Many CCB folks use Google products. Here's some of what ChemIT knows of some of those services, as an FYI.
Backing up your Google-related stuff
Consider doing this since your items at Google can disappear at any time, usually through the account being hacked.
Options ChemIT has heard about. Please share if you have any experience with these, or other services. Thanks!
https://spanningbackup.com/s5m5/PBURCM
- Oliver using, as of 9/2013.
Chromebooks and the like
Oliver has some personal familiarity with these devices. Some tips/ tricks:
Install software to allow you to use OWA as if using an Exchange-approved browser, such as FireFox, instead of Chrome (which is your only option on a Chromebook).
This gets you the full-function interface, not the dumbed-down one.
The linked page below tells you how to get your Chromebook's Chrome browser to access the full web-based Outlook.com (Outlook Web Access; OWA). This includes getting access to week-long and month-long views in the calendar, not just a day's view. Wonderful!
Summary:
1) Downloaded "User-Agent Switcher for Chrome".
2) Selected Firefox 15. (NOT IE or it will not work and it pesters you do download ActiveX!)
It will be nice once MS recognizes Chrome as capable of full access from within Exchange. :-)
Oliver set it up so the browser is seen as "Chrome" usually, but when it hits "outlook.com" it masquerades as Firefox automatically. I did that through the Switcher's settings.
N.B. Knowing about this tool may come in handy on Mac and Windows systems for accessing or browser testing "picky" web sites, too.
Remote control of Chromebook, useful for support
This technique will work from/ to Mac or Windows, not just Chromebooks. One (of others?) option:
https://chrome.google.com/remotedesktop
Hardware options and considerations
Devices: Laptops and desktops
Google makes a high-end (and pricy!) laptop that is gorgeous to use
http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/chrome/devices/chromebook-pixel/
- Oliver has one, so feel free to ask him about it.
In addition to typical laptops, there appears to be a desktop ChromeOS device (ChromeBox):
http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromebox.html#specs
- It's a "bring your own monitor, mouse, and keyboard" device.
- A bit pricier than most Chromebooks, but comes with 100 GB Google Drive Cloud Storage for 2 years.
- People seem to love it, but...hard to find (as of 9/3/13) so wondering if Google is/ will continue investing in it. (Originally designed for businesses, I gather.) Some reviews:
- It has an ethernet port, which might be nice in many circumstances where you want a desktop system.
Samsung laptops
These seem the best value and no fan (one less thing to break), BUT, look up reviews re: broken screens. They seem more susceptible to broken screens than most laptops, and that can cost ~$70 to get a replacement screen (3rd party?) if you "do it yourself" (using a YouTube video, presumably). Ouch!
Other hardware considerations
Ethernet connections
Some (not all!) Chromebooks have ethernet ports. At least one of the HP Chromebooks "Sleekbooks" (HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook 14-c010us) has an ethernet port (Network card: 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)). Odd that this feature does not show up in the specs on the Amazon web page; it
was buried in the PDF of the specs:
Or, one could use a USB-to-ethernet device if it only has a USB port, (which they all do, presumably) but not as good as a direct ethernet port. People who got this one ($14) seemed to love it:
http://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Ethernet-Network-Chromebook-Specific/dp/B00484IEJS/