My needs: a portable device with keyboard that I can use to write pulp fiction and do charting. Easy, light, durable and real keyboard needed. Maybe a tablet option? I work long days at multiple locations and take buses.
À home based device that can play DVDs, edit spreadsheets and be a faux tv.
How do I acquire these both for free or almost free with zero effort and have them magically meet all my needs including ones I don’t know about?
Does it need to run programs?
My chromebook is one of the lighter, cheaper models and has lasted 2+ years. It’s fantastic for writing as long as you are okay with writing in Google Docs.
It was pretty cheap.
A tablet with attached or aftermarket keyboard will do most things you want. A RCA tablet comes with a keyboard and full sized USB port, so you could get a USB DVD player. Also they have HDMI ports so you could hook the tablet up to a tv if you wanted.
I think you can get te whole set up for under 200.
OH yes. Important note about Chromebooks I did not understand:
They do not play DVDs. Even with an external DVD player. The software is not included and cannot be installed on this type of system.
Womp womp.
My little foldable keyboard is great!! But it’s not quite as comfortable to type on as my Chromebook keyboard and it needs to be on a flat surface to work. I.e. it can’t just go on my lap unless I also have a book on my lap.
But it would work with the tablet of your choice.
I’ll look into that. I remember things not working, but not exactly what I did to get to that conclusion (this was several years ago). iirc VLC would not recognize the DVD as a playable media (and there was no native way to play it). But I’ll re-try. Maybe things have changed. Which would be very nice! I’ll report back after I attempt.
EDIT: The internet sadly agrees with my past experience.
Short Answer:
No . Chrome OS does not currently have support for playback of video DVDs included by default. However, it’s now possible to play DVD video with the help of VLC for Chrome OS. Also, VLC for Chrome OS and VLC via the Play Store no longer seem to allow accessing DVD drives.
Or maybe I want a laptop instead of a desktop and a tv instead of a desktop? If I buy a laptop that can replace the functions of the desktop, then the desktop death isn’t an emergency and I can delay buying the tv/desktop indefinitely. And I only have to research one category of things.
I could make my sofa point at floor pillows when the desktop dies, and those would be more fun to make/shop for than technology.
