NGC~Computer trials and adventures

[jcctx]

About 3 weeks back my 8 yr old iMac decided to throw in the towel; most likely a hard drive failure. My dear wife was all for just ordering a new one but I have had enough of the big A and decided to probe the market for the least costly (Guzzi content after all) way to get a serviceable device. First purchase was a 17.3 Chromebook from ASUS/Best Buy for $189 and am ok with usability and quality for the price. I later stumbled on to a refurb HP 600 g1 mini tower with KB and mouse (both wired) for $92 to use with monitor we already have. Bought with expectation that I will convert from Windows 10 to the Chrome OS, though the Chrome browser gets me nearly there without the hassle???
Would appreciate any comments or suggestions as to which direction might be best proceed in, given that most of my usage is email and social networking; or, perhaps something entirely different??
I am still in the search mode so any inexpensive direction is possible.

[AJ Huff]

If the Chromebook fits your needs , then just stop. (They are fun to convert to Linux buts that's not really what you were asking).

-Aaj

[pehayes]

The world is full of obsolete desktops and laptops that were running on Windows.  People toss them usually when the software gets too bloated or corrupted or perhaps the HD dies.  They are perfectly fine computers if you give them a new Operating System life.  I have given away numerous 'dead' computers which I scrounged for free, reformatted their hard drive and installed a simple Linux OS  such as Ubuntu or Mint.  Easy to do.  I have been working the past few days on a stack of giveaways.  I now have three laptops and three desktops that work just fine with a full software suite unless you are into high level gaming.  When I do a build, I install TeamViewer so that I can manage most issues from afar over the Internet.  Worst case scenario is that I might have to buy another HD for $30.  Linux is not that complex and it solves my problems.  I still have only one stupid Windows computer.  I need that because Garmin, in their infinite wisdom, continues to refuse porting their Base Camp and Express software to operate under the Linux distributions.  Where are you located?  You could have one of these for the cost of a beer.  :-)

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
I don't touch Apple.

[jcctx]

The world is full of obsolete desktops and laptops that were running on Windows.  People toss them usually when the software gets too bloated or corrupted or perhaps the HD dies.  They are perfectly fine computers if you give them a new Operating System life.  I have given away numerous 'dead' computers which I scrounged for free, reformatted their hard drive and installed a simple Linux OS  such as Ubuntu or Mint.  Easy to do.  I have been working the past few days on a stack of giveaways.  I now have three laptops and three desktops that work just fine with a full software suite unless you are into high level gaming.  When I do a build, I install TeamViewer so that I can manage most issues from afar over the Internet.  Worst case scenario is that I might have to buy another HD for $30.  Linux is not that complex and it solves my problems.  I still have only one stupid Windows computer.  I need that because Garmin, in their infinite wisdom, continues to refuse porting their Base Camp and Express software to operate under the Linux distributions.  Where are you located?  You could have one of these for the cost of a beer.  :-)

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
I don't touch Apple.

I am in TX near Dallas; thanks for the kind offer but I am just experimenting on the cheap. I thought of Linux but since I have the Chromebook and like it, thought I might stay in the google camp. I also have a Raspberry 400 that runs a form of Linux and used it while waiting on the ASUS to arrive.  And yes there are a lot of old Windows machines in need of a bit of TLC!!   The HP 600 being one example.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

[RinkRat II]

     On the advice of our IT guy back in the 90's, I've had two Toshiba refurbed laptops with AMD systems. Two years ago, I could not get another
  AMD in a Toshiba so I went with Lenovo/AMD and and am very pleased. Like You I only do minimal usage and have not spent a ton on my laptops.
   My $.02

    Paul B 

[JoeB]

FWIW: Hi, my names Joe and I'm a luddite and not really into computers.
However I do have that Guzzi mentality. My 2010 iMac went down.
Figured it was already broke so took a look. Many videos on YouTube how to get into it.
About half way down this page is an explanation for the diagnostic lights it has in there.
https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/497986/iMac+on+makes+intro+chime+but+screen+doesn't+turn+on.+Fans+blow+100.
Found it would be easier and cost effective to ditch it, and it allowed me to pull the hard drive.

[V7Record]

After 40 years of IT support, most of it building and supporting Unix/Linux variations, I'm happy to use Chromebooks or Chrome boxes (both running Chrome OS) for the vast majority of my daily computing.  It just works for things like email, banking, browsing, youtube, facebook, etc.  I have 2 Windows PC's for those things that are just easier with MS (Visio, H&R Block, maybe a couple others).  I have a raspberry pi that I run a daily reminder application on (that I wrote years ago in CTS 1100 and re-wrote in bash) that will text me about upcoming birthdays etc and let me practice my vi editting occasionally.  Oh yeah, also an old dual boot pc with XP and Solaris.
Many people poo-poo chromebooks but I really think for most people they're ideal.  Nice too, if you manage your data well, if a chromebook dies you just buy a new one and everything is "just there" as if nothing happened.
Brian

[jcctx]

After 40 years of IT support, most of it building and supporting Unix/Linux variations, I'm happy to use Chromebooks or Chrome boxes (both running Chrome OS) for the vast majority of my daily computing.  It just works for things like email, banking, browsing, youtube, facebook, etc.  I have 2 Windows PC's for those things that are just easier with MS (Visio, H&R Block, maybe a couple others).  I have a raspberry pi that I run a daily reminder application on (that I wrote years ago in CTS 1100 and re-wrote in bash) that will text me about upcoming birthdays etc and let me practice my vi editting occasionally.  Oh yeah, also an old dual boot pc with XP and Solaris.
Many people poo-poo chromebooks but I really think for most people they're ideal.  Nice too, if you manage your data well, if a chromebook dies you just buy a new one and everything is "just there" as if nothing happened.
Brian

Thanks to all for the thoughtful comments! I will prolly stick with the Chromebook and Windows myself. Like noted above I really like the Chromebook, however the ergonomics of my computer desk favors the micro tower Windows and monitor.  The Defender anti virus that is built in even favors the new MS browser even tho I like the Chrome one a bit better.

[AJ Huff]

You want a Chromebox then instead of a Chromebook.

-AJ

[jcctx]

You want a Chromebox then instead of a Chromebook.

-AJ

Yes, been looking in that direction; may buy one, or convert the Windows refurb into one!!!

[dguzzi]

 Pehayes, is there a hassle with drivers for some things when converting to Linux?

[pehayes]

Pehayes, is there a hassle with drivers for some things when converting to Linux?

I'm not an expert, just a happy end user.  I use Ubuntu but there are many distributions.  I've never had a driver issue but most of my peripheral equipment is old.  I recently installed the OS for a friend and she had just bought a fancy new Epson printer and I worried about driver compatibility.  Connected and worked just fine.  My only beef is failure to work my Garmin hardware.  But that is Garmin's fault, not the OS.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[dguzzi]

  Thank you Patrick! I got your other message too.

[jcctx]

Little update~

Stumbled across a minimalistic Chromebox for $18 on ebay. Not expecting much but is something else to play with; bad news is it cost $15 to get it here~~ oh well???