Any visted HowToReplaceYourPC.com before
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@Dashrender said:
@Minion-Queen said:
I have downloaded my tax software for a few years now. Editing Pictures is easy to do online these days as well.
Downloaded yes, but used it on a chromebook or only in a browser?
Yeah I was thinking I've seen a few sites that let you upload your picture and you can then edit them... not sure I like giving a third party my pictures for that - I don't put everything on facebook ya know
I've used an online tax prep software for 4 or 5 years. They generally work in a browser (although which browser changes year-to-year). I've used a tax consultant for last year so I didn't have to file myself.
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@Dashrender said:
If you look at the site, he does mention Chromebooks - and from a I only ever work on things in a browser - sure it's great, but what about the things that don't?
I know a few years ago there were no online only tax prep solutions, you still had to buy a CD even until the last year or two, I think I was able to download the application last year, but I couldn't just do it all online.
How about editing pictures?
These are two thing that basic people do all the time.
Basic people edit photos? You haven't been on Facebook recently have you?
Most people I know take a photo with their iPhone/Android device, put an instagram filter on it and upload it.
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@coliver said:
@Dashrender said:
If you look at the site, he does mention Chromebooks - and from a I only ever work on things in a browser - sure it's great, but what about the things that don't?
I know a few years ago there were no online only tax prep solutions, you still had to buy a CD even until the last year or two, I think I was able to download the application last year, but I couldn't just do it all online.
How about editing pictures?
These are two thing that basic people do all the time.
Basic people edit photos? You haven't been on Facebook recently have you?
Most people I know take a photo with their iPhone/Android device, put an instagram filter on it and upload it.
LOL - yes basic people still edit photos from time to time - granted most photos on FB or whatever come directly from their phone, but plenty of people still make caption pictures, etc..
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@Dashrender said:
Downloaded yes, but used it on a chromebook or only in a browser?
I have used H&R Block online for years. Browser only.
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OK thanks - I'm glad to see that most major things are now available online. In this situation then, I too would tend to push people toward a chromebook for home use, but still specific cases will need something more.
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@Dashrender said:
OK thanks - I'm glad to see that most major things are now available online. In this situation then, I too would tend to push people toward a chromebook for home use, but still specific cases will need something more.
I've been trying really hard to get away from Windows as my primary OS at home. So many games still won't work under Linux though.
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@coliver said:
I've been trying really hard to get away from Windows as my primary OS at home. So many games still won't work under Linux though.
That is changing rapidly. The rate of games being ported to Linux is very high. Steam is working hard on that.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@coliver said:
I've been trying really hard to get away from Windows as my primary OS at home. So many games still won't work under Linux though.
That is changing rapidly. The rate of games being ported to Linux is very high. Steam is working hard on that.
I reckon I'd switch if Skyrim was ported.
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@scottalanmiller said:
I would need a pretty good reason why someone, as a consumer, should buy something other than a Chromebook
Games is probably the main one. A Chromebook is perfect for my mother, who is in her seventies, and just wants to use Facebook, write some letters and do her banking. But I think most people either play games or have kids who play games these days, don't they.
iTunes. I hate iTunes, and avoid it all costs, but it is sometimes a necessary evil if you have an iPhone or an iPod. Taking backups that are more than 5GB for example requires iTunes or paying a hefty premium to Apple to increase your iCloud limits (and who wants to do that?)
Printing. I haven't done it, but I think it can be a bit of a hassle with Chrome OS, can't it?
Besides, Windows laptops seem to be coming down in price, so the cost saving with a Chromebook is becoming smaller. I think Chromebooks make an excellent second device for the home, but I'd like to know how many people survive without any access to a Windows device.
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@scottalanmiller said:
I would need a pretty good reason why someone, as a consumer, should buy something other than a Chromebook and a really, really good reason why to splurge on a Mac.
This is my feelings exactly. I have a brand new Macbook Pro for work as an iOS Developer. So that counts as a good reason, but at home I read on a 2013 Nexus 7 and bought a $200 Chromebook for everything else. It has been 4 months now and I haven't had much of a need for my older Windows 8 laptop I replaced. I moved my files to Google Drive, and get 8 hour battery life, and I can throw the Chromebook under the coffee table with 3 fingers. It would take a lot to get me to switch back, and for me it would never be Linux. To many stupid troubleshooting and compatibly issues in the past for me to ever consider it for a home PC replacement.
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@s.hackleman said:
@scottalanmiller said:
I would need a pretty good reason why someone, as a consumer, should buy something other than a Chromebook and a really, really good reason why to splurge on a Mac.
This is my feelings exactly. I have a brand new Macbook Pro for work as an iOS Developer. So that counts as a good reason...
I would argue that that does not count as a reason at all because, by being a developer, you've violated the concept of being a consumer and the comment as to whey a consumer would need to validate having a Mac would not count. Of course for work there are lots of good reasons to have a Mac.
I'm getting a Mac shortly for development work. But from a consumer point of view, it would be senseless for me to have one.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@s.hackleman said:
@scottalanmiller said:
I would need a pretty good reason why someone, as a consumer, should buy something other than a Chromebook and a really, really good reason why to splurge on a Mac.
This is my feelings exactly. I have a brand new Macbook Pro for work as an iOS Developer. So that counts as a good reason...
I would argue that that does not count as a reason at all because, by being a developer, you've violated the concept of being a consumer and the comment as to whey a consumer would need to validate having a Mac would not count. Of course for work there are lots of good reasons to have a Mac.
I'm getting a Mac shortly for development work. But from a consumer point of view, it would be senseless for me to have one.
wow, that was a rough read - but after reading it 4 times I understand what you are getting at. LOL. consumer not = developer, so reason no valid since you're not a consumer.
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@Dashrender said:
wow, that was a rough read - but after reading it 4 times I understand what you are getting at. LOL. consumer not = developer, so reason no valid since you're not a consumer.
LOL, exactly. A developer is not a consumer (dev != consumer) so when I say that consumers would need to make a strong argument to excuse buying a Mac I was not implying that IT professionals, developers or anyone using a Mac for business would need to make the same justifications. Macs have great business uses (still rare compared to Windows, but they are good gear) and need only standard justifications in those roles.
For example, Grove Social is a Mac house - for business use. All Grove Social machines are Macs. Lots of developers use Macs. Lots of artists or video editors use Macs for logical or somewhat logical reasons.
But for consumer use.... Macs are expensive, hard to use and don't work well for gaming. They lack the reasons that make Windows make sense (well known, cheap, gaming) and lack the reasons that Linux and Chromebooks make sense (super cheap, super simple interfaces, no effort to manage, etc.)
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Yeah, but Macs look nice. For consumers, price isn't the only factor. Aesthetics become important in a way that they don't for a professional. Chromebooks generally look cheap and nasty.
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@Carnival-Boy said:
Yeah, but Macs look nice. For consumers, price isn't the only factor. Aesthetics become important in a way that they don't for a professional. Chromebooks generally look cheap and nasty.
I see a lot of people buying Chromebooks because of the aesthetics. Cute, colourful ones like the HP models look really great for girls (my sister in law and niece both chose them for that.) The Samsung ones like the Chromebook2 actually look better in a Mac-like way that Macs do, I think. I don't think that Apple has any corner on aesthetics at all, not even in their own vein. They aren't bad, but I don't see that being a big factor. They are very bland as aesthetics go. It's just marketing convincing people that they need them that makes people want them most of the time.
Aesthetics actually matter more for business. Lots of businesses buy Macs to make themselves look like they have lots of money or have "taste" or whatever using Macs for no reason implies (a lack of frugality, to many.)
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Ugh... Macs. I told a die hard Mac fan (consumer) that I could get the same hardware, software, and usable interface (because Macs are so much easier to use then Windows or Linux) for 1/2 the price they told me it didn't matter because it wasn't made by Apple... They looked hurt when I laughed in their face.
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@coliver said:
Ugh... Macs. I told a die hard Mac fan (consumer) that I could get the same hardware, software, and usable interface (because Macs are so much easier to use then Windows or Linux) for 1/2 the price
I actually starting to find this not to be true. The build quality on Macs is very high. If you want something similar in a Windows machine, you're not getting much if any real discount.
This of course is not to say Macs don't have issues, all computers have issues.
Also, performance wise we probably have reached or will soon reach a point where faster computers won't really mean much for the average computer. Some could say we are already there - just look at the Chromebooks, lower performance processors, etc. Why? Because people who are surfing the web, facebooking, chatting and emailing just don't need that much power - heck, just look at your phone. The average consumer does not need much more power than what's in a 2 year old smart phone.
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@Dashrender said:
@coliver said:
Ugh... Macs. I told a die hard Mac fan (consumer) that I could get the same hardware, software, and usable interface (because Macs are so much easier to use then Windows or Linux) for 1/2 the price
I actually starting to find this not to be true. The build quality on Macs is very high. If you want something similar in a Windows machine, you're not getting much if any real discount.
This of course is not to say Macs don't have issues, all computers have issues.
Also, performance wise we probably have reached or will soon reach a point where faster computers won't really mean much for the average computer. Some could say we are already there - just look at the Chromebooks, lower performance processors, etc. Why? Because people who are surfing the web, facebooking, chatting and emailing just don't need that much power - heck, just look at your phone. The average consumer does not need much more power than what's in a 2 year old smart phone.
I would argue that Macs have the same build quality as something from Samsung or Acer on the consumer end, I've worked with a few Macs in the past and nothing really jumped out at me as really durable (even the aluminum shell is easily dented/scratched/broken). They have had their share of issues with power supplies catching on fire and screens being duds from the plant. As you said all machines have problems, Macs are no exception and the rate is just as high from my perspective.
Agreed with you on the second point. No one is really doing much of anything at the consumer level. 90% or more of a consumer's "day" is spent in a web browser. Chromebooks are more then adequate for the majority of consumers. Even most gamers don't realize how much they can actually play with a minimum specced machine.
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@scottalanmiller said:
They aren't bad, but I don't see that being a big factor. They are very bland as aesthetics go. It's just marketing convincing people that they need them that makes people want them most of the time.
That's your opinion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It doesn't matter as my point remains. Practicality and cost aren't necessary the most important feature of consumer purchases. If they were, everyone would buy their clothes from Walmart and Ralph Lauren would go bankrupt. I haven't seen many Chromebooks, but I'd be amazed if they felt as high a quality as a Mac. The difference may be marginal, but that's not the point.
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They do not come even close to the quality of a Mac in feeling. I have 2 separate Chromebooks here and a Mac not even close. The Chromebooks are great for what they are great for. But don't drop it. Now my Mac I have dropped about 5 times. It has scratches but it's fine.
