Acer users

[dappermen]

Any fans /users of fans here, why do u like Acer?

 

[8-lane]

I have an Aspire 1 for light use... I'm looking to get a chromebook... are Acer chromebooks any gd?

 

[dappermen]

Actually in physical stores, i hardly see any display of chromebk, but why a chromebk??
The ram is too little for me: only 4gb?? N small screen?
https://store.acer.com/en-sg/chromebookU dont need windows and ms office?!

Is aspire1 and extremely old model? Purchased more than 6 yrs ago?!
https://store.acer.com/en-sg/catalog/product_compare/

In fact, i noticed not many acer fans out there too
I been using Acer since day1 & i recently got another touch-screen again
I prefer them light alwys, must be lighter than 1.5kg for a 13-14’’ screen (mustnt too small screen)
https://store.acer.com/en-sg/spin-3-convertible-laptop-sp313-51n-54p4

 

[8-lane]

My Aspire 1 is this one... Celeron N3450... think I got it in 2018...
https://www.bekredito.lt/kompiuteri...ron-n34504gb32gb-emmcintel-hd-win10home-black
I'm looking to get a chromebook to replace it as a secondary laptop for browsing the web/emails/facebook/Youtube... all the light stuff. U can see that chromebooks are not commonplace in sg... but in other parts of the world they are getting more n more popular..

As chrome OS is very light as compared to Windows... it doesn't require as high spec hardware/processor/large memory space as windows does...that's y u see most chromebooks only utilise 4 gb of ram and 16gb - 64 gb memory...

 

[dappermen]

Indeed, to me, it is like a “tablet” /ipad-similar that uses chrome os , though can use windows now too

https://store.acer.com/en-sg/aspire-1-a114-33-c68y

 

[firesong]

My Aspire 1 is this one... Celeron N3450... think I got it in 2018...
https://www.bekredito.lt/kompiuteri...ron-n34504gb32gb-emmcintel-hd-win10home-black
I'm looking to get a chromebook to replace it as a secondary laptop for browsing the web/emails/facebook/Youtube... all the light stuff. U can see that chromebooks are not commonplace in sg... but in other parts of the world they are getting more n more popular..

As chrome OS is very light as compared to Windows... it doesn't require as high spec hardware/processor/large memory space as windows does...that's y u see most chromebooks only utilise 4 gb of ram and 16gb - 64 gb memory...

Could probably just pop Ubuntu in an old laptop for that though.

Or buy one of the new underpowered budget laptops from Lazada (those going for $200-ish) and pop Ubuntu/unofficial ChromeOS on it. They likely will struggle with Windows but work great in Linux.

 

[8-lane]

Could probably just pop Ubuntu in an old laptop for that though.

Or buy one of the new underpowered budget laptops from Lazada (those going for $200-ish) and pop Ubuntu/unofficial ChromeOS on it. They likely will struggle with Windows but work great in Linux.

I dunno how to do all these... I dun even know wat's Linux and Ubuntu... heard of them but have no idea wat they are haha... I'm very blur abt this kinda computer stuff haha... btw do u know where online can I buy a chromebook? Cos there are hardly any chromebook models available locally..

 

[firesong]

Any fans /users of fans here, why do u like Acer?

Not really a big fan of Acer, but had owned a C2D Travelmate many years back. Helped to buy an Acer for my goddaughter some years back when she was entering poly mainly because of price/spec and her tight budget.

In terms of pricing, Acer's quite aggressive - so it's typically lower priced than other offerings, although that's not so true these days. In terms of QC, however, it's a mixed bag. The Acer my goddaughter bought started having a lot of different issues after the 1st year, and this seems to be a pattern from the few users I know who use Acer.

At the consumer level, price is Acer's main competitive advantage imo. At the corporate level, I haven't seen Travelmates around much these days compared to the 90s when they were rather popular. I know the line is still around, but for some reasons larger companies (and government) prefers to buy from the usual 3: HP, Dell, and Lenovo. Have seen the occasional Toshiba and Fujitsu more than I've seen an Acer recently. it's curious as to why they aren't so aggressive.

 

[firesong]

I dunno how to do all these... I dun even know wat's Linux and Ubuntu... heard of them but have no idea wat they are haha... I'm very blur abt this kinda computer stuff haha... btw do u know where online can I buy a chromebook? Cos there are hardly any chromebook models available locally..

ChromeOS is built on Linux, I think it's Debian or Gentoo atm. Even Android is built on Linux. They're both proprietary to Google in that they have some custom code for it that's not open-source, although large parts of it are.

In a way, it's just a customised OS with a Linux kernel, like Ubuntu is. Where other versions of Linux like Ubuntu. Mint, Arch etc... mean that you can install it on any hardware, and there are many variants that run great on older or low-resource PCs and laptops, ChromeOS is tied to Google's Chromebooks. You can however also install ChromeOS on older (and cheaper) laptops if you just want to repurpose old hardware or buy cheap laptops to use as a Chromebook. Especially since those laptops probably have better specs than a off-the-shelf Chromebook. The main difference would be that users still can't install Android apps on non-Google ChromeOS machines, so you're better off buying an official Chromebook if you want to also use your selection of Android apps in your Chromebook.
https://www.androidpolice.com/how-to-install-chrome-os-flex-on-an-older-laptop/https://www.pcworld.com/article/393375/how-to-turn-a-laptop-into-a-chromebook.htmlhttps://www.pcworld.com/article/614...-turns-old-pcs-into-chromebooks-for-free.html
Google has even published a list of Certified models that run ChromeOS Flex:
https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11513094?hl=en
PS: I have a Cloudready VM on my laptop, so I know what the appeal of ChromeOS is. Was actually thinking of doing it for my parents, but I think Ubuntu won out for me only because it's a bit more full featured. Still, I really like how simple ChromeOS is for the elderly as there's less to remember - just open and use.

 

[dappermen]

In terms of pricing, Acer's quite aggressive - so it's typically lower priced than other offerings, although that's not so true these days. In terms of QC, however, it's a mixed bag. The Acer my goddaughter bought started having a lot of different issues after the 1st year, and this seems to be a pattern from the few users I know who use Acer.

mine has no issues usually , but if there is , usually hardware issues , sometimes it is due to spoilage cos i dropped it onto the floor

in terms of Lightness/weight n pricing, Acer alwys win!! i did compare every few years, so? end up i will get Acer ...many kept telling me Asus is the Strongest competitor of Acer, but after rounds and rounds of comparison, Acer won all these while , not sure why too?! shd ask @8-lane, why he choose Acer out of so many brands, how acer been with the mkt, my first laptop til now is still acer (yes i changed many models ) ...

i saw Huawei too, but i m nt sure of its reputation in terms of laptop


Can u tell me the issues your frens and God daughter face?

 

[firesong]

mine has no issues usually , but if there is , usually hardware issues , sometimes it is due to spoilage cos i dropped it onto the floor

in terms of Lightness/weight n pricing, Acer alwys win!! i did compare every few years, so? end up i will get Acer ...many kept telling me Asus is the Strongest competitor of Acer, but after rounds and rounds of comparison, Acer won all these while , not sure why too?! shd ask @8-lane, why he choose Acer out of so many brands, how acer been with the mkt, my first laptop til now is still acer (yes i changed many models ) ...

i saw Huawei too, but i m nt sure of its reputation in terms of laptop


Can u tell me the issues your frens and God daughter face?

Goddaughter's was multiple hardware failures - went with her down to Jurong twice for two different issues already. Not convenient for her as she stayed in Sengkang then, and now they stay in Pasir Ris. She's already planning her next laptop, which won't be an Acer.

I have my own preferred brands also, just like many users. But I'm also realistic in matching budget to requirements if needed, so I won't completely write off Acer. I will simply remind people just to manage expectations and usually they're okay with it. My old TM did last about two years longer than a friend's Thinkpad bought at the same time, so I do believe there's always an element of luck when buying PCs.

 

[dappermen]

yes, @ jur east mrt - walkup.....
i tot youngsters nowadays r all Mcbooks, no? *

the good thing w my acer is , it will ONLY failed me after 2yrs of warranty, so i dont hve to go to jur east
just go straight to my area, those repair shops and get it repaired! and it is damned fast!dont hve to wait for Acer reapircentre
What is TM?


* not all middle age can use a mcbook eg

 

[firesong]

yes, @ jur east mrt - walkup.....
i tot youngsters nowadays r all Mcbooks, no?

the good thing w my acer is , it will ONLY failed me after 2yrs of warranty, so i dont hve to go to jur east
just go straight to my area, those repair shops and get it repaired! and it is damned fast!dont hve to wait for Acer reapircentre
What is TM?

Not all are on the Apple bandwagon, surprisingly.

TM = TravelMate, Acer's business laptop series. Mentioned in an earlier post.

 

[8-lane]

ChromeOS is built on Linux, I think it's Debian or Gentoo atm. Even Android is built on Linux. They're both proprietary to Google in that they have some custom code for it that's not open-source, although large parts of it are.

In a way, it's just a customised OS with a Linux kernel, like Ubuntu is. Where other versions of Linux like Ubuntu. Mint, Arch etc... mean that you can install it on any hardware, and there are many variants that run great on older or low-resource PCs and laptops, ChromeOS is tied to Google's Chromebooks. You can however also install ChromeOS on older (and cheaper) laptops if you just want to repurpose old hardware or buy cheap laptops to use as a Chromebook. Especially since those laptops probably have better specs than a off-the-shelf Chromebook. The main difference would be that users still can't install Android apps on non-Google ChromeOS machines, so you're better off buying an official Chromebook if you want to also use your selection of Android apps in your Chromebook.
https://www.androidpolice.com/how-to-install-chrome-os-flex-on-an-older-laptop/https://www.pcworld.com/article/393375/how-to-turn-a-laptop-into-a-chromebook.htmlhttps://www.pcworld.com/article/614...-turns-old-pcs-into-chromebooks-for-free.html
Google has even published a list of Certified models that run ChromeOS Flex:
https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11513094?hl=en
PS: I have a Cloudready VM on my laptop, so I know what the appeal of ChromeOS is. Was actually thinking of doing it for my parents, but I think Ubuntu won out for me only because it's a bit more full featured. Still, I really like how simple ChromeOS is for the elderly as there's less to remember - just open and use.

Whoa... thanks for taking the trouble to explain to me in all that detail...
They say there that there are caveats to turning an old PC into a Chromebook that runs Chrome OS... wat kinda caveats?

 

[firesong]

Whoa... thanks for taking the trouble to explain to me in all that detail...
They say there that there are caveats to turning an old PC into a Chromebook that runs Chrome OS... wat kinda caveats?

Google explains it best. Chrome OS Flex is the variant you can download and install on your own hardware, while Chrome OS is the version that comes with their Chromebooks.
https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11542901?hl=en&ref_topic=11618314

• Google Play and Android apps: Chrome OS Flex does not support Android apps or Google Play.
• Parallels Desktop: Chrome OS Flex does not support running Windows virtual machines (VMs) using Parallels Desktop.
• Linux development environment: Support for Linux development environment on Chrome OS Flex varies, depending on the specific model. Review the Certified models list to check if your models support Linux on Chrome OS Flex.

If you need Google Play and Android apps or to run VMs in Parallels, buy a Chromebook. If these aren't at all important to you and you just need to open and surf the web then log off, using an old laptop (or grabbing an old $200-300 laptop from friends/eBay/Carousell/Lazada) would be good enough, especially if you get one of those rated as fully compatible on their Certified models list.

Users can actually decide if it works for them by downloading VMware Player on their PC/Mac and downloading the older Chrome OS VM (Neverware Cloudready, the version before Flex) to evaluate if it works for them, risk free.
https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-install-chrome-os-virtual-machine/
If the VM works for them and they find they don't need Google Play and Android apps support, using Flex will work for them without having to spend for a Chromebook. Many have 5 year old laptops lying around or they can get them from their friends/family members, so it helps extend the life of old hardware some. I've installed Ubuntu on a small number of these machines for families who needed an extra computer and didn't specifically need to be running Windows - was helpful during the circuit breaker period, though kids complained about not being able to play games with their friends. Their parents were quite happy though.

 

[dappermen]

It is Light….too

i didnt bother w additional warranty, as after few yrs will be changing…. Most importantly it seldom breakdown which is why for the past 1decade++, made me endup getting only Acer again….
What other brand u been using?

reputation is impt! Not 1 of these4 sure! https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sin...V7fXSSfrQUEowVfvv3x4UABxp1Mzk7XGvtMvpa02zj4hg
It happend i trust, way before 2020 alrdy

 

[8-lane]

Google explains it best. Chrome OS Flex is the variant you can download and install on your own hardware, while Chrome OS is the version that comes with their Chromebooks.
https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11542901?hl=en&ref_topic=11618314

• Google Play and Android apps: Chrome OS Flex does not support Android apps or Google Play.
• Parallels Desktop: Chrome OS Flex does not support running Windows virtual machines (VMs) using Parallels Desktop.
• Linux development environment: Support for Linux development environment on Chrome OS Flex varies, depending on the specific model. Review the Certified models list to check if your models support Linux on Chrome OS Flex.

If you need Google Play and Android apps or to run VMs in Parallels, buy a Chromebook. If these aren't at all important to you and you just need to open and surf the web then log off, using an old laptop (or grabbing an old $200-300 laptop from friends/eBay/Carousell/Lazada) would be good enough, especially if you get one of those rated as fully compatible on their Certified models list.

Users can actually decide if it works for them by downloading VMware Player on their PC/Mac and downloading the older Chrome OS VM (Neverware Cloudready, the version before Flex) to evaluate if it works for them, risk free.
https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-install-chrome-os-virtual-machine/
If the VM works for them and they find they don't need Google Play and Android apps support, using Flex will work for them without having to spend for a Chromebook. Many have 5 year old laptops lying around or they can get them from their friends/family members, so it helps extend the life of old hardware some. I've installed Ubuntu on a small number of these machines for families who needed an extra computer and didn't specifically need to be running Windows - was helpful during the circuit breaker period, though kids complained about not being able to play games with their friends. Their parents were quite happy though.

Thanks bro... wat are VMs and wat do running them in Parallels mean?

 

[davidktw]

Thanks bro... wat are VMs and wat do running them in Parallels mean?

Helping to answer...

VM is Virtual Machine. It's a hardware abstraction done by a software to virtualise a hardware machine. The software that does this is known as a Hypervisor. Parallels is the brand of such software. Parallels have various different hypervisors offered for different platforms. On Mac and Chrome OS, it is known as Parallels Desktop, but the product features may be different. FYI Parallels also offer Parallels RAS as a remote virtual desktop solution.

 

[8-lane]

Helping to answer...

VM is Virtual Machine. It's a hardware abstraction done by a software to virtualise a hardware machine. The software that does this is known as a Hypervisor. Parallels is the brand of such software. Parallels have various different hypervisors offered for different platforms. On Mac and Chrome OS, it is known as Parallels Desktop, but the product features may be different. FYI Parallels also offer Parallels RAS as a remote virtual desktop solution.

Ic... tks for e explanation... I'm thinking of getting a Lenovo Chromebook S330 which uses a Mediatek MT8173C processor... do u or does anyone know if it's any good?

 

[davidktw]

Ic... tks for e explanation... I'm thinking of getting a Lenovo Chromebook S330 which uses a Mediatek MT8173C processor... do u or does anyone know if it's any good?

I am the wrong person to answer this. If you ask me which laptop to get, I will tell you either M1 Macbook Air or Macbook Pro.