# chromebook



## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

I'm tired of coming home and responding to 5-10 emails a day. I'd rather do it on site while the crew works, but I'm too old school to want to use my phone.

Thinking about a $200 chromebook to keep in the van. All my estimating, invoicing, and correspondence can be done with chrome. I'd personal hotspot through my phone.

Alternative is a $200 low end windows laptop. Then I could install the one windows program I use from time to time - Home Designer pro.

I don't want a higher end device to just bang around in the van or have walk off. Any recommendations?


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## airhealth (Jul 15, 2016)

Yeah sure. For my air duct cleaning business I have all my apps in the cloud like you. A chromebook is a great idea. Windows performance on a low end machine will be poor. Do the Chromebook thing.

Eric
Air Health Services


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

Golden view said:


> I'm tired of coming home and responding to 5-10 emails a day. I'd rather do it on site while the crew works, but I'm too old school to want to use my phone.
> 
> Thinking about a $200 chromebook to keep in the van. All my estimating, invoicing, and correspondence can be done with chrome. I'd personal hotspot through my phone.
> 
> ...


I don't trust having everything stored online so I'm biased. I would prefer a used laptop with some memory capability and a solid state drive. I don't know about the compatibility with the latest windows versions though.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Gee, I didn't realize they were_ that _inexpensive. I might pick one up, too.


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## prolongroofcare (Jun 9, 2014)

RangoWA said:


> I don't trust having everything stored online so I'm biased. I would prefer a used laptop with some memory capability and a solid state drive. I don't know about the compatibility with the latest windows versions though.


Online services are much more secure than keeping data on a laptop. Laptop gets stolen and you lose all your roofing job customer files. Laptop breaks and you are toast. Online services make everything device independent. You access your information from anywhere, anytime. If your device breaks and you buy a new one you have nothing new to install.

My roofing business has relied on cloud services for years and I would never go back.

Tony
Pro Long Roof Care


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

prolongroofcare said:


> Online services are much more secure than keeping data on a laptop. Laptop gets stolen and you lose all your roofing job customer files. Laptop breaks and you are toast. Online services make everything device independent. You access your information from anywhere, anytime. If your device breaks and you buy a new one you have nothing new to install.
> 
> My roofing business has relied on cloud services for years and I would never go back.
> 
> ...


I back up my data to a separate partition and then back that up to an external hard drive. I don't know or care how secure the cloud stuff is, I just don't want anyone but me having access. My laptop is a toy, don't use it for work.


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## RMDailey (Nov 22, 2016)

Dang you guys must be Ode (as my 3y says)! The Chromebook will be almost useless without the internet as it's just a access point to a web browser. A tablet with built in 4g and a bluetooth keyboard would probably be the way to go. 

This place sells certified used tablets and things (I've had really good luck with them) https://buy.gazelle.com/buy/used/catalog/ipads
bluetooth keyboard: http://amzn.to/2y1kka9

As far as the storing things on the web thing... It's sure nice when you forget your estimate on the printer and can access your PC's files from your phone and email it to your customer. Or even print it on their printer. I also do my invoicing and take card payments with my phone. 

My phone and computer could burst into flames and I wouldn't loose any customer, financial, estimates, family pictures, or any other information. 

Embrace the Cloud.


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

RMDailey said:


> My phone and computer could burst into flames and I wouldn't loose any customer, financial, estimates, family pictures, or any other information.
> 
> Embrace the Cloud.


Yeah, because I've had so many go up in flames. Well, actually none since I started 27 years ago. I swear this cloud business is a religion to some people. You show up to their house to hand deliver estimates? I guess that's the difference, I would email it from my desktop.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

If all you're looking to do is have any easy separate back up, you can use a mobile wireless access point with SD storage - it doesn't even have to be activated.


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## RMDailey (Nov 22, 2016)

RangoWA said:


> Yeah, because I've had so many go up in flames. Well, actually none since I started 27 years ago. I swear this cloud business is a religion to some people. You show up to their house to hand deliver estimates? I guess that's the difference, I would email it from my desktop.




hyperbole
[hahy-pur-buh-lee]
noun Rhetoric.
obvious and intentional exaggeration.
an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”

Just illustrating the potential usefulness of a tool. Yes you can hand drive all your nails but a nail gun is far faster. 

The point is that new technology properly implemented can save you hours of work each week and negate any potential data loss. Thus saving money and increasing productivity. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

RMDailey said:


> hyperbole
> [hahy-pur-buh-lee]
> noun Rhetoric.
> obvious and intentional exaggeration.
> ...


Like I said, it's a religion. I have no need for the cloud, I don't know why that's impossible for believers to accept. 

And I still do use a hammer when I need one. The hyperbole is all yours.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Cloud storage wouldn't save me any time. It isn't even a big decrease in risk for me.


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

I just don't trust the internets and can't be shamed into it.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Even if you trust the internet, this past week at least 300k people up here lost land line and cable. What then, a back up for your back up? We have also had cable , phone, and cell phone down. Cloud doesn't help with that at all.

It's an IT question, and one solution doesn't fit all.


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## Nautilus (Nov 20, 2017)

I recommend you to buy a tablet instead of laptop or chromium. 4g and longer battery use. You can buy on with windows if you need.


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

I hate typing on tablets, I'd need a addon keyboard so might as well have a laptop.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

Got this: ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 11.6" Ruggedized and Water Resistant Design with 180 Degree (Intel Celeron 4 GB, 16GB eMMC, Dark Blue, Silver. $229.

Semi designed for children classroom use, so it can handle being banged up in the van. It fits above my visor. Battery life for my use - client emails, researching a product, some invoicing, estimating, etc, is a month. Instead of paying $10 or $20 a month for another mobile device, I turn on my phones hot spot, which is free.

Only main complaint is the screen is terrible compared to my laptop or an ipad.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

As far as the argument about the cloud, the fact is more people lose their stuff permanently using other methods. Fires, floods, hardware failures, divorce, well-meaning house cleanings, accidents, etc have lost millions of people's files permanently.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

I would recommend a small tablet over the chromebook. The price is almost the same.

As far as online, once you embrace it, it is so much easier. No, I don't have to have it. No, it is not a necessity. It is a convenience. Although I don't like to do stuff on my phone, it has come in handy several times.

Each to their own. Personally, small laptop would be the way to go. I've used a tablet with a bluetooth keyboard. It will get you by, but a small laptop is better.


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

Golden view said:


> As far as the argument about the cloud, the fact is more people lose their stuff permanently using other methods. Fires, floods, hardware failures, divorce, well-meaning house cleanings, accidents, etc have lost millions of people's files permanently.


There's no argument, just some people that can't stand it if you don't use a cloud service. How torqued off they get isn't my problem. Nothing on the internet is safe so everything is a tradeoff. If my house burns down I'm done anyway.


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## PaulFalls44 (Dec 11, 2017)

Chromebook will do its job. Its small, has a great battery, and can handle most tasks. If you have always used windows though you will have to adjust a bit.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

Still liking it. I use Chrome on Windows anyway. There's virtually no difference using this thing.


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