchased it at Best Buy because I knew that I could go to xda-developers a week later and someone will post instructions on how to install Android. Didn't happen. Not sure why.
So please chime in on ideas on how to get the ball rolling. Who do we have to buy a Chromebook for to make this happen? Do we start a bounty?
Let's keep the xda-developer community going strong! Thank you.
Like you, I did the same.
dalethefarmer said:
I usually do not start threads and hang in the shadows here on xda, but I love the site and all the awesome development.
With that said:
Please do not close this thread - This is not a question, or a discussion about a computer. The new Samsung Chromebook with the ARM chip is basically an Android tablet built like a laptop running chrome. It has a Samsung Exynos 5 Dual processor, so this falls under Android development and HACKING for devices that do not have a forum on XDA.
So I have this device and I have to say, it's very well built for the price. The only negative is that it runs Chrome. Now - I'm not here to bash on Chrome OS and I don't need a discussion on the pros and cons of it...
The point of starting this thread is to get Android ported over to this thing. I actually went out and purchased it at Best Buy because I knew that I could go to xda-developers a week later and someone will post instructions on how to install Android. Didn't happen. Not sure why.
So please chime in on ideas on how to get the ball rolling. Who do we have to buy a Chromebook for to make this happen? Do we start a bounty?
Let's keep the xda-developer community going strong! Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As this is arm based I thought for sure there would be an android build for it, a cheaper asus transformer.. its a perfect platform really for Android - I am surprised there isn't more discussion on getting JB ported to this chromebook. Is there any interest?
It has the same Exynos 5 SoC as the Nexus 10, so it seems like it should be possible to get something working for it if it can be hacked to boot another OS. Seems like a kernel based off the Nexus 10 source would be possible.
Google doesn't want Android to be a desktop style OS which is part of the reason they ended the Motorola lapdock after they took over Motorola. But if this thing had Android on it for $249 its a pretty good deal considering it has an Exynos 5.
Samsung Chromebook A15 Exynos
There has been much progress porting Ubuntu Raring Ringtail and Quantal Quetzal to this thing. I look forward to being able to choose between running stable Android and stable Ubuntu (or other distros, even).
With that said, I think that although this device is selling out I'm not sure that enough of these users will be aware of how close this device is to being a true, first Android laptop. From benchmarks I've seen on Phoronix.com the Exynos Dual in this Samsung Series 3 XE303 Chromebook is at least twice as fast as the Tegra 3 Quad in processing and graphics tasks.
Many people don't seem to see the value of Android as a fuller OS that would flourish within a laptop hardware suite. I argue that it is because they do not see the possibilities that software such as ParanoidAndroid would allow for with it's per-app DPI settings and ability to force a Phone, Phablet, or Tablet UI for every single app you run. These features are core to getting the most productivity out of a Samsung XE303 running Android.
I do enjoy the ChromeOS/ChromiumOS interface much because it is simple enough to have a low learning curve, yet it has enough options available to it to be somewhat powerful in the productivity department. It is indeed lacking in its offline capabilities, though. And Android would fix those and then some.
I guess I should also mention that the latest 4.2.1 Android ninja tweaked the native support for gamepads including Sixaxis controllers and Xbow controllers. Now you can game with them for apps that support the controllers. Neat.
Android can be kind of awkward with mouse/keyboard input only. But its the app compatibility of Android which is the biggest selling point. Since it contains a very capable ARM SoC this thing should run all of the latest games on Android no problem.
I'm fairly sure that there are a large number of ASUS Transformer + Dock users that would say they are quite happy with the touchpad/keyboard input on Android 4+.
As for the touchpad and and keyboard on the XE303, it is STELLAR under ChromeOS. Getting it to match under Android is simply a matter of hardware tweaking.
All the Android apps and games I've purchased deserve to be utilized on this device.
+1 for this idea - just got my chromebook today!
disynthetic said:
There has been much progress porting Ubuntu Raring Ringtail and Quantal Quetzal to this thing. I look forward to being able to choose between running stable Android and stable Ubuntu (or other distros, even).
With that said, I think that although this device is selling out I'm not sure that enough of these users will be aware of how close this device is to being a true, first Android laptop. From benchmarks I've seen on Phoronix.com the Exynos Dual in this Samsung Series 3 XE303 Chromebook is at least twice as fast as the Tegra 3 Quad in processing and graphics tasks.
Many people don't seem to see the value of Android as a fuller OS that would flourish within a laptop hardware suite. I argue that it is because they do not see the possibilities that software such as ParanoidAndroid would allow for with it's per-app DPI settings and ability to force a Phone, Phablet, or Tablet UI for every single app you run. These features are core to getting the most productivity out of a Samsung XE303 running Android.
I do enjoy the ChromeOS/ChromiumOS interface much because it is simple enough to have a low learning curve, yet it has enough options available to it to be somewhat powerful in the productivity department. It is indeed lacking in its offline capabilities, though. And Android would fix those and then some.
I guess I should also mention that the latest 4.2.1 Android ninja tweaked the native support for gamepads including Sixaxis controllers and Xbow controllers. Now you can game with them for apps that support the controllers. Neat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who exactly is making progress and how do I sign up. How do we get a dedicated forum fired up for this? Let's get this party started, my chrome book should be in in Monday!
---------- Post added at 09:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 AM ----------
OK I answered my own question. The Ubuntu port instructions can be found here... http://chromeos-cr48.blogspot.com/2012/04/chrubuntu-1204-now-with-double-bits.html
I'd still love to see a JB port.
dbdrop said:
Who exactly is making progress and how do I sign up. How do we get a dedicated forum fired up for this? Let's get this party started, my chrome book should be in in Monday!
---------- Post added at 09:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 AM ----------
OK I answered my own question. The Ubuntu port instructions can be found here... http://chromeos-cr48.blogspot.com/2012/04/chrubuntu-1204-now-with-double-bits.html
I'd still love to see a JB port.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too... I was reading about the Chromebook and thought... ARM CPU needs Android. The games on ChromeOS look pretty damn awful and Android would also bring many emulators to life.. Amiga, Atari, DosBox, Nintendo... And you could do what ChromeOS does in Android but with all the Android extras.
If there was Android for the XE303 Chromebook I'd buy one tomorrow.. maybe two!
Texting
I do a lot of texting, hundreds and hundreds of messages a day.
The only tolerable way used to be Google Voice, but they recently lowered their daily sms limit (that limit is only imposed if you txt through a computer). So my new solution is this: tether my phone to a tablet that has TabletTalk and a keyboard and go at it from there. The Chromebook seemed like a good alternative to that route.
Please don't ignore the community that needs this.
I think JB on the chromebook would be beast. From the score ubuntu is beast! lol. I cant wait till its outta beta. I have had my CB for almost a week, Already bored with the OS. Cant do anything hardly. Time to flash already. Please keep the thread going as we keep it updated more will see and hopefully a dev will step up and tame this beast from the inside out. Thank you for starting this thread. :good::good:
Started working on this already seems the BOOT partition needs to be rewritten to work with UEFI...Anybody wanna help..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1951114&page=2
I wouldnt bet on a 12" ARM chromebook, rumors say some people at google are getting tired of the chromebook not getting enough traction and are thinking about axing the project, perhaps even the OS itself.
Personally I wouldn't care since they might finally realize the potential of android on laptops and launch a "Nexus 12"
Anyway, any news with the port?
MGREX said:
I wouldnt bet on a 12" ARM chromebook, rumors say some people at google are getting tired of the chromebook not getting enough traction and are thinking about axing the project, perhaps even the OS itself.
Personally I wouldn't care since they might finally realize the potential of android on laptops and launch a "Nexus 12"
Anyway, any news with the port?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think they would put Android on a laptop seeing as it's not optimized for that type of hardware, but don't get me wrong it would be sweet, however the OS might be able to take advantage of of certain Input controls such as Keyboard, Mouse, Flash Drives etc... most 3rd party apps wont support it or be optimized for it. However a Hybrid ChromeOS/Android may work very well where you have a Standard Chrome OS base with the Ability to run certain android Apps that have been written to take advantage of such input devices. As far as the OS itself it's actually Open source so in theory it should be possible to allow the running of android apps without Google them selves implementing it. it just might be a little challenging.
Figured I'd bump and share.
Got my CB a week or so ago and so far it's been a pretty good device for when I instantly need a new tab open in a desktop format so I can use a full site and keyboard. Today I loaded up the alpha Ubuntu 12.04 build and so far I'm thrilled that I got this full fledged desktop OS on a 250 dollar solid state machine. I might get another 1 or 2 lol
Android could make it even better, especially PA since it has the different layout settings.
Linux + Chrome + Android - $250 = dope laptop
theduce102 said:
Figured I'd bump and share.
Got my CB a week or so ago and so far it's been a pretty good device for when I instantly need a new tab open in a desktop format so I can use a full site and keyboard. Today I loaded up the alpha Ubuntu 12.04 build and so far I'm thrilled that I got this full fledged desktop OS on a 250 dollar solid state machine. I might get another 1 or 2 lol
Android could make it even better, especially PA since it has the different layout settings.
Linux + Chrome + Android - $250 = dope laptop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm waiting for Ubuntu to come off of beta and then I'm there!!!! Lol. Its badass for 250.00
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Anyone fancy attempting to get RISC OS running on this, as an alternative desktop OS?
trevj said:
Anyone fancy attempting to get RISC OS running on this, as an alternative desktop OS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would be nice....However got my hands full trying to get the N10 system image booting the CB..does look very interesting I might add.
rawtek said:
Would be nice....However got my hands full trying to get the N10 system image booting the CB..does look very interesting I might add.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Less posting, more developing!!! Seriously though, waiting and watching patiently... Good luck!
rawtek said:
hands full trying to get the N10 system image booting the CB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I expect you'll get there sooner or later - keep at it!
..does look very interesting I might add.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should fly on this thing, even only using a single core.
Hello XDA, I don't often venture out of the branded device forums so here goes nothing.
I have chronic nerve damage in both of my arms (primarily right arm which is my writing hand). I am going back to school this year and the pain seems to be getting worse. The most painful thing for my arm is without a doubt writing, and I am filing for a 504 plan to allow me to use some other method of typing besides writing.
So there's the back story, now here's my question.
I need a device (not necessarily android, but a tablet is one of the main contenders) that can give me a solid writing experience (keyboard or bust, a keyboard cover/accessory will suffice, but NO on screen typing), offer an all day battery life, is portable and easy to store, and can also double as a media device. I am sort of on a budget, but am already in the market for a tablet so I'm willing to spend some extra $ on this. 600$- maybe $800, preferably less obviously.
Note, I probably won't have internet access during school, so DRM is out of the question.
So here are the candidates.
Chromebook - don't know what the stance on DRM is for these nowadays, but I would love a Chromebook as they are cheap, have nice typing experiences, and have great battery life. Again, if anybody can pitch in on DRM for the Chromebook that would be great. All I need for school is a writing supplement so a word editing software will work fine. I'm also aware that you can install Ubuntu on a Chromebook and Ubuntu has the libro office.
Android tablet - I love android, and was very close to buying the new shield tablet a few weeks ago. I'm glad I didn't because that device doesn't have many solid accessories currently, but a device like the nexus 7 probably does. However, the writing programs on android are really lackluster and don't offer the precision of a real laptop
Surface tablet - this one is kind of a long shot, but if for some reason the school requires a windows os (which could be possibly) I would choose this over a standard laptop because it doubles as a tablet.
Cheap windows laptop - this one is self explanatory, a cheap run of the mill windows laptop would type fine, but would be dead useless to me outside of school and I already have a laptop (a Toshiba satellite that is massive and has a terrible battery life) for home. Also the tablet would probably be slow and have a terrible battery... and yeah, windows.
So there you go. Thank you for reading this, this is very important for me right now as starting school again has out me in a tremendous amount of pain from writing, and I would love to find a solid supplement that meats all of my goals.
Thanks,
William
Does anybody here have a keyboard accessory for an android tablet that they could recommend?
Bump :/
Hi,
I'm sorry I don't have any answer to your question, but since you're on the topic of typing and nerve damage, I thought I'll let you know about the Typematrix keyboards (http://www.typematrix.com/) that offer physical, ergonomic-layout keyboards such as Dvorak, Colemak and BÉPO, which are all designed to ease the pain (and up the speed) of typing. Learning to (touch-)type efficiently takes 4-8 weeks depending on the layout and the keyboards themselves aren't cheap (= in the $100-120 range), but if you value your health, I think it's worth it. Plus, the washable silicon skins are über soft and silent as well ! ^^
(I'm not affiliated with Typematrix in any way, but I give kudos when deserved )
wtoj34 said:
Hello XDA, I don't often venture out of the branded device forums so here goes nothing.
I have chronic nerve damage in both of my arms (primarily right arm which is my writing hand). I am going back to school this year and the pain seems to be getting worse. The most painful thing for my arm is without a doubt writing, and I am filing for a 504 plan to allow me to use some other method of typing besides writing.
So there's the back story, now here's my question.
I need a device (not necessarily android, but a tablet is one of the main contenders) that can give me a solid writing experience (keyboard or bust, a keyboard cover/accessory will suffice, but NO on screen typing), offer an all day battery life, is portable and easy to store, and can also double as a media device. I am sort of on a budget, but am already in the market for a tablet so I'm willing to spend some extra $ on this. 600$- maybe $800, preferably less obviously.
Note, I probably won't have internet access during school, so DRM is out of the question.
So here are the candidates.
Chromebook - don't know what the stance on DRM is for these nowadays, but I would love a Chromebook as they are cheap, have nice typing experiences, and have great battery life. Again, if anybody can pitch in on DRM for the Chromebook that would be great. All I need for school is a writing supplement so a word editing software will work fine. I'm also aware that you can install Ubuntu on a Chromebook and Ubuntu has the libro office.
Android tablet - I love android, and was very close to buying the new shield tablet a few weeks ago. I'm glad I didn't because that device doesn't have many solid accessories currently, but a device like the nexus 7 probably does. However, the writing programs on android are really lackluster and don't offer the precision of a real laptop
Surface tablet - this one is kind of a long shot, but if for some reason the school requires a windows os (which could be possibly) I would choose this over a standard laptop because it doubles as a tablet.
Cheap windows laptop - this one is self explanatory, a cheap run of the mill windows laptop would type fine, but would be dead useless to me outside of school and I already have a laptop (a Toshiba satellite that is massive and has a terrible battery life) for home. Also the tablet would probably be slow and have a terrible battery... and yeah, windows.
So there you go. Thank you for reading this, this is very important for me right now as starting school again has out me in a tremendous amount of pain from writing, and I would love to find a solid supplement that meats all of my goals.
Thanks,
William
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Dude
i guess there is many options to choose since the market is huge
i would suggest something like this : 10.1 Inch Tablet Pc Intel Atom Baytrail-T Z3735D 1.33Ghz Quad Core DDR3 2GB SSD 32GB Dual Cameras Ultrabook Win8 it comes as a tablet that you can attach to a base (proper qwerty keyboard and stand) 32gb storeage about $400
or this : samsung XE500T1C windows 8 Quad-core is equipped with a keyboard Bluetooth/WIFI *same kind of a deal but 64gb storage and more slick and "known" device about $600
and if you feel that you might need more than that here : Intel Core I5 + 4G DDR3 + 128GB SSD+ Bluetooth+3G * this one is about $730
also since u have one m8 you can have look at the app i use for documents WPS Office: PPT, DOC, XLS, PDF
and here u have a solution in case you would like to get any other tablet SEARCH FOR TABLET CASES WITH KEYBOARD
all these links work but i mainly gave them as examples since you might be able to get them devices locally/cheaper
Been a while but I'm back. Howdy folks
Yes, yes, I know, iOS works just fine on the iPad, why change it?
Why buy an apple device only to run android on it?
In short, it doesn't and I didn't.
In long form, iPad 1 runs no higher than iOS 5.1.1, meaning that I can literally download maybe 1 in 10 apps that I want. Most support only iOS 8.1 and up etc. Even jail broken, the only jail I've broken out of is my cell, but I'm still locked on my cell block.
The iPad's in question I purchased 7 years ago as gifts. One for my daughter, the other my brother in law. Both gave them back recently since there's little apps available for them and have upgraded to other android tablets. Being 7 years old however should NOT render a device useless, when physically it still works great. I have a 9 year old laptop running windows 7 which still works fine. Sure it can't run new games and software designed for newer, high end machines but its still very very usable. Like wise I have an old Galaxy tab 2 7.0, which Samsung never updated past 4.0.4 (still usable) but I run 4.4 kitkat on it thanks to none other than you lot at XDA.
Being able to run android on these old iPads would make them usable again. I know there has been some interest in this, iopenboot etc etc. I have not seen any XDA development on this, and given this is by far the hub of android development, I would love to find folks here interested in this project. I'm going to start digging around, see what this will entail. If anyone is interested in this project, let me know.
Much love.
Did you have any success with installing android on the Ipad 1 ?
The reason to try androd in such an old tab is just to support youtube...
I just wanted to share my experience with this device for anyone who is curious:
I went ahead and picked up the Chromebook Plus. I had initially thought of it as just a second laptop for quick web browsing. I was instead blown away at the ability to access the Google Play Store. I even side loaded F-Droid.
I managed to install all of the Office 365 mobile apps (some of them required side loading the apk). I also got Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the Spectrum TV App loaded (though the Spectrum app would pixelate and turn green from time to time). I also got Kodi running for Movies...
With Microsoft Remote Desktop app I can remote to my Windows PCs and Servers.
I'm going to see if I can get the thing to VPN into our Corporate Network.
According to settings it's running Android 6.0.1. I can't seem to change the device name (option not there). Also I had an issue with Outlook Mobile because of our MDM policy forcing a password and the device settings don't offer that option. I got around it using BlueMail.
Finally the Samsung Pen is wonderful. I like it better then the Surface Pen.
If there is anything someone wants me to try let me know, but so far I got more than I bargain for and may consider using this as a daily driver especially if I can get Kali Nethunter to work.
thanks for the comments! just got a chromebook plus today
Do you know what the metallic clip that comes in the box is for m
2x4 said:
Do you know what the metallic clip that comes in the box is for m
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is to pull the PEN's replaceable tips, the replacement tips are also included in the same bag.
---------- Post added at 10:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 AM ----------
I too got a Samsung Chromebook Plus to replace my Google Pixel C as a tablet with a more robust desktop class browser, with a real keyboard (although the Pixel C stock keyboard is fantastic and makes a world of difference using the Pixel C) track pad. I love the dual USB Type-C ports and the microSD slot. It's like getting a 12" tablet with all the extras.
So far I got most of my Android Apps installed. Except stuff that doesn't work like Widgets, Keyboards, and filemanagers (android apps cant access the microSD card).
Kodi Krypton 17 runs great in full screen immersive mode.
I initially bought an Open Box at Best Buy, the manager was nice enough to manually add in my $100 trade in. It was perfect until I closed it and noticed the bottom front edge was loose, like they didn't tighten 3 of the 4 screws down all the way, leaving a 0.3mm gap I could press down on the cover. Also with Open Box you risk the previous owner redeemed the offers. Google is giving buyers $20 Play Store credit and 100gb Drive storage for 2 years free. So I returned/exchanged it for a new one and paid the difference. (s/n 200,000)
The replacement had severe bluetooth interference. I could not listen to youtube videos without it constantly cutting out sitting in front of the unit, if I turned my head or moved it stuttered. I had to adjust my home wifi and it helped but still was unusable. As soon as I turned this unit on it forced an updated before setup. I mention this because it had issues running Facebook Live streams, which is one of the reasons I went for a Chromebook in the first place, to get a real browser.. It would pay 5-10 secs and get a "something went wrong". Note this happens with all the floor models / brands I tested at Best Buy. It does not happen with the Windows based laptops using Edge or Chrome Browser. So it's a ChromeOS issue. Also when the unit would auto sleep, sometimes it would not wake with the track pad, I had to press the keyboard. (s/n 100,00)
Went back to Best Buy and exchanged it for a higher s/n 200,000 model. Bluetooth works with very nominal stutter, I could walk several rooms away and it would still play fine. The track pad wakes the unit as it should without issue. But Facebook Live streams still only play 5-10 secs then pops up "something went wrong" on Stable channel 56.0.2924.110. So I decided to try switching to the Beta channel. It updated to 57.0.2987.85beta. I went to www.facebook.com/live to test random live streams, chose washington post's April the Giraffe stream and it played for a bit, switched to Michael Phelps live stream it played, went back to April the Giraffe and it gave the same error, I did a few refreshes and it would play and cut out, so it's random.. Again a ChromeOS issue. Live streams on YouTube play fine.
The keyboard is really good. I like the tactile response and clicky-ness compared to the other demo units. The smaller than usual and smaller than other keys tab and backspace are ackward being used to having huge ones on other keyboards. I do tend to have to look and miss, hitting the lock button instead at times. The track pad is great, some mention their finger gets stuck. I say let it "break in", once you get some finger smeg / smoot on it's surface it glides. The Pen is great fun, especially useful when my fingers feel oily, to touch the screen.. The speed and responsiveness is great in ChromeOS and android apps run fine.
I am really happy with it, hopefully Google fixes the issue with ChromeOS, it worked perfect last week before the update.
I am now looking for some type of folio and or skin, as well as a nice Tempered Glass Screen Protector /poke @intelliARMOR
If you have any suggestions or question feel free to ask, I would be willing to answer as well.
For those who own this laptop I wanted to get some advice.
I'm still in love with this laptop. I'm still in awe that I can run Android Apps on this Chromebook. This laptop has become my 2nd device (close to my go to) for everything.
Now here is where i'm having trouble. I read about the upcoming Samsung Chromebook Pro. It runs Intel instead of ARM and cost an extra $$$.
Now I would like to install a linux distro on it. I see that there aren't many ARM supported distros. So the question is should I:
1. Hold on to the Chromebook Plus and hope someone will make a good Linux ARM distro
2. Return the Chromebook Plus and pick up the Chromebook Pro
Thanks in advance..
I have Xenial/xfce running on it through crouton. I'm not even close to being an expert on ubuntu, but it seems to be working ok, with a couple querks (which may be me not understanding linux).
Sent from my kevin using Tapatalk
what's the benefit of getting the netflix or amazon prime video android app if you can simply use the website btw?
---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 PM ----------
also, are you using smart lock with an android phone successfully on your chromebook?
Well I found a bug. I think it's within in ARC itself. ARC doesn't come with Device Manager (Settings >> Personal >> Services >> Device Manager) Missing the Device Management feature dwarfs the ability to get MDM going on it. With out MDM I can't access my Corporate Office 365 E-Mail using the Outlook Mobile App. (I ended up resorting to good old OWA for now).
I also learned that if you wanted to install an APK from the Google Play Store that is "not compatible" with your device, you will need to move your Chromebook in Developer Mode. It is only in this mode you can install APKs from unknown sources.
Sadly I had to give up the laptop and returned it today (grudgingly) . I was unaware that a "Pro" version was coming out in April with an Intel chip. While the ARM-OP1 can hold its own to everything I threw at it, the area that I'm concerned with the very limited options of Linux for ARM. So I'm going to wait out the next few weeks till I can get it. I heard April 12th so I'll report sometime then.
Did you have to enable developer mode to install the APKs?
Nice write up, thank you. I am currently really struggling with my decision on what to get next between the Pixel C, Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, Acer R13, Samsung Plus/Pro. I am coming from the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 and as you can see, I am struggling on whether to go with a Tablet or a Chromebook.
Of course the best of all worlds would be a Chromebook with a detachable screen, but then I would probably have to wait another year. Any advice? Is it awkward/hard to use this while laying in bed in tablet mode?
I am using the Samsung Chromebook Plus. I also have the Note 10.1 2014. If you do use the stylus on the Note, the Samsung Chromebook Plus (SC+) also comes with a stylus.
The SC+ is a little larger than the Note and, thus, a little heavier.
The SC+ runs Chromeos but also runs Android apps.
While in bed, I lay on my back, while reading an ebook or surfing the web. So holding the SC+ as a tablet is a little awkward, because of the weight. However, keeping the SC+ as a laptop, I prop the keyboard portion of the SC+ on my belly, taking the weight off my hands and arms. I adjust the sceen to my liking. When I need to shift to my side, it's already in laptop mode, so I would adjust my screen again to my liking while resting on the bed.
The lightest Android tablet I have is the Sony Xperia Z4 tablet. It is really light weight. While I like this tablet, I'm moving more towards the SC+ for everyday use, because of the keyboard portion.
Sent from my Samsung Chromebook Plus using Tapatalk
I love mine, depite a few little problems with Linux support.
Work offered to buy us gadgets with some left-over funds. I decided to go for this beast, as my iPad 2 and previous Samsung Chromebook (2015 version) had both died recently.
My thoughts:
Android stuff works pretty well so far. ChromeOS has matured a bit, but Android App Store is very welcome. The screen is huge & gorgeous, way too bright, and the keyboard is decent.
It didn't take me long to decide to put it in Developer mode -- I needed a fuller Linux than stock provides (no zsh?!?) -- and got Crouton up and running with no trouble.
The first Linux distro that I found with explicit support for this new box was ArchArm, I'm a Red Hat admin by trade and a Debian/embedded tinkerer by hobby, so I was a bit confused by Arch's way of doing things. Still, it's a solid distro, and once I got dhcpcd running on a USB ethernet dongle, I was able to get the bits I needed to feel more comfortable.
Incidentally, I tried several Desktop Environments, (at work I use xfce4 on RHEL7.3) and decided that Cinnamon is far and away the best fit for the CB+. It has built-in support for the HiDPi touch display & touchpad, and is easy enough to add the keyboard shortcuts to mimic most of the special Google-style keys.
I installed Arch on the SD card, so at the boot screen I can hit ctrl-u to boot linux or ctrl-d to boot into ChromeOS dev mode.
Two caveats: I have not had time or much reason to play with the stylus, in either environment, you'll need someone else's opinion for that.
Second, strangely, although wifi works under Arch, the reception is much, much weaker than under ChromeOS. I'm still investigating this, I know a magnesium-framed, aluminum-shelled device is going to be at a disadvantage with RF, but the mimo wifi setup works well under ChromeOS, so I assume it'll get better as Arch matures.
I'd give it an A as a Chromebook, B as a general Linux box, B+ as an Android device, and I expect the Bs to come up with patches.
So far I love mine for all of the reasons everyone . I am coming from an older Chromebook. My only issue is that sometimes the screen stays black after opening the Chromebook from a powered down state. I have to hold the power button down to get the power off, shut the screen and wait 10-20 seconds to try again. Is anyone else seeing this issue?
I'm so glad I found this thread. I just bought a Samsung Chromebook and didn't even know about the free offers like the Google Play Music, Drive Storage and $20 Play Credit. Today was the last day to redeem them too. Thanks for the info.
Sent from my caroline using Tapatalk
I have had this laptop for a few months now, and have tried several things on it. Linux, dev mode, constant blowing it away...etc.
I will say this. I really had hope that this addition of android play store would help me change the way I work.... and you know what.... IT DID.
Now with all things there are trade offs, etc... and this laptop is no different, but as the months go by, the apps are getting better and better. There are very few apps that now have issues with the Samsung Chromebook Plus. It takes just about everything I have thrown at it, even playing command and conquest and GTA vice city.
I think of this laptop as a tablet with a perm keyboard for those times I need to lift a little heavier or quicker. The Pen is fantastic.
If you want a complete replacement, this laptop comes pretty dang close. If you are willing to think out of the box, this could easily be your next favorite goto.
Next steps for me... I would really like to nuke this thing and get an actual android OS kernel booting on it, with everything working. More on that later.
could you make a tutorial on how to install linux on the samsung chromebook plus?
docwebhead said:
Work offered to buy us gadgets with some left-over funds. I decided to go for this beast, as my iPad 2 and previous Samsung Chromebook (2015 version) had both died recently.
My thoughts:
Android stuff works pretty well so far. ChromeOS has matured a bit, but Android App Store is very welcome. The screen is huge & gorgeous, way too bright, and the keyboard is decent.
It didn't take me long to decide to put it in Developer mode -- I needed a fuller Linux than stock provides (no zsh?!?) -- and got Crouton up and running with no trouble.
The first Linux distro that I found with explicit support for this new box was ArchArm, I'm a Red Hat admin by trade and a Debian/embedded tinkerer by hobby, so I was a bit confused by Arch's way of doing things. Still, it's a solid distro, and once I got dhcpcd running on a USB ethernet dongle, I was able to get the bits I needed to feel more comfortable.
Incidentally, I tried several Desktop Environments, (at work I use xfce4 on RHEL7.3) and decided that Cinnamon is far and away the best fit for the CB+. It has built-in support for the HiDPi touch display & touchpad, and is easy enough to add the keyboard shortcuts to mimic most of the special Google-style keys.
I installed Arch on the SD card, so at the boot screen I can hit ctrl-u to boot linux or ctrl-d to boot into ChromeOS dev mode.
Two caveats: I have not had time or much reason to play with the stylus, in either environment, you'll need someone else's opinion for that.
Second, strangely, although wifi works under Arch, the reception is much, much weaker than under ChromeOS. I'm still investigating this, I know a magnesium-framed, aluminum-shelled device is going to be at a disadvantage with RF, but the mimo wifi setup works well under ChromeOS, so I assume it'll get better as Arch matures.
I'd give it an A as a Chromebook, B as a general Linux box, B+ as an Android device, and I expect the Bs to come up with patches.
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Click to collapse
[ive tried multiple times to install 4 different type of linux os with no success if you would be so kind as to help me it would be very appreciated. something light, but wholesome.]
2.4G wifi Problems
I love the chromebook plus with one exception....2.4G wifi has been almost unusable. I have tried with 4 different routers, but I am unable to get more than 2 to 3Mbps no matter how close I am to the router. Range is awful. Every other device gets over 70Mbps under the same conditions. 5G works much better but still doesn't perform as well as most other devices.
Has anybody else experienced extremely poor performance with 2.4G wifi? Any suggestions?
Thanks
sstea said:
I love the chromebook plus with one exception....2.4G wifi has been almost unusable. I have tried with 4 different routers, but I am unable to get more than 2 to 3Mbps no matter how close I am to the router. Range is awful. Every other device gets over 70Mbps under the same conditions. 5G works much better but still doesn't perform as well as most other devices.
Has anybody else experienced extremely poor performance with 2.4G wifi? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turned out to be a defective unit. Exchanged for another Chromebook Plus. 2.4G working properly now. Overall Wifi performance is still not very good compared to other devices.
Guys, I am planning to buy Chromebook Plus as well. How has your experience been since you bought it?
Any tips, accessory recommendations etc
legendnexus said:
Guys, I am planning to buy Chromebook Plus as well. How has your experience been since you bought it?
Any tips, accessory recommendations etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pretty amazing
only downside is I can't consistently use Smart Unlock for Chromebook with my OnePlus 3 or Pixel 2 XL