Thinking of Buying Chromebook in Q4

[thatdennis]

The Chromebook interests me due to it's said lightness and excellent battery life.

But before purchasing a Chromebook, I have some qualms that need to be answered.

1. I am not always connected to wifi, so could I use Google Docs offline, say for typing an essay? This is really crucial, as without offline use this is pretty much useless for me.

2. Can I watch 720p, 1080p, HD and/or Blu-Ray videos on the chromebook with VLC? (Must be VLC as it is the only media player that could read subs/codex). Also will it lag when watching?

3. How many USB ports are generally in a chromebook (the minimum)?

4. Can we connect bluetooth headsets to it?

5. How is the display? I don't care much for sunlight readability as I don't work outside on the sun.

6. Will it sync with other e-mail accounts such as Outlook, or is the Chromebook only reserved to google services like only Gmail accounts?

That is all, thank you.

 

[wizzrah]

The Chromebook interests me due to it's said lightness and excellent battery life.

But before purchasing a Chromebook, I have some qualms that need to be answered.

1. I am not always connected to wifi, so could I use Google Docs offline, say for typing an essay? This is really crucial, as without offline use this is pretty much useless for me.

2. Can I watch 720p, 1080p, HD and/or Blu-Ray videos on the chromebook with VLC? (Must be VLC as it is the only media player that could read subs/codex). Also will it lag when watching?

3. How many USB ports are generally in a chromebook (the minimum)?

4. Can we connect bluetooth headsets to it?

5. How is the display? I don't care much for sunlight readability as I don't work outside on the sun.

6. Will it sync with other e-mail accounts such as Outlook, or is the Chromebook only reserved to google services like only Gmail accounts?

That is all, thank you.

Hi.

1. You can enable offline usage in Google Drive. This will apply to Google Docs as well.
2. VLC Media Player does not currently support Chrome OS.
3. It depends on what model you get. For example, the Acer C720 has one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port.
4. You are able to connect bluetooth headsets to it. https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/2587653?hl=en
5. The displays are what you would find on a regular laptop (1366x768). They are very usable. Unless you get the Chromebook Pixel, which has one of the highest resolution laptop screens on the market.
6. The Chrome Web Store has an Outlook.com app.

 

[thatdennis]

Hi.

1. You can enable offline usage in Google Drive. This will apply to Google Docs as well.
2. VLC Media Player does not currently support Chrome OS.
3. It depends on what model you get. For example, the Acer C720 has one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port.
4. You are able to connect bluetooth headsets to it. https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/2587653?hl=en
5. The displays are what you would find on a regular laptop (1366x768). They are very usable. Unless you get the Chromebook Pixel, which has one of the highest resolution laptop screens on the market.
6. The Chrome Web Store has an Outlook.com app.

Ah thanks for clearing that up. However I read somewhere that you can play VLC through the web app, is this true?

 

[wizzrah]

Ah thanks for clearing that up. However I read somewhere that you can play VLC through the web app, is this true?

You'd need VLC to be installed on your computer in order to use the web interface.

 

[NotablePDF]

Just to clarify, you need VLC to be installed on a separate computer with your video files, with it's web interface enabled to be able to access it.

There's also a new video player coming to Chrome OS which recently landed into the Dev channel: New Video Player App Coming to Chrome OS | OMG! Chrome!

 

[anon(8730639)]

If you need VLC, you can install a Linux distribution and switch between the two OSes on the fly. Just get a program that'll let you do that (there's many to choose from), install VLC, and you're good to go.