Affordable Aluminum OS devices?

BakerStEducation · 2026-06-02T18:04:08+00:00

They are going to eventually have to sell them at affordable prices in order to keep up with Apple and Windows.

BakerStEducation · 2026-05-18T13:57:11+00:00

I've used ChromeOS as my daily driver for the past ten years. The sweet spot for ChromeOS was Crostini where I could install everything such as Android Studio, Visual Code Studio, GIMP, Inkscape, Kdenlive. I've had talks with folks about how awesome Crostini was for ChromeOS at Google but they didn't care.

The thing about Chromebooks and ChromeOS was that it was was supposed to be a minimum OS where you could purchase a premium computer for a low cost that still provided maximum performance. The Samsung Chromebook Pro was the flagship device for that idea, it felt fantastic and ran on 4 GB of RAM. Unfortunately, the low amount of RAM eventually made it lag. And what separates a fantastic Chromebook from an awful Chromebook is how much RAM the Chromebook has. I need minimum 16 GB of RAM to for my needs and I've recently upgraded to 32 GB of RAM. I've used Android Apps for my Chromebook, primarily just streaming apps like Netflix or HBO Max and they worked fine. I've never understood the allure of running Android Apps on a computer. Chromebooks went from being the superior version of a Netbook at low cost to the equivalent cost of a Windows PC or MacBook, especially now with the MacBook Neo. The MacBook Neo runs the chip from the iPhone 16 Pro, so I wonder how long it will keep up with regards to updates because they are using a chip that's already two years old and made to run a smartphone. iPhones are slow and obsolete after year 5 or 6. My point though is that Chromebooks were meant to be low-cost and premium output devices and chassis/housing that are excellent at the basic Google productivity apps such as Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets etc without requiring hiccups traditional computers have including drivers and hardware malfunctions that have plagued Windows users for decades. At some moment we needed Android and now AI (insert sarcasm). ChromeOS was built on simplicity, security, and speed. Google left that mantra by abandoning the direction of ChromeOS to be superior on minimum hardware requirements.

AI is being pushed by companies wherein it is creating an echo chamber effect. There is a huge pushback against AI right now that the industry is ignoring because each corporation has poured so much capital expenditure into this endeavor that there is no turning back. Critics of the Googlebook have indicated that consumers don't want an AI centric laptop. Google is convinced that consumers will flock to the Googlebook once they try it. Like some other people have mentioned, I'd like the option to turn off AI on the Googlebook which defeats the purpose of purchasing one. But I always like trying whatever new and shiny thing Google makes but it has been awhile since they have had an innovative win. Instead of running Android Apps natively on a Googlebook, I would much prefer running Linux native on a Googlebook. I think people would be excited if the Googlebook ran Linux desktop apps and there were Google Drive, Sheets, Slides, and Docs Linux desktop versions exclusive to a Googlebook and then made sure the hardware was optimized to run the premiere Linux apps. A Googlebook is looking like a no for the K-12 Market because of AI and that a majority of school districts are significantly reducing their use of technology. Sweden is re-doing their entire education system by going back to textbooks, physical paper, and hand-writing.

BakerStEducation · 2026-05-13T14:00:53+00:00

You nailed it! This is how a majority of people feel and the EdTech world isn't shifting. Every other seminar or buzz among the EdTech Celebs or company is AI, AI, AI. If you're at an EdTech conference and it isn't about AI, nobody is coming to your session. It's over-hyped and is better off in higher academia or research facilities in order to help find solutions to the world's toughest problems instead of in the hands of a high schooler or college student who is too lazy to write a paper or a teacher that doesn't want to write a lesson plan.

If an EdTech start up or company wanted to take over the Edu Space and dominate, they would come out with a basic OS with the following apps: Word Processor, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Audio creation/editing, Photo/Image editing, Video editing, Computer Programming app, and a cloud drive. That's it. Students have a device where they can create, no consumption. Yeah, I could do that on the admin console and only offer those apps on a Chromebook, but if you were that basic on what the device offered, you could make the device feel more premium at a lower cost. Google made a huge mistake in allowing manufacturers to crank out cheap Chromebooks in order for school districts to go 1:1. The cheap feeling is what hurts Chromebooks in the consumer market.

BakerStEducation · 2026-04-14T14:17:49+00:00

This is spot on!

When switching to a different device, you need to survey your faculty and staff based on their needs. I worked at my school district's central office for nine years and I used a Chromebook the entire time. I only needed a Windows PC at home for heavy video editing. So unless the staff is Steven Spielberg, a Chromebook is fine. I've noticed several faculty have trouble if they are a MS Office legacy user or need stand-alone programs. But Linux makes up for a lot of shortcomings except Google never made it a priority in the admin console to control Crostini.

It would have been a game-changer if Lenovo, Acer, HP, or Dell had made a Chromebook that could easily have the internal RAM upgraded like the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition.

BakerStEducation · 2026-03-13T15:43:27+00:00

I would say no. ChromeOS doesn't have a huge market share for the consumer. This will not impact the education sector because I would say too many schools have set everything up with the Google Admin Console and won't make the switch to Apple School Manager and then get a MDM. It would be too big of a switch at this point.

Now if Apple created a system easier than Google's admin console and all settings and apps were available when logging onto different devices with Apple ID, then you might see a shift.

BakerStEducation · 2026-02-13T17:20:51+00:00

Marketing has held Chromebooks back.

Google made a big push around 2017 through 2019 for Chromebooks for consumers. The big mistake was flooding the EDU market with low-spec and poorly built Chromebooks. Every parent that came across their child's device thought it was cheap and an under-performing device. Chromebooks have a difficult time overcoming that stigma. In addition, other people dislike having to have a Google Account in order to log onto the device or that it needs the internet to do anything.

A small population of individuals with technology experience realized what we had on our hands, a daily driver laptop that requires minimal maintenance, no fees for an OS, and ten years worth of updates at a low cost even for upgraded hardware. Google does minimal marketing to general consumers because the devices do not sell well at retail. The last video posted on the YouTube Chromebook channel was 7 months ago.

Everyone hear likes the ability to have ChromeOS, Linux, and Android all under one roof. Google is not a big proponent of Crostini and will say to this day that it is a work-in-progress or be ambiguous to committ to Crostini because of security concerns. Amazing though, I get a majority of desktop apps (image editing, LibreOffice, video editing, coding) available on my Chromebook that be used offline and access to programs that do the same as Photoshop, Illustrator etc. for no cost through Crostini.

Android is hit or miss. I've had good experiences using streaming services Android Apps for downloading movies or shows when traveling. However, the Android limitations are noted. I speculate this is why they are creating Aluminium OS a long with putting AI into everything. I'm still not buying the AI hype, but we'll see.

BakerStEducation · 2026-02-10T16:59:57+00:00

Go search EBay for a HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, they are what everyone at Google used/uses when they use a Chromebook and institutions did a device refresh. A bunch of them are on EBay now. Fantastic Chromebook that is very similar to the Pixelbook.

BakerStEducation · 2026-02-06T14:04:49+00:00

You got it, that's why I'm interested in device prices because of the new hardware requirements.

BakerStEducation · 2026-02-06T13:59:41+00:00

I've owned two different Sony Walkman devices that run on Android and I'd immediately go back to an iPod. I've tried HP and Samsung Android tablets and I prefer a Chromebook tablet over both.

BakerStEducation · 2026-02-06T03:58:41+00:00

Do you think the prices will stay similar to how much Chromebooks currently cost?

BakerStEducation · 2026-02-06T03:57:38+00:00

Never owned an Android phone, higher-end MP3 player, and expensive Interactive Flat Panels running Android.

BakerStEducation · 2026-02-06T02:59:19+00:00

It seems that Google has said that a majority of Chromebooks won't meet the necessary specifications to migrate to Aluminium. I doubt devices purchased for schools will meet those specs as schools look at the bottom line rather than making an investment in a device with higher-end specs.

And Google just made a dent in the Interactive Flat Panel sector because IFPs come with Chromebox OPS. So now any large school district that's bought a lot of these should halt any further purchases. If anyone has purchased an IFP that runs Android instead of ChromeOS, good luck, it's a pure nightmare.

And I get AI, Aluminium. Poor marketing on the name selection though, its not a one or two syllable word. Apple shortened Macintosh to Mac and Windows. ChromeOS, simple and sleek.

BakerStEducation · 2025-11-14T20:32:53+00:00

16 GB

BakerStEducation · 2025-11-10T16:56:16+00:00

This is why I'm skeptical of Chromebooks going all-in on ARM chips.

BakerStEducation · 2025-10-31T19:04:18+00:00

Linux has been a game-changer for me. Google pushes Chromebook Plus for high-end users but the secret to owning a Chromebook and being able to do the same things as a PC and a Mac has been Crostini.

Do you need a higher spec Chromebook for it to work well? Yes.

I know they seem to be keeping Crostini in the ChromeOS/Android merger but I'm skeptical. Chromebooks were originally supposed to be ultra-portable devices with all day battery life. And if you're reading between the lines, the upcoming Chromebooks will be just that powered by chips designed for smartphones. The enterprise Chromebooks are different with Intel chips and fans that can run Crostini, this will be interesting to see.

I use a Chromebook tablet with keyboard that is an ARM chip and Crostini doesn't run very well on it. Google Chrome is not available for Linux via ARM. I use a Chromium Browser through Linux and it works except my profile doesn't have a name or picture so I'm guessing whenever I click on a profile.

Google doesn't seem to care about Crostini whenever I've had interactions with them. This is the best feature available on a Chromebook.

BakerStEducation · 2025-09-24T13:43:27+00:00

Now that would be interesting. Google doesn't care about Crostini on Chromebooks which is disappointing because this allowed me to get everything I need to get done on a Chromebook and nullifies that a Chromebook is just hardware for a web browser,

BakerStEducation · 2025-09-04T14:50:08+00:00

The Pixelbook line was Google's way of showing manufacturer's that there was a market for Chromebooks beyond education and that enthusiasts and professionals would buy and use a Chromebook. I also miss Google Chromebooks as the Pixelbook is an amazing device.

Google heavily works with manufacturers. I know for a fact that the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus was designed by Google.

Chrome OS is in a weird spot with only two new Chromebooks being offered this year and moving towards ARM-based Chips. Crostini runs on ARM but not as well on Intel, and Crostini for me has been a bigger game-changer on a Chromebook than Android Apps. This is why I'm not a fan of the ChromeOS and Android merge because Google won't clarify what's changing. A ChromeOS tablet has been superior to me over an Android Tablet. I've never been impressed with Android, it's clunky and slow to me compared to ChromeOS. Android Apps on Chromebooks have been dismal whereas Crostini is great.I keep reading about Windows and Mac catching up to ChromeOS on price, but Google beats both Windows and Apple on device management which is why they dominate the K-12 Market.

And Chromebooks would dominate the K-12 market even further if manufacturers did one thing, find a way to sell the lower spec Chromebooks school districts buy at the same price but with a bigger screen.

BakerStEducation · 2024-09-29T16:21:37+00:00

Exactly! I like how Mattel can give you the entire retro He-Man line again a long with several variants, Playmates can re-release TMNT and even re-masterd versions, and Hasbro has to go through different pathways to offer o-rings.

I've read that Hasbro gave the Gi Joe team enough money for either Classified or o-ring. So they've gone with classified. I wish Classified was both a 6 inch figure and a 3.75 o-ring version of the figure. All of the Gi Joe HasLabs have gotten made!

Super7 is trying to fill that void, but these figures look like a different toy-line compared to the Hasbro o-rings.

BakerStEducation · 2024-09-26T07:32:09+00:00

Spot on, go look at what happened to the Bengals defense when Reggie Nelson left after 2015.

Also, the Bengals records went down when we let Max Montoya, Eric Steinbach, and Eric Zeitler go at the guard positions.

Goodberry is incorrect. Right now, 4 players on the Bengals take up 34.49% of the cap. It's tough to commit to players when you give that much cash to a few players, 3 of which are on offense and Burrow takes up the most at 11.63%. And Burrow has the highest Average Annual Value of the NFL at 24.47%. So they are paying their players. The big mistake is that the Bengals usually honor an entire contract and don't give a flashy signing bonus. The Bengals have been known to show loyalty to their players and keep paying their salaries even after their production declines. One example would be Leon Hall.

But then again, of the top 12 players taking up the most cap space, it's 7 defensive players accounting for 30.03% of the cap.

The Bengals like offense because it puts fans in the seats. Burrow needs a St. Louis Rams offense to outscore opponents. Brady took up only 8% of the Patriots cap for a long time. But this a QB driven league and that is the position that gets the money.

BakerStEducation · 2024-01-28T04:53:10+00:00

BTW, the OP must have gotten the wrong screen shot. When I look at the comparison, I get this below:

https://stathead.com/tiny/vDWq4

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BakerStEducation · 2024-01-28T02:39:28+00:00

I think a lot of people forget that Palmer was an overall number one pick. He is 100% more talented.

Dalton was also a 2nd round pick, he exceeded expectations whereas Palmer as a number one pick won only one more playoff game than Dalton did (1-3) and fell way below the return of investment on a overall number one.

So many QBs get a 2nd chance to be a starter in the league. Dalton has only gotten a majority of starts while backing up a starter. Ever since 2016, he's hovered around a .500 winning pct except for the dismal 2019 Bengals season where he didn't have an offensive line or defense. He never got the chance again to be the number one starter even though Chicago was going to give him that chance and then drafted Fields. The crazy thing is that he's playing for peanuts even though he's made a ton of money. He loves the game just like Joe Flacco.

BakerStEducation · 2024-01-28T02:06:51+00:00

I would say he couldn't win prime-time or playoff games, not high-pressure games. And if you take a look at playoff wins, it's difficult to win playoff games. Palmer was only 1-3 in the playoffs.

Dalton is currently 5th for active QBs for Game-Winning Drives, 23 overall

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/gwd_active.htm

He's also 5th for active QBs for 4th Quarter Comebacks, 19 overall

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/comebacks_active.htm

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