[Rebecka]

I'm thinking of buying a CR-48 (found one for sale in my country). But what is it really worth? I was going to wait until Samsung and Acer Chromebook arrives but it seems to never happen. In any case, I have to wait until the summer if not longer.

CR-48 looks nice, anonymous body and cool Chrome stickers. But it has poor hardware (although I know that Chrome OS doesn't need a lot of hardware). Only one USB port. So what is it worth if we ignore the fact that it's one of the few prototypes from Google? What would you charge for a computer of this type?

Maybe I can get over or import a Samsung or Acer Chromebook, but I'm not sure if it will be so cheap. CR-48 also feels more special than a Samsung and Acer Chromebook. How much better is Samsung and Acer Chromebook in comparison with CR-48?

 

[guidol]

Maybe I can get over or import a Samsung or Acer Chromebook, but I'm not sure if it will be so cheap. CR-48 also feels more special than a Samsung and Acer Chromebook. How much better is Samsung and Acer Chromebook in comparison with CR-48?

I was happy to get a Samsung US Series 5 for 200EUR second hand.
I only did see one CR-48 here in Germany for 150EUR, but I didnt get an answer from the seller.
The most difference is that the CR-48 is a single-CPU Computer and the Samsung/Acer are DualCore....the rest seems to be the same.
The Components of the CR-48 are very interchangeable if one part will brake.
The only bad part for me is the "rubber"-coating around the CR-48 which doesnt will last very long (like on old IBM Thinkpads)

I would spend around 100-150EUR for a CR-48. Some Pepople would spend less and other people more (there are not so much CR-48s outside this world and it got get a rare item in the future - the first REAL Chromebook from Google).
Or you could wait for summer if there will be the new chromebook and then are would be a chance to get the "older" chromebook for less money...

 

[Rebecka]

Thank you for sharing!

I can get CR-48 for about 170 EUR (1500 SEK). Should I buy? I can't decide.

The CR-48 have 3G right? There is also a Samsung for twice the price but without 3G. If I compare them the CR-48 is affordable. I love the stickers on the hood as well. He doesn't have the original packaging but it's less important.

All I know is that it costs me much more to import given the duty and tax (and then shipping). I'll have to wait at least a couple of months (don't get a new Chromebook for as little money though) if I don't buy this.

Hm... Should I, should I not...

 

[guidol]

Thank you for sharing!

I can get CR-48 for about 170 EUR (1500 SEK). Should I buy? I can't decide.

The CR-48 have 3G right? There is also a Samsung for twice the price but without 3G. If I compare them the CR-48 is affordable. I love the stickers on the hood as well.
Hm... Should I, should I not...

As I know all CR-48 should have 3G
I dont know how good the stickers would stick in future if the rubber coating
is getting off... you should scan them for reproduction


Get it for 170EUR if you are sure you can live with a chromebook. It would be not the fastest one, but as a sencond fast starting web-computer a chromebook is a fine thing.


The question is how long the CR-48 would be supported with updates (ChromeOS).... but its a very nice computer and in future a rare one.
If the battery does die from where could you get a compatible replacement?


For the samsung it has to be sent to samsung for replacement (internal battery) and for the acer its user-swapable....but the acer isnt available in Germany (europe?)

 

[Rebecka]

I've also thought about this with replacing the battery (although it's good now, it may be bad later). But what do you mean by updates (Chrome OS)? Why shouldn't the CR-48 get updates? I thought Chrome OS was free and available for anyone to install? Updates is supposed to happen automatically in Chrome OS regardless of computer? Is that wrong?

 

[Rebecka]

I googled a bit about replacing the battery in CR-48. Perhaps this would solve the problem CR-48 BATTERY REPLACEMENT - Chromium OS discuss | Google Groups or what do you think?

 

[guidol]

Why shouldn't the CR-48 get updates? I thought Chrome OS was free and available for anyone to install? Updates is supposed to happen automatically in Chrome OS regardless of computer? Is that wrong?

Chromebooks need a special version of Chrome OS, because of the security-chip which is needed for the verified boot. These images are generated by Google. If they think about it to not support the CR-48 after a few years (and later the "Rev 1" Samsung/Acer Chromebook, then we could only install a alternativ OS (like Ubuntu at this time)


The free Chrome OS / Chromium is another version... like
getchrome.eu
or
Chromium OS builds by Hexxeh


While the support from Google is active - its right - that the updates happen automatically - but not reardless of the computer.


The special releases are listed at
Chrome Releases
.... for Chromebooks (Acer AC700, Samsung Series 5, and Cr-48

 

[guidol]

I googled a bit about replacing the battery in CR-48. Perhaps this would solve the problem CR-48 BATTERY REPLACEMENT - Chromium OS discuss | Google Groups or what do you think?

Ok, every battery can (with care) diasassembled...but putting it back together is mostly a more hard thing than only replaceing the whole battery including the "case" of the battery.


A Laptop battery isnt produced ti be opened....you have to cut and glue the battery-case....that isnt a funny and pretty thing

 

[Rebecka]

Chromebooks need a special version of Chrome OS, because of the security-chip which is needed for the verified boot. These images are generated by Google. If they think about it to not support the CR-48 after a few years (and later the "Rev 1" Samsung/Acer Chromebook, then we could only install a alternativ OS (like Ubuntu at this time)


The free Chrome OS / Chromium is another version... like
getchrome.eu
or
Chromium OS builds by Hexxeh


While the support from Google is active - its right - that the updates happen automatically - but not reardless of the computer.


The special releases are listed at
Chrome Releases
.... for Chromebooks (Acer AC700, Samsung Series 5, and Cr-48

Wait a second, if Google stops support the CR-48 and later the "Rev 1" Samsung/Acer Chromebook, it means that I, after a certain time, have to buy a new Chromebook? I can't expect to buy either the CR-48 or the Samsung/Acer Chromebook and have lifetime support (= as long as my Chromebook works)?

I see no point in installing Ubuntu, if it's the Chrome OS I want to run.

If Google stops support, perhaps I can run the free version of the Chrome OS? What makes them different anyway?

 

[guidol]

Wait a second, if Google stops support the CR-48 and later the "Rev 1" Samsung/Acer Chromebook, it means that I, after a certain time, have to buy a new Chromebook? I can't expect to buy either the CR-48 or the Samsung/Acer Chromebook and have lifetime support (= as long as my Chromebook works)?

If Google stops support, perhaps I can run the free version of the Chrome OS? What makes them different anyway?

If Google drop the support with new Chrome OS Images for Chromebooks only Google will know if there will be a last ever working image - I hope they will do it.
If you could expect it for the lifetime of your chromebook I dont know...some people do buy every 2-3 years a new computer and some do use it mor than 5-7 years....the technology is changing so fast...

Chrome OS is working on a linux-base like Ubuntu...so there could be a free (user supported) version in the future....but if this version will support the verified boot?
The difference is this verified boot against viruses and some code which is only used on chromebooks...but this isnt much.

 

[Rebecka]

If Google drop the support with new Chrome OS Images for Chromebooks only Google will know if there will be a last ever working image - I hope they will do it.
If you could expect it for the lifetime of your chromebook I dont know...some people do buy every 2-3 years a new computer and some do use it mor than 5-7 years....the technology is changing so fast...

Perhaps I expressed myself a little clumsy. Of course I change computer after a few years (2-3 years doesn't sound unreasonable for laptops), but with lifetime support, I mean more Chrome OS itself. I don't want to buy a computer with an OS that I don't get support for at least 2-3 years (an estimated life of the laptop).

By the way, everything that I save in the cloud won't disappear, if Google decides to not support the Chromebook I have anymore?

I really want to buy the CR-48 because I want to explore the Chrome OS at one time. But I want to get support for at least 2 years more (since the CR-48 is already 1 year old). But perhaps I shouldn't count on it?

Chrome OS is working on a linux-base like Ubuntu...so there could be a free (user supported) version in the future....but if this version will support the verified boot?
The difference is this verified boot against viruses and some code which is only used on chromebooks...but this isnt much.

Good to know!

 

[guidol]

By the way, everything that I save in the cloud won't disappear, if Google decides to not support the Chromebook I have anymore?

I really want to buy the CR-48 because I want to explore the Chrome OS at one time. But I want to get support for at least 2 years more (since the CR-48 is already 1 year old). But perhaps I shouldn't count on it?

The "plus" of the cloud is that everything you saved in the cloud is in the cloud and should accessable with the next device or a web-browser on the next device. I think they wouldnt kill the web (or? -> ACTA?)

The problem discussing about the chromebook support is that these are the first laptops from Google. So we didnt know how good we can count on Google.

Some time ago they killed some web-apps when they doesnt paid for them (like the Product Wave).

So, what if the chromebook/-box wouldnt grow to an success like the chrome browser? So its a little risk, but I think Google is big enough that we can take this risk

If they would do it like Apple with their old iPhones (like the 2G/3G(S))
then you are save..

I personally think the support is good for 2-3 years, if not every year there is a new generation/revision of the chromebook.

The new chromebooks/-box from the CES 2012 wouldnt come to germany according to the news...but we would see what the future will bring.

 

[Rebecka]

I personally think the support is good for 2-3 years, if not every year there is a new generation/revision of the chromebook.

I hope so, but the question is whether I can count on support for the CR-48 (I know no one but Google can answer that question). CR-48 has been around for a year now, so I would have preferred it had support for two more years. Same goes for the Samsung/Acer Chromebook, but I'm pretty sure they get support for 2-3 years because people have paid for them. I have to pay if I want a CR-48 but they weren't for sale from the start and was sent for free to test pilots.

The new chromebooks/-box from the CES 2012 wouldnt come to germany according to the news...but we would see what the future will bring.

I don't know if they will reach Sweden either. Not even the current Chromebooks has reached Sweden. Really sad, I think. But there are a number of Swedes who have bothered to import (the Samsung Chromebook).