Electronic toys

Swaying by what you've been saying, I think I'm going to switch, but I want to wait until I can make a trip back to the States to buy it.

The things I do daily are:

- editing and sorting 1.5 TB of photos (moving back and forth between external HD and laptop),
- sorting 600 GB of ebooks and audiobooks, then buying and downloading more since I can't stop when it comes to books,
- writing, posting, maintaining my blog (on the front end only; my son-in-law in the States wrote the codes for the program and taking care of the back end), 
- having weekly Zoom with my children in the States (we used to talk via Google Meet, but it's not comparable to Zoom),
- syncing between devices
- streaming music and podcasts
- online banking

just the normal, boring stuff.

My Zenbook (Window 10) is slow, my iPad is slow, my Segate HD has a huge capacity but with a wonky end plug, so when they need to "talk" to one other, my frustration often goes through to roof.

editing and sorting 1.5 TB of photos

Anything online such as blogs aren't going to be much of a problem - Chrome browser is out of the box with the book and you can install other browsers from playstore.
Editing photos, depending on what software you use, may not be on the cards.
If it's on playstore (android app), send me a PM and I'll try it out.

Fred wrote:

Andybris2020 wrote:

Oh ok,, i'm on a AMD Ryzen desktop machine with 64 gig ram and NVMe drive so I dont get any of the slow stuff your talking about or "messing around" and it's connected by ethernet so non of the connection issues you mention, I dont use lapops but I do have a samsung tablet and it's as useful as my phone but larger so I dont have to put my reading glasses on, which I sometimes use for looking at youtube or movies if travelling.

A chromebook will look like a piece of nothing to you, but works perfectly for me as my needs are small business style.

The kids have a lenovo 100s can the os be put on an existiing laptop to make it quicker?

Andybris2020 wrote:

The kids have a lenovo 100s can the os be put on an existiing laptop to make it quicker?

I understand there are instructions on Youtube but I haven't tried it. I have a spare Windows 10 laptop I have no use for so I may have a go just to see what happens.
Even if I mess it up completely, it's really cheap to get it reset so it hardly matters.

I found a vid,,, detailed plus download links BUT flashed usb would not run after accessing usb... trying 32bit version zee if it boots

Fred wrote:

Anything online such as blogs aren't going to be much of a problem - Chrome browser is out of the box with the book and you can install other browsers from playstore.
Editing photos, depending on what software you use, may not be on the cards.
If it's on playstore (android app), send me a PM and I'll try it out.

My blog is private (readers are invited) and can't be found on any search engine  (not because it contains any major secrets; I just want to protect my privacy because the blog is essentially a record of my life.)  I've forgotten whom my son in law uses; I only remember that he said it's a small provider.  Is that the same as online?

Depends on my mood, I use different photo editing apps, free and purchased -- Snapseed, VSCO, Lightroom, PS Express, Fotor, ON1, Focos, Prisma, etc.

I tested the following from Playstore - I have never used any of them so I can't attest to their features compared with Windows versions

Snapseed
VSCO
Lightroom
PS Express

This did not work
Fotor (Optimised up for phone rather than laptop or tablet)
Focos (Optimised up for phone rather than laptop or tablet) - and the adverts were a pain in the bum

Wanted a sign in so not tested - But did download
ON1
Prisma (Optimised up for phone rather than laptop or tablet) Wanted sub so immediately uninstalled

I could find one called etc.

Fred wrote:

This did not work
Fotor (Optimised up for phone rather than laptop or tablet)
Focos (Optimised up for phone rather than laptop or tablet) - and the adverts were a pain in the bum

Prisma (Optimised up for phone rather than laptop or tablet) Wanted sub so immediately uninstalled

I could find one called etc.

All of the apps I mentioned work well on Windows but I do have problems with etc.   

I haven't tried this yet - but will do as I have an unused laptop I have neither use for, nor interest in

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3572269 … ebook.html

How to turn an old laptop into a Chromebook

Fred wrote:

I haven't tried this yet - but will do as I have an unused laptop I have neither use for, nor interest in

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3572269 … ebook.html

How to turn an old laptop into a Chromebook

Hi Fred,

I followed your info about chromebooks and actually installed chrome OS on my laptop (2017 lenovo 100s) works fine and access to playstore,, only drawback is no touch screen for game playiing but I have a gamepad, some games work some dont, but as a machine to access the internet and mail etc it's faster than before.
I also tried it on the boys old Sony Vaio but it would not boot to chrome no matter which version I tried the cpu is a dual core 8700 so old,,, even android x86 would not run in 32 bit or 64 bit,, so having flashed a USB to run linux mint that then installs chrome OS i installed Linux mint 20,, runs like a dream much faster than windows 10 and much easier to use,, the kids are now using it (7 year old twins) to watch youtube, get free games from the linux play store and they are now fighting over a laptop that was under the bed covered in dust,,,, go figure.
For anyone who has an old PC thats is so slow its being used as a door stop try installing linux mint 20 or chrome OS  anyone interested in getting the files etc,, PM me i'll pass on the youtube vid.

Guidance requested for photo project.

The project I would like to do is to put up about two dozen 9-by-12-inch framed photographs of animals from my favorite YouTube site, on an interior wall in my condo in Ecuador.

I realize it's not as simple as freezing a frame and pressing Print.

My research so far on the Internet showed me processes that are more complicated than I could probably do myself.

I took this concept to some print shops that do enlargements and, in typical Ecuadorian fashion, each shop referred me to another shop in a 'telephone-game' style that led to nothing productive.

Does anyone have some input as to how I can get this done .. or what kind of business in my city might be able to do this for me once I have selected the freeze-frame images I want...

cccmedia

You could screen the video on a nice surface and then freeze the video on the moment you see the animal you want and then take the picture of the video while paused, in the highest resolution your camera allows you. I think you would have to make a test of the distance you will have to be from the screen in order to avoid the pixels as much as possible

In a large city, such as a South American capital, what kind of company has the equipment to do this job professionally with high resolution for a layman customer?

cccmedia

well...

you could DIY with a decent smartphone.. but the screen has to be bright enough and the room should not have other light sources but the screen you want to capture....

ASUS Chromebook Flip C214MA-BU393

OMG - TERRIFIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and a few more !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because it really is that fantastic.

Windows updates - Make a cup of coffee, swear, make another coffee, have lunch - swear, make more coffee - go to the toilet - listen to someone ranting about you not finishing whatever on time and explain it's all down to Windows 10 being crap- It's updated

Android updates - Make a cup of coffee - It's updated

Chromebook updates - Think about making a cup of coffee - It's updated

If you use your machine for the internet, spreadsheets, Word processing, slideshows, and other stuff like that - Look at Chromebooks. The office software is all free to use and (So far) has saved Windows compatible with no complaints from people receiving the files.

If you want really need games and fancy applications, don't buy a Chromebook.

I've just got a message telling me this thing needs an update - Note the post time - Today 07:53:31

Updated - Sorry it took so long but I forgot to bookmark the thread so it took me a minute to find it

Post time - Today 07:55:31

Internet here can be a bit dodgy, especially with all this home learning stuff at the moment.
My kids commonly can't see their classmates faces on Google meet because there simply isn't the bandwidth for the video - but they always appear when I switch to my Chromebook. Sometimes their lessons won't load on Google slides or whatever, so I get out my Chromebook and everything works.

The Samsung S5e also works when Windows 10 displays how rubbish Microsoft's OS  is, but the tablet a little more messing around to get their files working.

Fred wrote:

Internet here can be a bit dodgy, especially with all this home learning stuff at the moment.
My kids commonly can't see their classmates faces on Google meet because there simply isn't the bandwidth for the video - but they always appear when I switch to my Chromebook. Sometimes their lessons won't load on Google slides or whatever, so I get out my Chromebook and everything works.

The Samsung S5e also works when Windows 10 displays how rubbish Microsoft's OS  is, but the tablet a little more messing around to get their files working.

I think it may of been you as my reason for trying chrome on my laptop, the video i watched said download linux mint as the loader for usb drive then load chrome,, loved linux so much its now on laptop,, kids laptop main desktop everything is free and super fast,,,
I 100% recommend getting away from windows,,, no virus and no crashes, updates are amusing after windows, so if you have a computer or laptop and cant get a chromebook try the live usb linux mint,, see if you like it before install.

I kept being told how easy and stress free Chomebooks are but I thought it was just hype from Chromeheads - It isn't.

However, the things are useless for serious gamers and anyone needing super powerful computers for whatever.

Fred wrote:

I kept being told how easy and stress free Chomebooks are but I thought it was just hype from Chromeheads - It isn't.

However, the things are useless for serious gamers and anyone needing super powerful computers for whatever.

Yeah I get ya, most of the time we have way over spec'ed products when all we need is something simple to use, fast and stable.

I was over windows after using linux for 30 min, I have a samsung tablet, samsung phone, same as GF, eldest has an Oppo all with android, I havnt found anything I need to have thats windows, when the boys get older i'll look at chromebook instead of tablet for them.

Update.
I love my Chromebook

I got sick of my daughter moaning about her Windows 10 laptop being rubbish, not loading pages for school, and generally being crap - I bought her a Chromebook - No more moaning.

I watched a few of my son's lessons on his Windows 10 laptop - I was so bugged by the way his lessons went, I bought him a Chromebook - No more connection issues.

Chrome OS, as I think I mentioned, won't do everything - but it does everything most people need - and without Microsoft headaches.

I have two Windows 10 laptops for sale - Anybody I hate can have them cheap.
Has anyone got my old grade 8 maths teacher's number? That evil little gnome can have them for free.

Fred wrote:

The Samsung smartwatch I bought is less great..

The Samsung watch's charger died a death but the Note 20 with share charge -so that's ok -NOT!

I typed 'NOT!" with quite hard key presses - I only mention that in order to fully explain what a bag of crap the watch is.
I'm not saying Samsung lied about the Note 20's ability to charge the watch because it charges the watch - but it's really unreliable. It claims to be charging so you go for a pee, only to find it isn't charging when you return a minute later.
Then it either gets hot or decided the watch position on the phone isn't right, even though it said it was when you started charging, nothing has been moved, and there hadn't been an earthquake or rough sex.
The latter, when made into a phrasal verb by adding 'off', is what I think Samsung should do every time I try to charge their roughsexinging watch.
As mistakes go, buying the Samsung watch hardly compares with invading Poland, but it was still pretty bad on a personal level.

Why can't they just add a USB C rather than trying to be all posh with wireless charging that simply doesn't work properly? It can't be the waterproofing excuse because my Note 20 can go swimming with me, so I assume someone at Samsung has a hard on for wireless charging to the point where not working properly is considered better than a working product. Perhaps they're trying to compete with Apple for the crappiest tech idea of the year award.
Basically - it's a lump of junk  - Don't buy one

Fred wrote:

Update.
I love my Chromebook

I got sick of my daughter moaning about her Windows 10 laptop being rubbish, not loading pages for school, and generally being crap - I bought her a Chromebook - No more moaning.

I watched a few of my son's lessons on his Windows 10 laptop - I was so bugged by the way his lessons went, I bought him a Chromebook - No more connection issues.

Chrome OS, as I think I mentioned, won't do everything - but it does everything most people need - and without Microsoft headaches.

I have two Windows 10 laptops for sale - Anybody I hate can have them cheap.
Has anyone got my old grade 8 maths teacher's number? That evil little gnome can have them for free.

Hi Fred,

I think many moons ago it was you that talked about chrome book,, i tried to download the software for one of our old laptops,, it didnt work but what did what the linux mint 20 boot loader to load the chrome software, it was so fast and easy off the usb live boot disk i loaded it onto the laptop,, that was around 8 months ago?

They have been using it ever since with out a glitch for online schooling, none, zero, zilch, zip errors, it is quicker and uses chrome browser and everything works.

So i installed it on my newer laptop,, way faster no virus no BS just download and install free.

So I did my main comp there is nothing i cant do that i did before,, including video editing, audio editing, photo editing, internet is rock solid and virus are a thing of the past, i will never go back to MS .

Thanks Fred for making my life virus free and software free and way quicker in everway

I don't use online shops very much but there is one place I absolutely love. I suppose I'll get away with giving them a free ad here because hardly anyone in Indonesia will see it, so here we go.
Jakartanotebook.com is bloody great. I ordered a few bits and bobs from them at 12:30 today and it's already in the Jakarta delivery office ready to be sent over here. It's Sunday tomorrow so I expect the package to come on Monday - They usually turn up around 4:30 pm.
I've been using them for years - always perfect deliveries -and always really fast. Indonesia isn't as well stocked with electronic goodies as some countries, but that place always seems to have whatever I need.
Not just electronics either - I've been looking round for a steering wheel table but I didn't expect them to stock them so I didn't look. How silly of me. 4 months of failing to find one in car shops, but I got one with a quick search of the electronics goodie site - I should have known.
I suppose most countries will have something similar, but that place is my go to shop in Indonesia.

My Chromebook is now my gadget of choice when it comes to serious work, but my Samsung Tab S5e remains my favourite for when I'm out and about.
The CB is an amazing bit of kit that does everything I need without Microsoft headaches, but the Tab is really small and light, so that makes it portable.
As a tablet with its keyboard cover, it works well, but once it's in DeX mode (Desktop experience) and I add a mouse, it's a really handy productivity machine.
The pair make a great combination.

OMG!!!!!!!

I have taken on a little part time work that may involve leaving a device hanging around when kids are lose in the room. That in mind, I want to use a bit of kit that doesn't much matter if it gets knocked off a table.
Ah, a Windows 10 laptop - Those things are no loss if smashed.

I loaded the software and off it went - then the update notice popped up.
I restarted and it returned to it's home screen within a few minutes.
Mmmmm, mused I, I wonder what will happen when I turn it it to use tomorrow morning so, being a very bright chap, I restarted it again.
The piece of utter bum excreted junk still says, "getting Windows ready, you mug (I may have paraphased).
I'm 20 minutes in and waiting to see how long it will take to actually do what it's supposed to do.

There goes my big gripe with Windows - it's about Windows, not the people who use it.

If this isn't real, it really should be

https://youtu.be/NUvFz0HS-sI

I did a little playing today - I added an extra screen to my Chromebook.
I do a lot of searching for various things and input the information with links and whatever details I need into a spreadsheet. As I now have two 32 inch monitors, I can search on one and leave the spreadsheet on the other - It's amazingly handy to be able to have the twin screens.
As far as this forum goes, I can leave one screen on the search new posts page but carry on with whatever I'm doing on the other.
I have yet to tidy the cables and pop the nice top back on the table so it looks pretty, but the new gear works great.

OMG !!!!!!! (That deserves a lot of exclamation marks)
Today saw the first use of the 2 monitor setup - and it's great.
I'm looking for suppliers of various materials so that means searching the internet then bunging the results into a spreadsheet in order to keep track of all the information.
I have no idea how I managed with only one screen - It's ridiculously easy now I have two.

Fred wrote:

OMG !!!!!!! (That deserves a lot of exclamation marks)
Today saw the first use of the 2 monitor setup - and it's great.
I'm looking for suppliers of various materials so that means searching the internet then bunging the results into a spreadsheet in order to keep track of all the information.
I have no idea how I managed with only one screen - It's ridiculously easy now I have two.

Ha ha, back in 1998 I had 3 X 17" monitors then triple 19" then triple widescreen remember those days fondly,,,,

I can have 3 if I open the Chromebook so its screen turns on. However, I only open it if I have a video conference.

There was I in a Samsung store looking at the Tab 7 with free keyboard cover which has, unlike my Tab S5e, an S-pen.
That allows screen writing with your hand resting on the screen rather than a normal stylus that doesn't work if there's a second point of contact.
However, the S-pen on that version doesn't have bluetooth so it can't be used as a remote for presentations and all the other fancy stuff the S-pen in my Note 20 does..
That was a deal killer as writing alone is not enough to justify spending the cash.

In a fire that killed two people and caused a lot of headaches for many, I lost both my domain and business email access.
I can't recover the domain because access to the servers was lost when they exploded
Potential new hosts say they can't take the domain unless they can access it - and that's not going to happen.

However, it was only used for a small number of people and I have a list of everyone on the copies pushed to my free gmail.
Could be worse but I won't be renewing the contract next month. They say they will offer me a new domain but I can't risk this happening again so I tried Google's paid service (Free trial first - I don't like to waste money).

The cost is a little greater but not enough to make any difference, however, Google being massive, one server exploding won't destroy everything.

However, the start was rocky at best.
Strangly, you can't change the logo as you can on the free service, but you can change the name so it comes up with an appropriate letter.
Their default settings insist on a password to open your mobile devices (I use a Samsung phone and tablet). Screen security on the tablet is a bit of a pain but not a lot more, but the same on my phone is an issue.
If I put a lock screen on my phone, Whatsapp messages don't get received until I open the lock so that's clearly a deal killer.
However, after a lot of messing around with Google's control panel, a set of pages they do their best to make it impossible to access, I have removed the lock requirement and I'm good to go.

I know security experts say a lock screen is a must, but I prefer not to lose my phone in the first place. I lost a screwdriver back in 2005, but that wasn't really lost as I know where it is but I couldn't reach it so I had to abandon the thing.
I don't understand people who lose their phones.

12/31/21

I've had it with smartwatches. 

I had a Samsung Gear S2 which I liked a lot, but broke through my own carelessness -- although the back of the thing being made out of glass certainly didn't help.  I replaced it with a S3 Classic in late 2018, which was great and had a terrific interface with my phone.  But alas -- while it claims to be "water-resistant" it apparently isn't "sweat-resistant", which is a potential non-starter in a tropical clime, and now an actual non-starter.  As much as I like them, three years isn't long enough for something to last at the prices Samsung charges, particularly with the "Brazil Cost" added.  Oh, well.

Rant over.  Thanks for listening. 

abthree wrote:

12/31/21

I've had it with smartwatches. 

I had a Samsung Gear S2 which I liked a lot, but broke through my own carelessness -- although the back of the thing being made out of glass certainly didn't help.  I replaced it with a S3 Classic in late 2018, which was great and had a terrific interface with my phone.  But alas -- while it claims to be "water-resistant" it apparently isn't "sweat-resistant", which is a potential non-starter in a tropical clime, and now an actual non-starter.  As much as I like them, three years isn't long enough for something to last at the prices Samsung charges, particularly with the "Brazil Cost" added.  Oh, well.

Rant over.  Thanks for listening. 

Have you seen what Apple charges for their rubbish?

12/31/21

Oh, yes!   

But I've never belonged to the Cupertino Cult, so I've at least been spared that.

abthree wrote:

12/31/21

Oh, yes!   

But I've never belonged to the Cupertino Cult, so I've at least been spared that.

I'm so not a member I had to Google it

As for that bloody watch, I've stopped wearing it. It's sitting on a shelf and unlikely to move unless it's to a bin. Of all the Samsung products I've owned, that is the only thing I haven't liked. All they need to do is put a bloody USB C on their watches but they have to try to beat Apple to how crappy tech can be in the name of cool.

12/31/21

Fred wrote:

As for that bloody watch, I've stopped wearing it. It's sitting on a shelf and unlikely to move unless it's to a bin. Of all the Samsung products I've owned, that is the only thing I haven't liked. All they need to do is put a bloody USB C on their watches but they have to try to beat Apple to how crappy tech can be in the name of cool.

Mine still charges -- but that's all it does.  I liked the additional data, and the greater precision that the watch gave me in tracking my workouts and other exercise in tandem with my phone, but the phone still hits the high points solo.  I liked the ability to analyze my sleep patterns, but now I know what they are, and they're not likely to change in the short term.

I wear a watch mostly to know the time and the date; the less trouble it gives me to do that, the better.  My Seiko Solar has been doing it since 2013, and its only recommended "maintenance" is to sit in a sunny spot for a couple of hours a week, although it can make do with less.   It's got its old job back, permanently.

Stopped wearing watches a while ago as my phone will tell me what time it is. No matter which one you buy and how expensive it is, all the 'manurefacturers' are interested in is selling. When it comes to warranty & service, they will always find a reason to bail out. They spew out new products yearly with more bells and whistles and if you are lucky you will get a couple of years out of it before it breaks down and the warranty conveniently has expired! Nothing is made to last for longer than a couple of years anymore, whether you buy a watch or a plastic car. Used polar products for many years, until I purchased one of their watches a few years ago and the dig screen went dead after 1.5 years of normal use, bye bye Polar 👋🏻. Mornings I'll go running with the phone in my hand, works like a charm. Happy New Year to all 🍾

I bought the watch for notifications as I was commonly in noisy places so could hear my phone. Once I'd got rid of the daft fitness functions that didn't work anyway (It used to congratulate me on how far I'd run when I was driving), it worked well.
It was a real bonus in meetings as I could see the message on the watch rather than look at my phone - I don't want people the thing I'm rude.
It also worked as a trackpad and powerpoint controller - very useful.
However, the charge broke, Samsung wanted stupid money, and the pads didn't work properly.
I was assured it would charge happily from my Note 20 - That didn't work out well.
With their massive hard on to beat Apple to how crap they can make a product by adding fancy features that don't work well, they neglected to bung a USB C that would solve the issue with ease.