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Programming and web design using a chromebook

Okay, so looking for the cheapest possible solution for a laptop for uni next year.
Will be doing Computer Science and my friend insists that a Chromebook is totally good when all you'll be doing is programming, note taking etc especially in the first year where all the programming is mostly HTML, CSS JavaScript, Java, PHP etc etc etc...

Apparently online IDE's that can be accessed by the chromebook makes it simple and easy to do all of this and it's a very cost effective way to handle it all really, anyone been doing programming this way and can confirm whether it's as easy to do it all on a chromebook as my friend makes out or would complicated ways round things have to be found?
Original post by CS287
Okay, so looking for the cheapest possible solution for a laptop for uni next year.
Will be doing Computer Science and my friend insists that a Chromebook is totally good when all you'll be doing is programming, note taking etc especially in the first year where all the programming is mostly HTML, CSS JavaScript, Java, PHP etc etc etc...

Apparently online IDE's that can be accessed by the chromebook makes it simple and easy to do all of this and it's a very cost effective way to handle it all really, anyone been doing programming this way and can confirm whether it's as easy to do it all on a chromebook as my friend makes out or would complicated ways round things have to be found?


I cannot comment on the flexibility of a Chromebook. Personally, I don't like the idea of the requirement to be 24/7 online. Though my day is typically 12-16 hours computer based, I like the thought of being able to work offline too, in case of a zombie outbreak.

I can however recommend an Ultrabook - the Asus UX32A :smile:
Reply 2
The idea of using online (presumably browser-based) IDEs to do anything other than test short snippets of code sounds pretty awful.
Reply 3
Original post by AdampskiB
I cannot comment on the flexibility of a Chromebook. Personally, I don't like the idea of the requirement to be 24/7 online. Though my day is typically 12-16 hours computer based, I like the thought of being able to work offline too, in case of a zombie outbreak.

I can however recommend an Ultrabook - the Asus UX32A :smile:


You can certain offline apps for Chromebooks now including a few text editors with syntax highlighting etc, although I suppose in the event of a zombie outbreak I may want a heftier laptop to fend off some zombies :P

On a serious note I'll give the ultrabook a look, also considering using the Chromebook for it's portable features, saving everything to the cloud and using a more capable device such as a laptop (or hell, even a desktop PC if I plan to just keep it in one place and never move it) to handle more complex tasks and work. I mean, maybe something like a Chromebook is just destined to always be a second machine?
Original post by CS287
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I'd recommend you stay the hell away from online IDE's. They're just to show off what can be done, not serious development.
Original post by CS287
You can certain offline apps for Chromebooks now including a few text editors with syntax highlighting etc, although I suppose in the event of a zombie outbreak I may want a heftier laptop to fend off some zombies :P

On a serious note I'll give the ultrabook a look, also considering using the Chromebook for it's portable features, saving everything to the cloud and using a more capable device such as a laptop (or hell, even a desktop PC if I plan to just keep it in one place and never move it) to handle more complex tasks and work. I mean, maybe something like a Chromebook is just destined to always be a second machine?


I had same thinking as you; small portable machine and an adequate desktop. By my second year of uni I feel really restricted to one location, I began to hate my room and had trouble sleeping. So my third year I bought the UX32A - again, adequate machine with portability so I can go to the library, friends or anywhere in the house, whilst still having a desktop.

I'm not onboard with Chromebooks. My coursemate's housemate bought one at the start of year and tried selling it half way through because he found no use for it. Granted, he doesn't do programming or a computer based course, though it does demonstrate not even a casual user could make use of this secondary machine.
Reply 6
Hmm, interesting, not even for stuff like writing essays etc?
Original post by CS287
Hmm, interesting, not even for stuff like writing essays etc?


What, a Chromebook? Most possibly not. Microsoft have their web apps now for Office applications, but the features for referencing are absent so IMO making it pointless.
Original post by AdampskiB
What, a Chromebook? Most possibly not. Microsoft have their web apps now for Office applications, but the features for referencing are absent so IMO making it pointless.


Google docs offers referencing through their research tab, extremely useful, i've used it to write up all my reports and essays.
Original post by mickyfitz13
Google docs offers referencing through their research tab, extremely useful, i've used it to write up all my reports and essays.


That's true, my friend showed me this a little while ago. She wrote her entire dissertation in Google Docs.

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