Tim Babcock logo (Computer support since 1984)




Android/Google Section


This section will cover Android and Google products and services.

Chromebook

After using my HP Chromebook 11g for years to build this website (as well as three others) it was time to get a new model.

This new Chromebook has some improvements over the previous version.

Since the Web Store is being phased out (possibly due to security reasons with the apps) the newer models allow you access to the Google Play Store.

This means that you can have access to most of the same apps that your Android device has. If the memory is getting full due to apps, you have a way to install them onto the Chromebook and remove them from the phone or tablet.

Newer Chromebooks have a Linux mode (in beta) that works with a desktop app call KDE.

This new desktop doesn't require having the device in developer mode but there is a learning curve to using it.

Using the KDE desktop is optional since current Chromebook models utilize virtual machines better so that you can utilize the app through a shorcut (in the Linux Apps folder) making it easier to run the Linux app while accessing the regular Chrombook desktop at the same time.

This method also eliminates some of the quirks that happened when using Crouton with xfce (in Developer mode). So far, I haven't moticed the cursor jumping around while typing.

The KDE Linux installation does install Libre Office (the Linux base app equivalent to Microsoft Office). It is a good idea to have an sd card installed, allocated at 10gb for the Linux system when activated, to prevent memory full errors from happening.

The Libre Office can be removed if not needed. Since Microsoft Office apps (from the Google Play Store) can be installed, Libre Office may by unecessary.

Steam does install for playing games purchased from Steam, but unlike xfce, it doesn't execute at this time.

Another important feature is that the SD memory card can be pooled with the standard Chromebook memory so that a bigger partition an be allocated for Linux mode as well as apps for the Google Play Store.

This Chrombook can access VNC Remote Deskop (using the Linux app) so that Linux and Windows desktops can be acccessed.

The Microsoft Remote Desktop app (from Google Play) can be used to communicate with Windows 10 computers and servers without paying any app fees.