How About a $174 Desktop?

I just had a fascinating question as to whether a $174 Asus Chromebox might be good replacement for a resident with an XP tower.

Here is how I answered...

That is an absolutely fascinating question. The quick answer is yes, it is a good choice. For safety he might buy from Amazon, give it a try, and return if he did not like it within the time limit to return.

An alternative might be to use a Chromebook with an HDMI and/or VGA port.  I have a very slim and lightweight Samsung but sometimes miss a 14 inch display. At home I switch it in to my 24 inch display.

Mine has a slower processor than I would have liked though it seems to be adequate.

You are right that ram is not a concern for Chrome devices. You can plug in more USB ram, but then why?

A reminder that internet service needs to be good. As backup for varying Willow Valley service here at the North I use Freedompop and T Mobile Data from my smartphone as hotspot.

It certainly is an interesting question which boils down to whether a Chromebox might be a very good choice for those abandoning XP in general.

I find myself using voice for all my email and writing with just a smartphone and without a keyboard. It has just taken me a little while to get accustomed to it.

Either way printing goes by Cloud Print and through my wifi capable but cheap Canon all in ones.

I should add that for me a tablet is never very far out of reach. In addition to the Chromebox, how about adding a HP 7" Plus at $100 for the best of all possible worlds.

It is possible to run Linux, upon which Chromeboxes are based, from a flash drive. Click here for more information.

My bet for most users is that many leaving XP will end up with an iPad, especially here where Willow Valley supports it so well.