Jeff is using a Chromebook to do the finances for his elderly father. Is it secure enough? Leo says YES! Chromebook's are very secure by design, and using them solely for online banking makes it VERY secure. Google does a lot to protect ChromeOS, and one can't modify it in any way. And if something goes wrong, users can powerwash it. The only risk may be browser extensions. So if users avoid those, they are golden.
Anne wants to know why her Chromebook isn't getting updates anymore. And can she keep using it? Leo says that the older your Chromebook is, the more likely Google will stop updating it. But it'll be fine for a while. Chrome is very secure. The issue though will be if your browser is still updated. If your Chromebook is one of the first, and as such, its end of life, then it may be time to get a new one.
Axel's mother has retired and she wants to get a new computer for genealogy research. Leo says that the best option is a Chromebook. Very secure. Only has a browser. It'll work great for it. But users will need to use an online system like Ancestry.com. The other choice is an iPad. Very simple to use. Leo also recommends the Acer Spin.
Pat's Chromebook is old and it's time for her to get a new one. Leo says it will still work, but it won't be updated. However, eventually, it'll stop connecting. It should stay in the specs, but Google says that new Chromebooks will get 6 1/2 years of support. Go to Google's AutoUpdate page here to find out how long before upgrading is needed.
Google uploaded an update to ChromeOS this week that was missing the "&" ampersand code, causing many Chromebooks out in the wild to be locked out of ChromeOS. This comes fresh off another update that left out the "%" sign, causing similar issues should your wifi network or password rely on it. Google didn't announce the problem, but it was ferreted out by a Reddit user this week. The only fix was to powerwash your Chromebook and start over.
If your Chromebook has a wifi only connection because of a lack of ports, Dick has a gadget for you! The OWC USB-C Travel Dock plugs it into a Chromebook to not only give it a wired connection, but also a 100 watt power pass through, so you plug it into your USB-C powered notebook or Chromebook, and then you'll add six ports, one of which is the USB-C power pass-through. You don't even need to remember to bring a cable because one is built into the bottom of the unit.
Joseph would like a Chromebook recommendation for taking online classes. Leo says that a Chromebook would be great for that as many online courses even do their practice labs online. So it comes down to budget. Leo's favorite is the Acer Spin 713.
Vince wants to get his daughter a laptop for college. He'd like to keep it under $400. Leo says a lot of it depends on what his daughter is going to study. Leo likes a Macbook Air, but it's between $900-1100. But he can get college pricing. Still, it's a solid student computer. There is a good Chromebook - the Acer Spin. But chances are, she's going to want something more capable. Also, take a look at the windows version ... the Acer Aspire.
George is looking for an affordable replacement for his Android phone. Leo says that he likes the Motorola G9. It's $238 and it has a huge battery. Decent camera. A little more expensive, but with a better camera is the Google Pixel 4a - and the 5a should be out in a few months.
Frank wants to get a laptop for his brother, who lives in Ukraine. Leo says that 8GB RAM is the minimum for a Windows 10 PC, but Leo says he should double that. RAM is different from hard drive storage. Get as much as he can afford, but 128GB is the minimum for a hard drive, 256GB is even better.
An SSD is best. Frank has a budget of $300. Leo says that's going to limit Frank's choices, so if he can go higher, the better.
Another option is a Chromebook. Less expensive, so he can get more bang for the buck, and if his brother's work is mostly online, that would be ideal.
