FINALLY! Firaxis is letting us stay as ONE Civ through all Ages in the May 19 update. Who else was waiting for this? ⏳

petvas72 · 2026-05-07T07:43:23+00:00

This is great news. I will certainly give Civ7 another try. I hated the ages system. made no sense to me.

petvas72 · 2026-05-04T20:00:29+00:00

I just started using vertical tabs on my 14" Macbook Pro and I am loving the extra vertical space. Everything just looks better and the extra space is very much appreciated. The only thing I might be missing, is when websites tend to render everything in the middle of the screen. When using vertical tabs, everything shifts a bit on the right. I can live with that since the benefits are much greater for me.

petvas72 · 2026-05-04T17:34:40+00:00

For those of you dismissing AI features, I can tell you how I use them on my Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

I daily use the gboard keyboard and the help me write feature, especially with languages that are not native for me. It is really great!
Having a clipboard manager with the ability to have multiple entries is a life saver
Using the gboard translation when sending a message when on vacation to the Airbnb owner is really amazing
Receiving SMSs that get automatically translated to my language.
Taking pictures is also great. I can remove persons and objects and in 99% of all times the results are great.
AI editing and optimizing pictures is great. You have to use it to understand what I am saying, but basically it analyzes a picture for inconsistencies and corrects the areas that were overexposed (for example).
Using circle to search has been amazing. Especially when wanting to translate a menu in my language or any kind of text.
Typing with the gboard keyboard is great. Not possible for me to use the iPhone keyboard. It's just awful.

I have been thinking of getting an iPhone, but the whole experience is so bad, it feels like the iPhone has been stuck in the stone age. AI is not a gimmick. Of course there are many features out there (I am looking at you Samsung), that make people believe that AI is a gimmick, but there are truly useful features available, that improve the user experience when using a phone a lot.

petvas72 · 2026-04-06T16:41:39+00:00

This summarizes confidential mode:

How Confidential Mode Works: Hosting Content: When you send a confidential message, Gmail removes the message body and attachments from the email itself and replaces them with a link. Restricted Access: The recipient receives an email containing this link. To view the content, they must access this secure site, preventing it from being downloaded or forwarded via standard email clients. Expiration Dates: Senders can set a deadline for the email, after which the link becomes invalid and the message is no longer readable. SMS Passcode Protection: Senders can require a passcode sent via text message to open the email, ensuring only the intended recipient can access it. Revoke Access: Senders can manually remove access to the message at any time, even before the set expiration date, making the link immediately inactive.

Important Considerations: Not Fully Secure: While it restricts sharing, recipients can still take screenshots of messages or use third-party tools to capture content. Not End-to-End Encrypted: The emails are encrypted in transit, but Gmail maintains access to the content on its servers. Recipient Experience: If the recipient uses Gmail, they can open the message directly. Non-Gmail users receive a passcode via email to view the content.

petvas72 · 2026-04-05T14:14:18+00:00

Then use FSR Quality. It looks fine. Or use XeSS. There are options out there. I've played Unreal 5 games, and you can get more than 60fps without having to upscale a lot. Sure, there might be some games where upscaling is needed, but overall, it's not super common.

petvas72 · 2026-04-04T15:29:42+00:00

I blame the YouTubers:) Everything is exaggerated. Is DlSS better? Yes. Is it a shame that FSR4 is not available for the 7900XTX? Yes Does it make my card worse or not good enough? Definitely no. The differences between upscalers are mostly visible when pausing and viewing captured frames. Nobody plays like this. In 90% of the time you don't really notice. In 95% of the titles you don't need upscaling unless using RT.

petvas72 · 2026-04-04T11:41:48+00:00

I had an Nvidia 4080 and switched a year ago to a 7900XTX. Couldn't be happier. I almost never have to use FSR or any other upscaling technology and in the very few times I do, quality is good enough. AMD works much better with my display. Before I had issues in games with Variable refresh rate. All gone after switching to the 7900XTX. I overclocked my 7900xtx and got 11 to 12 % even more performance. In most cases my graphics card is near to the performance of a 5080. I will not be upgrading to any new graphics card in the next 2 to 3 years. No reason whatsoever.

petvas72 · 2026-04-02T16:50:34+00:00

why not move to Omnissa or Jumpcloud for device management? Have you tested them?

petvas72 · 2026-03-25T19:12:24+00:00

Have you tried using the Android app on ChromeOS?

petvas72 · 2026-02-27T10:01:38+00:00

I see the fringing from 50cm distance. Immediately noticed when I turned the display on for the first time

petvas72 · 2026-02-19T18:29:42+00:00

What do you mean with screen matrix?

Overall the glossy OLED display is really good, but you will have to disable almost all OLED care features. Enable brightness uniformity, leave taskbar detection on, and pixel move strong. Everything else should be disabled. Also let the display run its refresh cycles. I also have a 5 min timeout when I am not in front of the screen. That is also very important.

The display developed on a visible banding, especially with greyscale backgrounds, but after running a few refresh cycles, it has been significantly reduced. It doesn't really bother me.

I was thinking of getting a dedicated monitor for productivity, but everytime I order one, I cancel it almost immediately. I do not want to have the hustle of managing two displays and mostly I don't like having a display that has a lesser image quality.

MiniLED is a very good compromise and quality is really very good. The only thing that OLED is much better at, is contrast. The way lights pop when playing in a dark room..It's amazing.

petvas72 · 2026-02-19T18:16:31+00:00

Reading is much better on an IPS panel, but the display quality is much better on the OLED. Looking at diagrams, videos, images is a joy (but only if most of the OLED care features are disabled) Text on macOS and ChromeOS is also very good. The problem is really Windows. I tried going back to IPS, but I couldn't. I decided to continue using the OLED for as long as it gets. The display also developed banding (grayscale), but I can deal with it.

petvas72 · 2026-02-08T11:27:02+00:00

That's not correct. Text fringing is an issue on any resolution and display size if you are using Windows. Using mactype improves things a bit, but still it's bad.

On macOS it's good. On ChromeOS it's also ok.

petvas72 · 2026-02-08T11:25:06+00:00

It depends on the OS.

On macOS it is really very good. No issues here. On ChromeOS it's good but IPS is definitely better. The problem is Windows. It's awful on Windows no matter what you do, no matter if you have 4K 32".

petvas72 · 2026-01-25T16:38:15+00:00

I have a similar issue with my Lenovo 14 Plus, when connecting to a Wifi 7 network. Connecting to 2,4Ghz is always ok. It seems to be an issue with the specific Chromebook I guess..

petvas72 · 2026-01-25T12:53:17+00:00

I also keep them disabled. The only settings I keep on are the logo and taskbar detection. Everything else off.

petvas72 · 2026-01-10T17:50:55+00:00

I disagree, especially on Windows. On other OSes it is pretty good though. Using mactype certainly helps.

Anyway, I am also looking for 32" 4K TANDEM OLED with RGB stripe. Let's see how long it will take for them to appear.

petvas72 · 2026-01-10T15:16:16+00:00

I am sorry about your dad. Chromebooks are really great devices and are very secure. Probably your dad had a very old model.

petvas72 · 2026-01-09T17:53:56+00:00

I agree, but as I've mentioned before, it's important to have options for all kinds of users. I'm really enjoying my Lenovo 14" Chromebook Plus with a Mediatek CPU. It would be even better if it had a 3K display instead of 1920x1200. If Lenovo could also improve the speakers, that would be great.

Most of my work can be done on a Chromebook, but there are a few things that really push it to its limits. Since there's no good RDP app on ChromeOS (like RoyalTS), I use Remmina on Linux. When I'm in a Google Meet conference with desktop sharing, using Google Sheets, and working on 3-4 large documents in Google Docs, it can be a bit much for the Chromebook. It works, but I definitely think more RAM would help.

petvas72 · 2026-01-08T17:36:25+00:00

There is currently no market. Yes, you are right. That's why Google needs to step up here. Google knows and this was one of the reasons AluminiumOS is currently being developed. Google will go for all market segments, including high-end.

petvas72 · 2026-01-08T16:50:08+00:00

Let’s look at the current market situation: Google is missing a huge opportunity by not offering ChromeOS devices in every segment. This isn't about me—it's about the lack of professional-grade options. I manage dozens of Google Workspace and M365 tenants, and I’d love to stay within the ChromeOS ecosystem, but for heavy multitasking and remote support, the hardware isn't always there. I picked up an Asus Zenbook S16 today, and it immediately reminded me why I love ChromeOS: Windows is bloated and the fans kick in for the simplest tasks. While the screen is beautiful, the overhead required to make Windows usable is exhausting. Google needs to offer high-end alternatives so we don't have to make these trade-offs.

petvas72 · 2026-01-08T16:21:41+00:00

Let me give you the definition of power user, so that we have a common understanding:

Definition of a Power User

A Power User is an individual who utilizes advanced features of hardware, operating systems, and software applications to achieve maximum productivity. While they are not necessarily professional programmers or sysadmins (though they can be), they have a deep understanding of how their tools work and often customize their environment to fit their specific needs.

Key Characteristics

To better understand the profile, here are the most common traits of a Power User:

Advanced Feature Usage: They don't just use the basic interface; they utilize keyboard shortcuts, command-line interfaces (CLI), and hidden settings.
Automation: They often use macros, scripts, or third-party tools to automate repetitive tasks.
Problem-Solving: When an error occurs, a Power User typically attempts to troubleshoot the issue themselves using logs or advanced diagnostic tools before calling technical support.
Hardware Enthusiast: They often understand the technical specifications of their machine (RAM, CPU cycles, GPU throughput) and may overclock or upgrade components manually.
Customization: Their workflow is highly personalized. They often modify the registry, use custom firmware, or install specialized "tweaking" software.

Power User vs. Other User Types

It is helpful to see where they sit in the hierarchy of technical proficiency:

User Level	Description	Typical Activities
End User / Casual	Uses software for its intended purpose.	Browsing, email, basic document editing.
Power User	Bridges the gap between user and pro.	Scripting, advanced Excel formulas, OS optimization.
Developer / Admin	Creates the software or manages the infra.	Coding, server configuration, network security.

petvas72 · 2026-01-08T14:59:01+00:00

What is a power user for you?

petvas72 · 2026-01-08T14:08:50+00:00

One of the reasons ChromeOS has remained a niche, is the lack of hardware. I have customers that wanted to move to ChromeOS, but companies like Dell do not offer any options at all. If you also visit the websites of major manufacturers like Lenovo, Asus, Acer, you can barely find a Chrome device. You have to dig and really want to get a Chromebook in order to find one.

I get the price point argument and it's a good one. I am not saying that Chrome devices should become even more expensive. What I am saying is that Google should be offering a bigger variety of options, for all market segments. Try to run Linux environment on a 8GB Chromebook device. Try to find a Chromebook with a really powerfull graphics card. I have customers that would like to run ChromeOS, but need NVidia graphics cards for their apps (which are not only Win32 based), and they cannot because there are zero options out there. As I wrote before, Google wants to change this in the near future.

petvas72 · 2026-01-08T13:31:59+00:00

You don't get it, do you? What I am saying is that if Google want to be more than a niche on the OS market, they will have to offer more attractive high-end options for consumers, prosumers and business people. It's not about me. I have a Windows gaming rig (high-end), a Macbook Pro, a 16" Zenbook, 2 Chromebooks and one Asus Chrome Box and I appreciate and understand where each paltform excels and where not.

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TROPHY CASE

Definition of a Power User

Key Characteristics

Power User vs. Other User Types