The Acer C7 Chromebook is a really nice, simple computing device and I’m enjoying it quite a bit. One thing that was a bit aggravating was that it didn’t support Bluetooth, whereas other Chromebooks like the Samsung ARM did support it. It was rumored to be a software issue, and sure enough, with the latest beta (30.0.1599.30) Bluetooth is enabled! I’ve successfully paired it with a mouse and a speaker and it works quite well. However, this update seems to have broken the Citrix Receiver app. Oh well, easy come, easy go 😉

Now looking forward to the next update and a fix for the Citrix Receiver!

I’ve had my Acer c710-2833 Chromebook (I wrote about my initial thoughts earlier) for a couple weeks now…one week on vacation, and now one week of using it at work. I am quite pleased with it, and have a hard time believing that it was such a deal! I’ve used the VGA-out for presentations, experimented with the HDMI-out (works fine!), done a number of Hangouts with my colleagues, and generally used it extensively. I spent all day today working from home, sitting on the front porch using the Acer 710. It ran like a champ. Multiple tabs, Citrix session to the office, Google talk phone calls, Hangouts, etc. I find that the Intel-based Acer does a much better job of memory management than the ARM-based Samsung; there are some memory leaks in the ARM-target code. I like the glossy screen, they keyboard has a good feel, and it’s generally a great platform. I’ve even been pleased with the battery life, though it is less than the Samsung ARM Chromebook.

At the same time, Jan is enjoying the Samsung Chromebook, which I’ve passed to her. She’s quite a bit less demanding on it, and it’s serving her very well. As my readers know, I’m quite high on ChromeOS, and I’d recommend that anyone looking at an entry-level Chromebook look at the Acer C710-2833.

One thing that wasn’t obvious from reading the Chromecast documentation is what happens when you change networks. It’s actually pretty simple, if it can’t find the configured network, it just goes into network discovery mode. What I don’t know yet is whether it can remember networks so that you don’t have to reconfigure when taking it between “known” places. One thing is that it seems to be finicky about being powered from a USB port on a TV. My LG TV at home has a regular (not “service”) port for viewing media, but that port would not power the Chromecast. I had to plug in the adapter. Not sure what the precise requirements are for power. However, it worked just fine once I got it powered up. Again, an interesting device (particularly for the net $15 after the Netflix credit!) and handy for Chrome tab casting, but I’m still not sure whether this will take any sales from Apple TV or Roku. I’m just not convinced yet…

As I wrote on 7/25, I ordered a Google Chromecast to try Google’s newest foray into connecting the laptop/handheld screen with the TV screen. I’ve had a bit of time to try it, and it’s an interesting option, but I’m not sure it’s the “game changer” that some pundits have said. What is it? It looks like a fat USB memory stick that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV. It requires power either from a specialized HDMI port, or from a USB connection (or AC adapter). It runs ChromeOS but has a very simplistic UI. You can configure it from a Chromebook (I used my new Acer) or from a desktop/laptop running the Chrome browser, or from Android (iOS setup app coming).

It has two modes of operation:

1. a few apps/websites can be “connected” directly to the Chromecast and run without your computer; today, it’s Netflix and Youtube, but the promise is more to come. Your phone/tablet is merely the remote.
2. “casting” the screen/tab from a Chrome browser extension

The second is currently much more flexible in the content you can “cast.”

So why am I ambivalent? I think that while it’s intriguing, it’s still more interesting to geeks than boxes like an Apple TV or a Roku, both of which have much more functionality. However, today, I’ve got more seamless options for putting Netflix, Youtube and more on the TV screen. I’m glad I bought it, since with my Netflix credit (no longer available), it only cost about $15 including shipping. However, right now it’s more a curiosity. I may use it when I want to project wirelessly from my Chromebook, but that requires a configuration on the WiFi network to allow peer communication, something many enterprises disallow. Interesting, yes…killer product? No, the Chromebook/Chromebox itself is a much more compelling expression of ChromeOS.

I’ve really enjoyed my Samsung ARM Chromebook (XE303C12). I bought it in November 2012 for what was then the unheard-of price of $249, and have used it almost daily since then. Unlike some, I’ve experienced no hardware reliability issues, despite carrying it to work, and schlepping it around campus. Jan and I have a pair of old 1st gen iPads, and web surfing on those is increasingly problematic, but for email and reading, it’s still just fine. So, a solution…buy another Chromebook so I can have one and Jan can have one. So, I found a sale at Newegg on the Acer C710-2833, which has some things I like and some I’d prefer to be different, but it’s at a great price point…$187, shipped! It has a VGA out, Ethernet port, but the battery life is about 2/3 of the Samsung (but the battery is replaceable), and about 1/2 pound heavier. I’ll probably need to start carrying my charger to work, but I’ll appreciate the VGA out. Supposedly, it’s upgradeable to 4GB of RAM, and even more per postings on Chromebook Central. May have to watch for a sale on memory.

Anyway, it arrived today. Seems to be a well-built little computer, and like its Samsung brethren, will do virtually all of what I need to do.

Try Chrome OS, you’ll like it…

Google is trying to get into the “device to large screen” streaming space and has just announced (on 7/24) the Chromecast. It’s a small HDMI widget for your TV (tho it apparently requires a power connector). It runs Chrome OS, it has some streaming apps (like Netflix) but the main draw is the ability to cast a stream from a Chrome browser tab (like AirPlay) from a device to the Chromecast via WiFi. That feature works with PC/Mac Chrome, Android, iOS, and Chrome OS (tho limited to the Pixel currently). So, one can apparently send any content in a browser tab to the Chromecast. Initial reviews have been positive, and with a $35 price point, it’s selling fast. First orders came with a 3 month Netflix credit (worth $24 of the $35, for new or existing customers). That’s been withdrawn now (“supplies were limited”) but since I ordered mine on the 24th, I think I get the credit. Should be an interesting addition to the set of streaming solutions, but I think it’s still very much a work in progress. I’ve already got 2 AppleTV’s and 2 Roku’s; we’ll see where the Chromecast fits in. I’ll report here when I get mine and have a chance to try it…should ship by 8/7, says the Play store.

I really like the “immersive full screen mode” that’s been enabled by default in the newest Chrome OS beta. I’d used full screen mode before but hadn’t set the flag for immersive mode. It provides a very nice way to switch tabs while retaining the full screen. You can easily switch tabs, while making it look like the whole screen belongs to the app/tab that you’ve selected. Correspondingly, you can float the mouse over the lower part of the screen and see the status line and running apps. This is the type of UI experience that while simple really adds to the experience. If you are not on the R29 beta 29.0.1547.32, you can enable this through “Chrome://flags” and search for “immersive”

Here’s a snapshot that shows the result on this blog. The thin white bars at the top are the tabs, and they load the “browser” view when you float over them…

ChromeOS fullscreen mode snapshot

First, the update fixed a case of “extensionitis” that was preventing Hangouts from working on my main profile on my Chromebook. This was, I think, a case where one of the extensions I was using being slightly incompatible with the previous beta. Next, it’s enabled optional editing thru QuickOffice. You can now make modest changes in Word-formatted spreadsheets and documents, and that’s a big step forward with the platform. You have to enable this thru a flag on the Chrome://flags page. It also adds the ability to tweak display parameters, something that’s not an issue on a Chromebook (except with a secondary monitor) but is a big deal on a Chromebox. It has fixed bugs and improved stability, and it seems to me that it’s also dramatically improved memory usage (a big deal on a 2GB Chromebook). Here’s the list of release highlights from the ChromeOS blog:

• Kernel 3.8 landed on Pixel and Samsung 550.
• New “immersive” mode – hit the fullscreen button to hide the toolbar and shelf and until you hover at the top for a more immersive browsing experience
• Pin apps to the shelf using Drag and Drop from the Launcher
• Consumer Kiosk Mode allows you to build your own Chrome OS powered kiosk
• Default wallpaper selection will sync across all your devices
• Monitor Scaling allows you to scale the UI
• Two-finger history navigation
• App launcher Search just got cleverer

I was pleased to see that browser access to iWork documents stored in iCloud has been enabled on my account. I’ve tried a few things in Pages, Numbers and Keynote. I was using my Chromebook to access my iWork documents stored in iCloud (it gives an error stating that the browser is not fully supported, but you can click OK and the results are good). I brought up a couple of presos in Keynote to edit and ran thru the presenter mode. Another file gave errors and wouldn’t load, but it was a pretty large one and this Chromebook has limited memory, so that was likely an issue. I looked at some documents in Pages and Numbers. I created a new presentation in Keynote on the Chromebook, saw that it was quickly visible on my iPhone in Keynote, and then ran the presentation from my phone. Very cool. The overall look and feel is very nice. I think that Apple may finally be addressing its long-standing issue of quality in browser-based cloud-hosted software. This just added a lot of value to the $30 I spent for the iOS versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Nice work, Apple!