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I am determined. 
So I am limiting myself to the Chromebook, on purpose, to learn. By doing that I am figuring out how to do things by using the Chromebook only. Today I did a drawing, scanned it in, and pulled it up into Concepts. Using this drawing program, I used my Wacom ONE tablet and colored the drawing using layers. Next I used an online drawing program, Sumopaint X, to add text to the drawing. I used two different programs because I knew I could do the task needed in each. I have only scratched the surface of how to use Concepts. I need to look up instructions and read, experiment, and learn more. I could have done everything in the online Sumopaint X. I keep digging into this Chromebook and finding more things it can do. I definitely can do Photo editing.

One thing I do know about the Chromebook, the 64-bit processor is the route to go. The experience is like night and day when comparing it to the 32-bit Lenovo I have. Even the online experience. 

@BLUEVOODU i have a recumbent stationary exercise bike sitting in front of my TV. I exercise every afternoon. That is the time I usually watch something. After finishing 13 seasons of NCIS I have been trying to find something to take its place. I have been bouncing all over the place. I may try  Agents of Shield. I have never watched it. My Daughter was so into it when it first aired. She never would reveal any details in case I ever watched.

I had a concern on whether I could use my scan feature on my HP printer. None of the programs or apps had very good ratings. While searching I ran across the instructions of opening up the app menu and using the search function to type in scan. Chromebook has a built in scan program, or app, who knew. Works great, very satisfied.  I a lot of times may sketch something with a lead pencil and paper. And I like scanning those in to work with using a Wacom tablet and some drawing program.

@CreepinDeth my tablet ONE by Wacom works great. At first I thought I was a little rusty using it because I have been using a Wacom that has a color screen, that one is not compatible with ChromeOS. But it is the Krita that is somewhat buggy. There are other drawing programs for ChromeOS, I have been trying out Concepts. It is great and the Wacom tablet works like pencil and paper.

@BLUEVOODU i have two tablets by Wacom, the ONE and a Wacom DTU-1031X that has a color screen. I have never owned an ASUS product. I really like this laptop so far. I think some would find an issue with the number keys, they are 1/4 narrower than regular keys on a laptop this size.

There is definitely a big difference in the performance of the ASUS over the Lenovo. The ASUS has an Intel Celeron 64bit CPU vs the Arm8.2 32bit Lenovo CPU.
I can see the ASUS as a business Chromebook and the Lenovo for the classroom. Just the styling and build alone gives me those feels.
I really like and enjoy the Google Office suite. I was working on some spread sheets today and it seemed, to me, to be more user friendly than Microsoft Office.

My Chromebook Journey
There is definitely a learning curve in using a Chromebook, and I am still learning.

I guess I have committed myself to the ChromeOS ecosystem. I found this refurbished ASUS 17.3" Chromebook on eBay, the ASUS Chromebook CX1700CKA-DH44. The seller has a bunch of them, still selling them too. They are manufacturer refurbished with a 2 year warranty. I looked it up and found out that this model was released last year, and it is supported until June 2030. At $99 with free shipping & handling, I couldn't resist. This is a good deal. I received mine today. You might as well say they are brand new condition.
One big plus is that I have a drawing tablet, ONE by Wacom, that works with the ChromeOS. I even was able to install Krita the drawing program that I use.
I helped my Wife to set-up the Lenovo Chromebook today for her to use. I need this ASUS 17.3" screen. The size of the built-in eMMc hard drive is really irrelevant when you can simply add whatever you want with a flash-drive, SD, or an external SSD. Which at some point I will do. It will be fairly inexpensive to just add a 256g micro-SD to the ASUS, which has a 64g eMMC.

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I haven't yet. It is on my "to do" list.

We still do not have a local theatre.

DIsney+ will need to put it up for viewing.

I partook of this one... I'll try to post it some thoughts.

Not sure how many Shmup fans we have here... I'm a huge shmup fan

I am a Shmup fan. The genre is what lit the fire for gaming with me. I played Bulldog on the Commadore 64 continuously until it would crash, every time.

Don't have a Playstation 4 though.

Wait! How did I miss this? Happy Belated Birthday!

Brace yourself, this is going to be a little long. This might be a last update for a while and anymore will be my experience in using it. But really, I am using it now. I will wait a month and then give more feels.

I, in no way, am recommending, or promoting Chromebooks. I am trying to be honest about my findings. Chromebooks seem to be a major investment that one would have to set back and weigh in a fixed set of pros and cons. I, personally, like purchasing something that I can wear out. That is why I still have a "square screen" 2006 thinkpad R60 that is still usable with an up-to-date Linux OS. I purchased this thinkpad with no ram, battery, or hard drive, and I am thinking it was something like $30 free ship. I think my 2009 thinkcentre m58e was about the same price, and condition. Both are good reliable, old, but usable. For how long, don't know. That is why I am here, I guess. Personally, I would rather have a Macbook Pro that is up-to-date, but that is not feasible at this time. The 2012 Macbook Pro that I have is going to be used with my Wacom tablet and to safely store my passwords.

On a side note, I have noticed that they are now starting to support the newer Chromebooks for eight years. Looking at a new Chromebook, for example, 14" screen HP 14b-cb0033dx, selling for $289. I would divide that by eight years which would equal something like $36 a year for the security updates. That is the only way I could justify purchasing one new. And I would need to make sure it was released the year I purchased. That is an option in the future, two years from now. After it expired, it could be used for a general-purpose computer, offline documents, or just to surf the net, news, ebooks, read info, etc.

The big Achillies heel of the Chromebook is the AUE date (Auto Update Expiration). That is the date where it no longer receives updates to the OS. After that point you may become vulnerable, you're on your own, but you can still use your Chromebook. You just might not want to do any banking with it, or similar activities. This "end of life" with the Chromebook is tied up in the security and reliability that they build into the product. Being that they target schools and businesses as their end user market, they focus on the security and reliability of the Chromebook. It is in the design of the book. As I understand, the hardware verifies, and authenticates, the OS every time you boot up, which would mean that the OS is located in two places. The hardware and the OS are mated together and merged into each other. That is why it is difficult to try and install another OS onto the book. The hardware looks for the ChromeOS and verifies it is free from any contamination. And being that the OS is intentionally small, it is easier to plug the holes, than, in something that is as complex as Windows, MacOS, or Linux. Each Chromebook model has an AUE date. That means if you go into a store to purchase one off the shelf it could be in the middle of that support cycle, or at the end. Somehow, I feel that the consumer, in some way, should be aware. Researching is the key and a school, or business would be aware of something like this, right, or you would think they would? There is concern when a website recommends the "top best Chromebooks for 2023" with many of them at the end of that AUE date. Not right.

Studying a lot about the security of the book has given me a lot of confidence in the product with a little bit of caution in the back of my gut. Nothing is perfect. But it does sound like they have a good thing. I would agree with some of the info I've found, that, they are, more secure than a school system or a business trying to handle their own security with their own cloud. And the Chromebook is connected to a cloud. You must face your own demons as to how you feel about that. You can save a copy to the built-in small hard drive, flash drive, or to an SD card. Being that it is connected to a cloud, if your Chromebook died, all you need, is to get another Chromebook, sign in, and you're up and running with no data lost. And everything is encrypted to your username and password.

What are they good for?

In a school or business, they can be used by the teacher, or manager, whichever the case may be, to tie together the class, employees, staff, to the master book. Lessons, reading material, information, can be dumped to all of the books. Everybody can be on the same page. Parental controls can be implemented by the teacher, parent, or business manager. They are designed for "zoom" meetings and it is the reason that their sales boomed during the pandemic. 

They are good for net surfing, email, social sites like facebook, ebooks, YouTube watching, music, etc. You can carry out your business, like banking, bill paying, shopping, online transactions of any sort, etc. There are a lot of things in the google app store. They have a good office program. I have used it to produce documents and I am very well pleased with the grammar and spell checking. If needed there is an app where you can connect with your main computer or something else, like a network, so that you can use "Microsoft office" in a window on your Chromebook. Using a small Chromebook, it is easy to carry one to a coffee shop, or where ever, for lite work, or the net. They are very responsive yet sluggish at times when loading certain web pages, excessive activity and busy pages. I can't complain. I am satisfied with the performance of my Chromebook. (I am retired so I have plenty of time to put it through everything that I will be using it.) I never thought I would like this 11" screen, but I have no issue with it. Even though it has touch screen abilities, there are some activities in which I prefer using a cordless mouse. One "con" only one USB port, 3.0.

Caution is needed in being concerned about security if you turn on the Linux side in order to download Linux programs, or install android programs, small games. As I have read this would give you the ability to install Steam, but you are limited by the CPU in these things. With the Linux side you can do coding, write programs. Some of them do have that option and ability. The ChromeOS is like any other OS if they have their own repository of programs. Their own stuff they can watch over and contain any issues. But when you start getting out of that box then you need to use your own judgement. I will not be doing any of this stuff so it is a non-issue with me. My book does have this capability.

(An Option: Most of the time you can pick up a good used Chromebook that has expired which would be a good computer for general use in the price range of around $20, or more. If you want one for a child, with the parental controls you can control, and limit, the sites they can visit, just saying.)

One thing about the Chromebook battery is that they charge fast and last a long time. And the books are ruggedly built for the environment they are intended, schools and businesses.

I can see this as only being a second computer to compliment your main rig. Unless your needs are simple, then this is all you need. I know many people that are like that, my Wife for example. She would not need anything more than this for what she does on a computer. If you are into computer gaming or some other heavy programs where you need power, ram, and space, this is not going to cut it. Chromebooks are not designed for it. 

If you are tech savvy, I would suggest looking for one that you can change out the eMMC for a larger one. In most of these books it is soldered. Some don't, it is a simple unplug, plug-in, of the eMMC. At first, I thought these things had an SSD, but they don't, they use eMMC for storage on the book itself.

Believe me, my next updates will be shorter!

@BLUEVOODU really I would love to go Macbook, but presently "money" seems to be the problem. I would need to save for a while in order to purchase something that would be long term. They have gone to the M2 chips moving away from the PC norm of Intel and Celeron. Support for anything below M2 will wain and fizzle out. It is expensive to stay in the Apple world. I have a late 2012 Macbook Pro that is running Mojave. I could be running Catalina, but Adobe PhotoShop does not run in it. I am talking about the Photoshop that you own, not the one you use by subscription. There are things you face like that which are important. I do like Krita and have started to use it more, but I would need to make a choice. Linux is probably where I will land at some point. The Chromebook and Windows 10 Pro cannot be long term. They are one of those temporary hold points where I catch my breath. I wish I could continue to use my Macbook, but at some point, in the future there will be conflicts between it and websites due to changing technology. And then there is the security issue, which I have never had a problem with. But then again, I have never depended on my computer for banking, bill pay, shopping, etc, like I do now. So I don't know what to expect. I can't see myself committing to Chromebook due to the limitations of the support and the high difficulty they go to make it a closed hardware. Closed as in making where you cannot install any other OS. There are certain models that allow you to install Linux, but you have to do your research.

I try to get by as cheap as I can on stuff like this. Not having a job now and on a fixed income results in some financial limitations, I am still learning. But I can save up and look toward a purchase. That is why I have said above that I have two years of support on a couple of things, the Chrome and the Win 10. Not sure about the Win 10. The Chrome is pretty solid, based on Linux. It being a small OS that has one goal of building itself around a browser, it should be very easy to maintain by the support group. I like the office program. I was skeptical at first but wanted to learn more about what "it is." I saw it as a learning experience. I could use it for just about everything I do except for graphics and picture editing.
And then there is MX Linux, I feel at home with it, even though it is on old 2009 hardware.

Curiosity is what caused me to look at a Chromebook. And the fact I got a new toy.

Through my research I am finding that the most secure OS is made possible by those who support in maintaining the system. And the most secure computer is one that is never attached to the internet. I guess that is the importance of using an OS that is current. In comparing Windows, Linux, MacOS, and Chrome, there is really none that can really give you the most protection over the other. And yes, Windows gets the most exposure due to it being the most used and therefore the biggest target. Each OS has its own way of handling security. It depends largely on how the User handles their own important info and files combined with the usage of their computer's OS. There is the idea of using several computers, one for internet access, one to store your passwords and important files, which never is attached to the internet. Maybe one to work on, and one for purchasing and paying bills? That has been suggested by some of the information I was looking into. That's still sort-of tricky. I have enough computers laying around to do that. It is an idea to toy with, even if it tends to be somewhat impractical and inefficient. 

So far, my direction is first, and foremost, to use an OS that is being supported, up to date. I love chromebook at this point. I have the Windows 10 laptop. And I have MX Linux running on my desktop, which is current and supported. My Macbook Pro will become my password keeper. Chrome and MX Linux will be my bill payer, and the Windows 10 will be my internet surfer. I have support for the MX Linux until the Debian stable base changes, three years from now. Maybe?

@CreepinDeth never thought too much about the 2FA until now, it is a must. This Chromebook is solid and I am enjoying it. I grabbed up a Lenovo thinkpad edge e531, i5-3230M for $44. They were having trouble with it. When I got it I was surprised to see that it was running windows 10 Pro. The issue that it had was the need for a new CMOS battery. The laptop is in mint condition and it does not look like it was ever used. I logged into my Microsoft account and I am good to go with a full windows 10 pro. The laptop does not meet requirements for a windows 11 update. I am not concerned about that at the moment being that I have two more years of security updates for windows 10. I also have two more years on the Chromebook. I have plenty of time to decide on which route I will be taking. Presently I am looking seriously in going toward ChromeOS or a Linux distro. I presently am running MX linux on my Lenovo thinkcentre desktop, it is debian based and it is solid as a rock. One thing I find very irritating about the e531 is the offset touch pad located to the far left of the laptop. This is the most stupidest thing in design that I have ever seen. Every 15" screen laptop that I have had, it was located in the middle.

I am going into this thing totally blind. Never took thought of the chomebook before. First some background. Since we have retired, and the pandemic thing, we have started to do more things online, like paying our bills, banking, shopping, etc. Security has become a concern. We have been using macbook pros for a number of years now, but the OS has become non supported by apple as it is now a thing of the past. I can still use the macbook offline to do a lot of things that I use one of these for, but online..........well that is the cause now for concern. I don't go to sites that are questionable, or shady. But you never know when, or if, you might just pick up something. Right now the most secure PC I have in the house is a lenovo IBM thinkpad R60. It still has IBM on it, LOL, that should give you an idea of how old this thing is. I have MX linux running great on it, like a new computer really. My desktop is a lenovo thinkcentre m58e 7298 which was released in 2009. I am getting ready to back it up and put MX linux on it. (I need to get out of the 32bit world.)

Sooo... a chromebook grabbed my interest in wanting to know what they are and how could they be used in every day menial tasks. The one that I am using to type this, I found on ebay for $44 free shipping. They started out with 105 of them and as I was looking around pondering if I should take the plunge, they had dwindled down to the last one and I grabbed it up. In my research I suddenly found out that they have an expiration date when they are no longer supported. I also found out that the one I had purchased had expired, and then I ran across the info that they had extended the life another two years. That was the first thing I did when I took it out of the package, updated the OS. And sure enough I have support in updates to the security of the OS until June 2025. That makes it usable for me to do banking and stuff until I get a handle on where I want to go at this point. Got to consider all options.

So here I have this lenovo N23 yoga. It is tiny compared to what I am used to, 11.6" touch screen. Battery has 7.5 hours of life, which is down from what it would be new. Four gigs of ram and a 32gig hard drive. It is hard for me to wrap my head around the thought that this originally sold for around $300. Chromebooks are a stripped down laptop built around a browser, chrome, by google. Sure they have other things that you can do with them as I am learning, word processing, etc. And they have become a big item in the school industry and some  businesses, especially since the pandemic. This might explain the pricing and marketing.

So far my experience has been, I can see where this can be used for some things but it cannot replace a "real" laptop. I see the benefit that it contributes to the school system and the reason for the limitations. I have found it sluggish at times, like when I was using the bluetooth for a set of headphones, using a mouse. I have only had it for a few days but I am putting it through everything I can think of. Love learning about things like this, and it is a learning experience for me. The biggest shock I had, was to use it, all I had to do is log into it with my email account and my password. And this was the shock, syncing it with my chrome on my macbook. It pulled all my bookmarks and passwords from that laptop, chrome to chrome. I had no idea that my security was that venerable. Everything hinging on the simplicity or complexity of my password to my email, just because I am using the chrome browser.

I will explore this thing over this next month and just see how much this can be used for the fun part of just being on the net. I love learning about these things. A new toy. 
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@BLUEVOODU i have had other financial priorities. And being that it is a difficult game for me to get into it just doesn't take center stage when I have the funds. Other things suddenly draw my interest. But it is on the agenda, some day............

Looking forward to this when it hits Disney+. We presently do not have a local theatre, new owners, will reopen soon.

I really sort-of gave up on this series during the first season. It was just something that did not grab my attention. The storyline did not pull me in. Not sure what I was looking for. Not sure why but it did not have the twist that made want to come back.

it is the way......

Happy Birthday!!!

And thanks for the birthday wishes!!!

BOOM!!
My Wife and Daughter know how to spoil me. Got games for my birthday. What else is there? I am retired. Spent yesterday playing a sample of each one! And being that I worked 21 years for a Japanese company that I retired from, I know how to pronounce most of the names of these games. Like the first game listed is O-boc-kee. One game I forgot to include in the photo is Lego Jurassic Park for the Wii-U.
The first Famicom game is Obake no Q Tarou, then Hi no Tori Hououhen, and Shin Jinrui (Adventures of Dino Riki). The Gameboy game is Super Chinese Land, DS game is a jigsaw puzzle game in which you can take pictures with the built in camera for limitless jigsaw puzzles. The switch game is a fighter, love it, from what I have played. And the "mini gamebox" is a stick that you plug into your HDMI of an HD TV with two cordless controllers. It contains about 800 NES games in categories of shooter, sport, adventure, etc. I have been totally impressed by its performance. I was expecting jaggies in the graphics but there seems to be a smoothing effect that is not distracting. I have really been getting into NES games here lately. There is no nostalgia when it comes to the NES with me. I never had one back then. I have only come to know the NES in the last 15 years, or more, maybe? Simple addictive play, which is a winner with me. The "mini gamebox" would be a great college dorm room, or small apartment addition for game time. Easily stored in a drawer.
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Cloud gaming is not really long term. Not sure if anyone takes this into account. It is there as long as that particular company supplies the service. I guess I think of things like that due to me being a retro gamer. It is just a part of my brain. Take for example I got out my Gameboy Pocket this week playing old games and thinking wow these games are still fun. With cloud gaming it is seasonal. The company has to maintain the interest of the gamers or they(the gamers) will go somewhere else. Pricing is key as well as the offering. The gamer is detached from the source. Meaning I can't go back and play something years later. It is gone. There is nothing that I have in my possession that enables me to play that game again. An example is OUYA console. I bought into that console. Once that site went down due to the closure of that company, I could no longer play those games. One, I guess, must consider any money spent was equal to the great gaming that you had while it lasted. I loved that little console and the effort that was put into it, but it was short lived.

I am rambling aren't I? I think I was trying to make a point as to why I do not personally consider that gaming worth my time and money. I do see where it can be attractive to some gamers. Some people love eating out at certain restaurants, I would rather have the recipe.
In my own strange way................

A very Happy Birthday to YOU!

I am not seeing anything that gives permission on a member level.

@BLUEVOODU so essentially you have to be in the niche group of people looking for the upgrade in order to get one. No casual gamer can walk off the street and pick one off the shelf due to the demand. And they are already talking about a Playstation 6 around the corner, maybe a couple of years out still.

I finished Lunar Legend today using my GBA SP, or one of my SP. This is really the first game I have set down to start and finish after retiring in July of 2021. I gamed more during my work career mainly, I guess, for stress relief. I don't have that stress now and as a result I, at first, had no desire to game. I have spent most of my time out in the yard working and doing house repairs. Been very enjoyable. This game marks a new beginning. It has been very enjoyable just sitting down and playing it. It made me want more from the game than what was there. I spent several days maxing out and leveling my characters by just grinding as you usually can in RPGs.
During my work career it was really difficult to stay focused on a game to finish, so many distractions. Even a new game distracted me from finishing the one I was playing. I have had this game for years and this is the first time I finished it. It will be remembered.

I have this on the Wii U. I have started it two times. The last time I picked it up I got further than the first time, then slaughtered. I want to get into this game. I just like the way it is exploratory and open in nature, at the same time there are moments in a game that I would like it to hold my hand and lead me through. I am thinking very seriously about getting this on the Switch. I think I would spend more time with it in a handheld console. Might find it more enjoyable? Struggling with this decision. The game still is expensive even used.

@CreepinDeth the dream basher!

somehow I figured as much, really just hoping for different!

maybe I'll age out by the time this stuff goes completely digital, although no real sign of growing up yet, and that should have happened 20 years ago!

Look at me (68 years this coming Feb) I haven't grown up yet. Still 13 inside and playing retro like it was today. 

It is very sad that everything is going digital, but we knew it was one day coming. Sort of the same sadness I had when the N64 was that last home console to have cartridge gaming. And now look at Nintendo, they found a way of getting back into that home console with cartridge based gaming.    Only to be hit with the turning of the tide again.

How has the scarcity of the PS5 effected the success of the console? 

Happy New Year everyone!!!
Looking forward to using this new look......

@BLUEVOODU wow that is a good price for that game. Too bad I do not ever see myself getting a PS4. I love the Darius series. But as time goes on I become more and more embedded in retro gaming. I am finding it harder and harder to justify purchasing newer modern gaming consoles when I am perfectly satisfied with something like the NES, Sega Genesis, etc.

Oh yeah, ummmm.......I got mine too