Best note-taking setup with tablet and keyboard?
Started by Dr Andus
on 1/3/2014
Dr Andus
1/12/2014 1:32 am
MadaboutDana wrote:
It turns out that if you have a valid UK student email address, you can get the GBP279 machine (with free 3G+) for GBP251.10 at the HP UK Student Store. However, the waiting time for the white version is 3-4 weeks at the moment...
Oh, and direct from HP as well, also at £280 (but that includes 3G+
support):
http://h20386.www2.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=F1W28EA&opt=ABU&sel=PCNB
It turns out that if you have a valid UK student email address, you can get the GBP279 machine (with free 3G+) for GBP251.10 at the HP UK Student Store. However, the waiting time for the white version is 3-4 weeks at the moment...
Dr Andus
1/31/2014 1:27 pm
MadaboutDana wrote:
Bill, thanks so much for this recommendation. I went for the HP Chromebook 14 (3G+ version), and I'm very happy with my decision.
Regarding my note-taking needs, it fit the bill, as it has a great keyboard, it's instantly on from sleep, and a single charge lasts for several days (similar to my iPad use). I've trialled several Chrome apps for writing, and chose Writebox:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/writebox/bbehjmjchoiaglkeboicbgkpfafcmhij
It's free, it works offline, it saves as you type, it's distraction-free (WriteMonkey-like), you can adjust the width and hight of the lines and colours, syncs with Dropbox and Google Drive, has Markdown preview, and there are on-screen stats (word count etc.). I couldn't ask for more.
I also use Text (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/text/mmfbcljfglbokpmkimbfghdkjmjhdgbg if I need another text editor window.
The WorkFlowy offline Chrome app is the other killer app for outlining and todos.
One very pleasant surprise was the Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD):
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp
This allows me to access my home PC with three monitors (extended desktops), which works really well in full-screen mode, as I just need to slide my finger on the touchpad and I can move from monitor to monitor, so it works as if I was using a desktop extender software on Chromebook. I know that there are some remote apps for the iPad as well, but I can't imagine that they give as much control as CRD does. Other than some AutoHotkey combinations, so far everything worked.
This really changes my view of ChromeOS. I think there is a lot more going on here than just selling a web browsing machine to children and grandparents.
Having said that, I still need to test CRD more extensively. E.g. I don't know how easy it would be reconnect if let's say Chrome crashes on the PC during a remote session. And there is the risk that some well-meaning family member switches off the internet connection or your PC at home while you're out an about... :)
Nevertheless, for now I don't feel the need to install Linux, given the CRD functionality.
And then it's of course incredibly fast for browsing. By far the fastest machine in the household.
Oh, yes. I know that all the Google stuff is effectively spyware. I don't particularly like that but I'm willing to trade some info for the cheap price and free apps. But I installed AdBlock and hardly see any advertisements, so not sure if they'll make that much money on me ;)
Worth checking out the new HP Chromebook 14, too, which has had some
very good reviews (4GB, 2 x USB 3.0, 9.5 hours battery life, 14" screen
- available now). In the UK, selling for a very reasonable £250.
It's the battery life that's got me interested - something like a
Chromebook really has to have a good battery life, otherwise what's the
point?
Bill, thanks so much for this recommendation. I went for the HP Chromebook 14 (3G+ version), and I'm very happy with my decision.
Regarding my note-taking needs, it fit the bill, as it has a great keyboard, it's instantly on from sleep, and a single charge lasts for several days (similar to my iPad use). I've trialled several Chrome apps for writing, and chose Writebox:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/writebox/bbehjmjchoiaglkeboicbgkpfafcmhij
It's free, it works offline, it saves as you type, it's distraction-free (WriteMonkey-like), you can adjust the width and hight of the lines and colours, syncs with Dropbox and Google Drive, has Markdown preview, and there are on-screen stats (word count etc.). I couldn't ask for more.
I also use Text (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/text/mmfbcljfglbokpmkimbfghdkjmjhdgbg if I need another text editor window.
The WorkFlowy offline Chrome app is the other killer app for outlining and todos.
One very pleasant surprise was the Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD):
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp
This allows me to access my home PC with three monitors (extended desktops), which works really well in full-screen mode, as I just need to slide my finger on the touchpad and I can move from monitor to monitor, so it works as if I was using a desktop extender software on Chromebook. I know that there are some remote apps for the iPad as well, but I can't imagine that they give as much control as CRD does. Other than some AutoHotkey combinations, so far everything worked.
This really changes my view of ChromeOS. I think there is a lot more going on here than just selling a web browsing machine to children and grandparents.
Having said that, I still need to test CRD more extensively. E.g. I don't know how easy it would be reconnect if let's say Chrome crashes on the PC during a remote session. And there is the risk that some well-meaning family member switches off the internet connection or your PC at home while you're out an about... :)
Nevertheless, for now I don't feel the need to install Linux, given the CRD functionality.
And then it's of course incredibly fast for browsing. By far the fastest machine in the household.
Oh, yes. I know that all the Google stuff is effectively spyware. I don't particularly like that but I'm willing to trade some info for the cheap price and free apps. But I installed AdBlock and hardly see any advertisements, so not sure if they'll make that much money on me ;)
jimspoon
1/31/2014 1:51 pm
very interesting, Dr. Andus. from what I can tell the HP Chromebook 14 does not have a touchscreen?
Interested in your use of Chrome Remote Desktop. What OS is your home pc running?
Interested in your use of Chrome Remote Desktop. What OS is your home pc running?
Dr Andus
1/31/2014 2:12 pm
jimspoon wrote:
No touchscreen, but the touchpad is quite large and supports multi-touch gestures, so it's almost like doing touchscreen gestures without having to lift your hand.
Windows 7, 64-bit. Originally I thought the Chromebook would replace my iPad 1, but it looks like it will also replace my Win XP netbook, as I no longer have to sync it with my PC to have my work with me, but can directly access my PC instead. This turns your PC into a cloud server almost, as you can access all your files and applications.
I was amazed that even PhraseExpander worked when I started typing on my PC via the Chromebook.
To also mention the cons, the screen with its 1366 x 768 resolution is its weakest point, if you're used to HD and retina displays. It won't give you a cinematic experience. But for writing, browsing, and remote desktop, it's perfectly fine. Also, it's a bit on the heavy side. At the same time it's a full-size laptop in terms of screen size and keyboard size, and the bigger battery gives you more mileage.
There are also two vents at the bottom for the processor, so I'd recommend to use it with a laptop riser to allow it to breathe, if you want to use it on your lap or in bed. But the fans are very quiet, I barely notice them.
One thing I noticed with CRD is that since I started using it, my PC told me that Aero was slowing it down and offered to shut it off and use a default colour scheme. I tried it and my PC got faster even when I wasn't using CRD. But I'm not entirely sure that the two are related. It might have just been a coincidence.
from what I can tell the HP Chromebook 14
does not have a touchscreen?
No touchscreen, but the touchpad is quite large and supports multi-touch gestures, so it's almost like doing touchscreen gestures without having to lift your hand.
Interested in your use of Chrome Remote Desktop. What OS is your home
pc running?
Windows 7, 64-bit. Originally I thought the Chromebook would replace my iPad 1, but it looks like it will also replace my Win XP netbook, as I no longer have to sync it with my PC to have my work with me, but can directly access my PC instead. This turns your PC into a cloud server almost, as you can access all your files and applications.
I was amazed that even PhraseExpander worked when I started typing on my PC via the Chromebook.
To also mention the cons, the screen with its 1366 x 768 resolution is its weakest point, if you're used to HD and retina displays. It won't give you a cinematic experience. But for writing, browsing, and remote desktop, it's perfectly fine. Also, it's a bit on the heavy side. At the same time it's a full-size laptop in terms of screen size and keyboard size, and the bigger battery gives you more mileage.
There are also two vents at the bottom for the processor, so I'd recommend to use it with a laptop riser to allow it to breathe, if you want to use it on your lap or in bed. But the fans are very quiet, I barely notice them.
One thing I noticed with CRD is that since I started using it, my PC told me that Aero was slowing it down and offered to shut it off and use a default colour scheme. I tried it and my PC got faster even when I wasn't using CRD. But I'm not entirely sure that the two are related. It might have just been a coincidence.
Dr Andus
1/31/2014 2:48 pm
While I'm at it, another big CON with ChromeOS and Chromebooks is that there is no proper support for annotating PDFs or even viewing the annotations. Even the few online services for this seem inadequate (if there are more than 100 pages and loads of annotations or beyond certain file sizes). So the only decent option would be to use one's PC with Chrome Remote Desktop. I'll be keeping my iPad 1 for reading and annotating PDFs offline.
MadaboutDana
1/31/2014 3:01 pm
Dang! That sounds really exciting! I've used CRD to interact with remote colleagues (with PC issues), but I didn't realise it handled multiple monitors so well - I use three myself, so that sounds seriously interesting.
The PDF thing is, on the other hand, a bit of a downer. Sounds like a little exploration is required; I'm sure there'll be some online solution somewhere. We use Kerio Workspace in-house, which has neat document previews (also of PDFs), but you have to docs to your local machine to do anything serious with them.
If you're prepared to run your own server, you might want to check out something like Atlassian Confluence (available for just USD 10.00); it has pretty sophisticated document handling, but I'm not sure how well it treats PDF annotations.
But what a great excuse for a little CRIMPing research!
I'm delighted the machine is so satisfactory - I've been eyeing it with increasing interest after having to battle with an attempted Cryptolocker takeover here (fortunately our PCs are all protected by Foolish IT's CryptoPrevent and Malwarebytes, but it was very scary for a while!). The temptation to just go all-Mac is considerable - until one looks at the budgets involved, and eyes up the really very nice Windows machines available for really very modest prices. And now... Chromebooks...
If you really need those PDFs on your system, you might want to look at the various options for installing dual-booting Linux on your Chromebook (booting from USB drive appears to be the way to go).
Cheers!
Bill
The PDF thing is, on the other hand, a bit of a downer. Sounds like a little exploration is required; I'm sure there'll be some online solution somewhere. We use Kerio Workspace in-house, which has neat document previews (also of PDFs), but you have to docs to your local machine to do anything serious with them.
If you're prepared to run your own server, you might want to check out something like Atlassian Confluence (available for just USD 10.00); it has pretty sophisticated document handling, but I'm not sure how well it treats PDF annotations.
But what a great excuse for a little CRIMPing research!
I'm delighted the machine is so satisfactory - I've been eyeing it with increasing interest after having to battle with an attempted Cryptolocker takeover here (fortunately our PCs are all protected by Foolish IT's CryptoPrevent and Malwarebytes, but it was very scary for a while!). The temptation to just go all-Mac is considerable - until one looks at the budgets involved, and eyes up the really very nice Windows machines available for really very modest prices. And now... Chromebooks...
If you really need those PDFs on your system, you might want to look at the various options for installing dual-booting Linux on your Chromebook (booting from USB drive appears to be the way to go).
Cheers!
Bill
Dr Andus
1/31/2014 3:56 pm
MadaboutDana wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions. It's not a big deal for me at the moment. For certain tasks the tablet form factor will always be better than a full laptop, such as reading ebooks and annotating PDFs. Yes, I'd probably install ChrUbuntu, if it becomes an issue.
But I suspect that Google will be forced to address this issue fairly soon. US school districts seem to be switching over from Windows to Chromebooks en mass, buying them by the thousands. (I suspect that's why HP is having difficulty supplying demand in the UK. One has to wait for several weeks for a white one at that price.) And more and more teachers are starting to complain that the new system forced onto them doesn't have PDF annotations and form-filling, which apparently is a popular way to mark homework etc. So we just need some more angry teachers :)
If you really need those PDFs on your system, you might want to look at
the various options for installing dual-booting Linux on your Chromebook
(booting from USB drive appears to be the way to go).
Thanks for the suggestions. It's not a big deal for me at the moment. For certain tasks the tablet form factor will always be better than a full laptop, such as reading ebooks and annotating PDFs. Yes, I'd probably install ChrUbuntu, if it becomes an issue.
But I suspect that Google will be forced to address this issue fairly soon. US school districts seem to be switching over from Windows to Chromebooks en mass, buying them by the thousands. (I suspect that's why HP is having difficulty supplying demand in the UK. One has to wait for several weeks for a white one at that price.) And more and more teachers are starting to complain that the new system forced onto them doesn't have PDF annotations and form-filling, which apparently is a popular way to mark homework etc. So we just need some more angry teachers :)
Franz Grieser
2/1/2014 12:20 pm
Dottore.
Does that mean, you can e.g. control ConnectedText or any other Windows application running on your desktop PC from the Chromebook? That would be really cool.
One very pleasant surprise was the Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD):
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp
This allows me to access my home PC with three monitors (extended desktops), which works really well in full-screen mode,...
Does that mean, you can e.g. control ConnectedText or any other Windows application running on your desktop PC from the Chromebook? That would be really cool.
MadaboutDana
2/1/2014 12:40 pm
Yup, that's exactly what it means. I have a German colleague working several hundred miles away: CRD allows me to take control of her computer to sort out problems, install software, or simply demonstrate something.
For some reason, it's not well known. But it works very well - and even better, it's cross-platform!
For some reason, it's not well known. But it works very well - and even better, it's cross-platform!
Dr Andus
2/1/2014 1:15 pm
Franz Grieser wrote:
Yes. In a way this was already possible with apps like TeamViewer before, however you'd either need someone at the other end to type in IDs and passwords or the screen quality was so poor that you'd never actually want to do any proper work on the remote PC other than fix a few things.
What's different with the Chromebook + PC combo via CRD is that as long as your remote PC is on and the internet connection is on (and you have installed Chrome and CRD on that PC beforehand and paired it with your Chromebook), it will only take typing one numerical password to establish the connection.
The other difference is the high quality of the transmission (at least on the HP Chromebook 14), and the ability to move from monitor to monitor on the remote PC. Depending on the quality of the internet connection, there might still be a bit of a lag when typing, but otherwise I was perfectly able to work in CT, and PhraseExpander may have even helped for me not to be bothered about the lag.
You may have trouble running software this way that rely on some special hotkey combinations (or on AutoHotkey), in cases where those keys might not be available on the Chromebook keyboard (although it seems to be possible to send over hotkey combinations too, I just haven't figured out how to add mine to the ones that are already in CRD).
Does that mean, you can e.g. control ConnectedText or any other Windows
application running on your desktop PC from the Chromebook? That would
be really cool.
Yes. In a way this was already possible with apps like TeamViewer before, however you'd either need someone at the other end to type in IDs and passwords or the screen quality was so poor that you'd never actually want to do any proper work on the remote PC other than fix a few things.
What's different with the Chromebook + PC combo via CRD is that as long as your remote PC is on and the internet connection is on (and you have installed Chrome and CRD on that PC beforehand and paired it with your Chromebook), it will only take typing one numerical password to establish the connection.
The other difference is the high quality of the transmission (at least on the HP Chromebook 14), and the ability to move from monitor to monitor on the remote PC. Depending on the quality of the internet connection, there might still be a bit of a lag when typing, but otherwise I was perfectly able to work in CT, and PhraseExpander may have even helped for me not to be bothered about the lag.
You may have trouble running software this way that rely on some special hotkey combinations (or on AutoHotkey), in cases where those keys might not be available on the Chromebook keyboard (although it seems to be possible to send over hotkey combinations too, I just haven't figured out how to add mine to the ones that are already in CRD).
Franz Grieser
2/1/2014 1:53 pm
Thanks. Sounds good.
In Teamviewer (at least when I last used it) this would be much more complicated.
In Teamviewer (at least when I last used it) this would be much more complicated.
Dr Andus
2/2/2014 11:53 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
It turns out Chromebook does have a solution to this problem:
"Because Chrome Remote Desktop runs in Chrome and Chrome reserves certain keyboard shortcuts for its own use, by default these shortcuts won’t be sent to your remote computer.
However you can override this default behavior by right-clicking the Chrome Remote Desktop icon in the Applications list and choosing "Open in Window". In this mode nearly all keyboard shortcuts will be sent to your remote computer."
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1649523?hl=en
My only other concern regarding remote access, which one can only check on a case-by-case basis, is the following:
"If your computer is on a corporate network, check whether your company’s network security policies prevent access to outside services that rely on peer-to-peer (P2P) connections (“NAT Traversal” policies). If so, you won't be able to use the Chrome Remote Desktop app. This restriction applies when you and the other computer are not on the same corporate network."
You may have trouble running software this way that rely on some special
hotkey combinations (or on AutoHotkey), in cases where those keys might
not be available on the Chromebook keyboard.
It turns out Chromebook does have a solution to this problem:
"Because Chrome Remote Desktop runs in Chrome and Chrome reserves certain keyboard shortcuts for its own use, by default these shortcuts won’t be sent to your remote computer.
However you can override this default behavior by right-clicking the Chrome Remote Desktop icon in the Applications list and choosing "Open in Window". In this mode nearly all keyboard shortcuts will be sent to your remote computer."
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1649523?hl=en
My only other concern regarding remote access, which one can only check on a case-by-case basis, is the following:
"If your computer is on a corporate network, check whether your company’s network security policies prevent access to outside services that rely on peer-to-peer (P2P) connections (“NAT Traversal” policies). If so, you won't be able to use the Chrome Remote Desktop app. This restriction applies when you and the other computer are not on the same corporate network."
Dr Andus
4/3/2014 7:25 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
Well, the joys of working in the cloud... About a week ago Google released an update to the CRD app, and it totally broke the multi-monitor setup. It took them 2 or 3 days to release a fix, which then broke another feature of the app, so it's still unusable on some systems. So it's been 7 days now or more, and I haven't been able to make full use of the Chromebook for remote work.
I guess these are the situations to prepare for when one decides to shift to the cloud. It can create a major disruption to your plans when things go down, such as literally preventing you from working in the locations you were planning to work in. I have to say it's very disappointing that it's taking this long for Google to fix it, especially considering the kind of resources available to them that they could throw at this problem. I guess even a few hundred or thousand people complaining is not going to make big waves, if you're used to dealing with hundreds of millions or billions of customers.
One very pleasant surprise was the Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD):
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp
This allows me to access my home PC with three monitors (extended
desktops), which works really well in full-screen mode, as I just need
to slide my finger on the touchpad and I can move from monitor to
monitor, so it works as if I was using a desktop extender software on
Chromebook.
Well, the joys of working in the cloud... About a week ago Google released an update to the CRD app, and it totally broke the multi-monitor setup. It took them 2 or 3 days to release a fix, which then broke another feature of the app, so it's still unusable on some systems. So it's been 7 days now or more, and I haven't been able to make full use of the Chromebook for remote work.
I guess these are the situations to prepare for when one decides to shift to the cloud. It can create a major disruption to your plans when things go down, such as literally preventing you from working in the locations you were planning to work in. I have to say it's very disappointing that it's taking this long for Google to fix it, especially considering the kind of resources available to them that they could throw at this problem. I guess even a few hundred or thousand people complaining is not going to make big waves, if you're used to dealing with hundreds of millions or billions of customers.
Ken
4/4/2014 3:45 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
I am sorry to hear about your problem. IMHO, Google has among the worst cases of corporate ADD when it comes to fixes and releases. They are seem to be introducing something new, but rarely do they fix known problems that seem to impact large numbers of users. This is also a huge issue with Adobe's Creative Cloud model. You have little control over pushed updates, and are at their mercy if what they release has problems. I wish you luck.
--Ken
I guess these are the situations to prepare for when one decides to
shift to the cloud. It can create a major disruption to your plans when
things go down, such as literally preventing you from working in the
locations you were planning to work in. I have to say it's very
disappointing that it's taking this long for Google to fix it,
especially considering the kind of resources available to them that they
could throw at this problem. I guess even a few hundred or thousand
people complaining is not going to make big waves, if you're used to
dealing with hundreds of millions or billions of customers.
I am sorry to hear about your problem. IMHO, Google has among the worst cases of corporate ADD when it comes to fixes and releases. They are seem to be introducing something new, but rarely do they fix known problems that seem to impact large numbers of users. This is also a huge issue with Adobe's Creative Cloud model. You have little control over pushed updates, and are at their mercy if what they release has problems. I wish you luck.
--Ken
Dr Andus
4/4/2014 4:59 pm
Ken wrote:
Thanks for the sympathy :) You're absolutely right. This is a big problem with this cloud model. The cloud operator can break your app or device by pushing a faulty update, effectively rendering it useless and forcing you to buy a new device or preventing you from doing some tasks.
Ironically that's why I bought the Chromebook: to get out of the iOS system where Apple kept "updating" my apps on my old iPad so they became unusable. Fortunately the rest of the Chromebook still works fine, it's just that this remote app was a truly brilliant feature, until they broke it...
I am sorry to hear about your problem. IMHO, Google has among the worst
cases of corporate ADD when it comes to fixes and releases. They are
seem to be introducing something new, but rarely do they fix known
problems that seem to impact large numbers of users. This is also a
huge issue with Adobe's Creative Cloud model. You have little control
over pushed updates, and are at their mercy if what they release has
problems. I wish you luck.
Thanks for the sympathy :) You're absolutely right. This is a big problem with this cloud model. The cloud operator can break your app or device by pushing a faulty update, effectively rendering it useless and forcing you to buy a new device or preventing you from doing some tasks.
Ironically that's why I bought the Chromebook: to get out of the iOS system where Apple kept "updating" my apps on my old iPad so they became unusable. Fortunately the rest of the Chromebook still works fine, it's just that this remote app was a truly brilliant feature, until they broke it...
Dr Andus
4/4/2014 6:55 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
Well, it took them a week, but Chrome Remote Desktop 34.0.1847.90 update finally fixed the problem, so I'm back to being a happy bunny--though a much warier bunny, when it comes to the cloud...
Fortunately the rest of the Chromebook still works fine, it's
just that this remote app was a truly brilliant feature, until they
broke it...
Well, it took them a week, but Chrome Remote Desktop 34.0.1847.90 update finally fixed the problem, so I'm back to being a happy bunny--though a much warier bunny, when it comes to the cloud...
Dr Andus
1/13/2015 8:37 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
Well, apparently Google has now released CRD for iOS as well, and the first reviews seem positive:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chrome-remote-desktop/id944025852
More on this here:
"Google Brings Chrome Remote Desktop To iOS; Access Your Desktop from iPhone or iPad"
http://www.chromestory.com/2015/01/google-brings-chrome-remote-desktop-ios-access-desktop-iphone-ipad/
One very pleasant surprise was the Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD):
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp
This allows me to access my home PC with three monitors (extended
desktops), which works really well in full-screen mode, as I just need
to slide my finger on the touchpad and I can move from monitor to
monitor, so it works as if I was using a desktop extender software on
Chromebook. I know that there are some remote apps for the iPad as well,
but I can't imagine that they give as much control as CRD does.
Well, apparently Google has now released CRD for iOS as well, and the first reviews seem positive:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chrome-remote-desktop/id944025852
"Google Brings Chrome Remote Desktop To iOS; Access Your Desktop from iPhone or iPad"
http://www.chromestory.com/2015/01/google-brings-chrome-remote-desktop-ios-access-desktop-iphone-ipad/
Dr Andus
7/11/2015 12:12 am
MadaboutDana wrote:
I think this was the device I was looking for, it just wasn't invented yet :)
http://www.itworld.com/article/2940440/open-source-tools/first-look-asus-chromebook-flip.html
Unfortunately my HP Chromebook 14 (1st gen) is still in perfect working order (thanks for the tip, btw), so it's hard to justify getting the Flip--though it would be a lot more portable for sure...
I also got a Hudl 2 since then, to try out Android, but I agree with the reviewer that I'd rather see tablets using Chrome OS than Chromebooks using more Android. It's just sooo much less hassle using Chrome OS... Yes, I'm a Chromie now, and it's partly your fault, Bill! ;)
Worth checking out the new HP Chromebook 14, too, which has had some
very good reviews (4GB, 2 x USB 3.0, 9.5 hours battery life, 14" screen
- available now). In the UK, selling for a very reasonable £250.
I think this was the device I was looking for, it just wasn't invented yet :)
http://www.itworld.com/article/2940440/open-source-tools/first-look-asus-chromebook-flip.html
Unfortunately my HP Chromebook 14 (1st gen) is still in perfect working order (thanks for the tip, btw), so it's hard to justify getting the Flip--though it would be a lot more portable for sure...
I also got a Hudl 2 since then, to try out Android, but I agree with the reviewer that I'd rather see tablets using Chrome OS than Chromebooks using more Android. It's just sooo much less hassle using Chrome OS... Yes, I'm a Chromie now, and it's partly your fault, Bill! ;)
Stephen Zeoli
7/11/2015 12:11 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
I think this was the device I was looking for, it just wasn't invented
yet :)
http://www.itworld.com/article/2940440/open-source-tools/first-look-asus-chromebook-flip.html
That Asus Chromebook Flip looks like a nice machine, but the author of that article really needs to investigate Ulysses. It would have saved him a lot of trouble with its nearly seamless ability to work on the same document on the iPad and the Mac.
Steve Z.
Garland Coulson
7/14/2015 11:09 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
I just posted the following request on the Donation Coder forum, but I'd
welcome any suggestions from members on this forum as well.
I'm wondering if there are any Android or Windows alternatives for a
tablet + external folio keyboard + note-taking app to what I'm currently
considering (iPad Air + ZAGG Keys Folio):
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=36927.0
I use the Surface Pro 3 tablet with keyboard and OneNote. Unfortunately I don't think OneNote does markdown. You can run any markdown-enabled note taking program that runs in Windows though.
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