Chromebox help

[Tom Westrick]

Hey everyone,

My mother's birthday is coming up in over a month, and I want to get her a Chromebox to replace her giant desktop. I'm looking for some feedback for those that are using either a Chromebook or Chromebox, as well as those that have done a similar project for their family members. I'm also not too familiar with Chromebox release cycles. Is there one coming out between now and Christmas that would be worth waiting for?

 

[B. Diddy]

It depends on what your mother uses her computer for. If she only uses it for the internet, then a Chrombook/box would be perfect. But if she likes to do other things like plugging a CD or DVD to enjoy some music or a movie, then it's not such a good idea.

Chromeboxes have certainly not been as common as Chromebooks. The main one (from a reputable company) that I'm aware of is the Asus Chromebox, which seems like a really good value. If your mother's eyesight isn't great, then you probably want to consider a Chromebox so that you can connect it to a big monitor, since most Chromebooks have screens between 11.6" and 14", which can be a little too small for older eyes.

If there are any new Chromeboxes coming out, my guess is that they won't have any big advantages in hardware over what's available now. Chromebooks/boxes really don't need high-powered CPUs or tons of RAM, which is why many of the models out there today have similar specs.

 

[Tom Westrick]

It depends on what your mother uses her computer for. If she only uses it for the internet, then a Chrombook/box would be perfect. But if she likes to do other things like plugging a CD or DVD to enjoy some music or a movie, then it's not such a good idea.

Chromeboxes have certainly not been as common as Chromebooks. The main one (from a reputable company) that I'm aware of is the Asus Chromebox, which seems like a really good value. If your mother's eyesight isn't great, then you probably want to consider a Chromebox so that you can connect it to a big monitor, since most Chromebooks have screens between 11.6" and 14", which can be a little too small for older eyes.

If there are any new Chromeboxes coming out, my guess is that they won't have any big advantages in hardware over what's available now. Chromebooks/boxes really don't need high-powered CPUs or tons of RAM, which is why many of the models out there today have similar specs.

This is a few weeks late, but thank you for the detailed response. In talking with my mom, a Chromebox would be ideal for the way she uses her computer. My next question is regarding webcams: I bought her a generic Logitech web cam a few years ago that works fine with Windows 7. Will she be able to continue using this, or do I need to get one specific for Chrome?

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm not sure about the webcam question. From what I've read, it sounds like a USB webcam will transmit video, but not audio. If the Chromebox you get has a built-in microphone, I assume that combination would work. It sounds like there may also be some higher end Chromeboxes that come with a webcam.

 

[James Welbes]

the web cam should work fine. I'm using a logitech web cam with my chromebox. transmits video/audio.