Mea Culpa

[Dave Potter]

I've been critical of Microsoft's implementation of Windows 10, and especially of their penchant for cramming it down users' throats in the dark of night. I still am. Recently, I thought I'd try making a total departure from Microsoft for my laptop requirements. Chromebooks are total-immersion Google; they primarily connect to Google apps on the web, and they don't natively run 3rd party apps.

Oops - I initially thought those parameters would keep me happy. I was wrong. I've settled on Mozilla Thunderbird as my POP3 email client. A Chromebook can't do it. With a Chromebook, I can log onto my ISP's web-based interface to get my email, but it won't run the Thunderbird client, which is what I want to do.

"Just me"? Yeah, just me. I just thought this might be interesting info for anyone else contemplating a Chromebook.

I have a Chromebook for sale, cheap!

I just ordered a Dell XPS13 for my laptop needs, to get back on the Microsoft "Reservation". It comes with the Win10 OS, but I don't expect any issues with it, given that I won't be trying to run my flight simulator applications on it.

[Earnest Bovine]

and all your base are belong to Google

[Dave Potter]

and all your base are belong to Google

That little phrase always cracks me up. It truly will be forever in our hearts and minds.

But with the Google thing, sometimes, it seems so. My cellphones have all been "Google" phones for years, and I continue to enjoy using them - some useful apps in there. The Android OS allows one to set up POP3 email, however, and a Chromebook, with no OS per se, can't do that. That's a deal breaker for me.

[Scott Duckworth]

If you are using a laptop or desktop for Internet, email, and office, Linux Mint and Ubuntu both are F R E E and come with Firefox, Thunderbird, and LibreOffice suite, plus a lot more.

And, with the GUI (GNU) they use, it operates very similar to Windoze, double click an icon to open something, has folders called "Documents, Downloads", etc.

Also, it has "package managers" where you can search when you need other software, and simple clicks will have it installing everything needed for you.

I only use Windoze XP for my church projection software, and two ham radio programs, both of which I could put on Linux, I'm just lazy.

https://www.linuxmint.com/

http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop

[Charlie McDonald]

I have a Chromebook for sale, cheap!

How much? (Zero Wing got my laptop.)

[Dave Potter]

I have a Chromebook for sale, cheap!

How much? (Zero Wing got my laptop.)

I'll PM you, Charlie.

[b0b]

There are ways to jailbreak a Chromebook, making it a regular Linux computer. I've never done it, but it might be worth looking at.

Gmail can handle a POP3 connection, by the way. You don't have to use a Gmail address to get email with the Gmail client.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

My Gmail also collects my POP3 stuff so that my Chromebook can be full service if I'm on the road.

[Dave Potter]

There are ways to jailbreak a Chromebook, making it a regular Linux computer. I've never done it, but it might be worth looking at.

I'm really not interested in learning Linux, with all its foibles, at this stage of my life. Too many decades invested in Windows.

Gmail can handle a POP3 connection, by the way. You don't have to use a Gmail address to get email with the Gmail client.

I know, B0b. Currently, I have my Gmail account configured to forward to my POP3 email address on my PC. The issue is, on my laptop, I don't want to have to depend on Google to get my primary email - my ISP's POP3 email - delivered to me. I don't want it filtered through Google's servers.

The bottom line is, I just don't want to deal with a browser-based device. When I have an application to load and run, I need my computer to be able to do that. Chromebooks, by design, can't do that.

Solution: New Dell XPS13 inbound. Problem solved.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I run about 20 email accounts, all POP3, from various domains I own or do webmaster work for. Two are Hotmail and one is Gmail. I set some of the accounts to leave a copy on the server until I manually delete it from one of my email clients (MailWasher Pro and Windows Live), which are duplicated at home and at my business.