Thursday, March 23, 2017

Further Chromebook Flirtations--and free shipping

Step1. Remind self why Chromebook in the first place:

--How accessible is it REALLY? The turn on the screen reader and Go part sounds way cool. But then there is the part about learn new keyboard shortcuts different from Windows. RantWoman is kind of game to try it. RantWoman figures that having devices with different voice and different keyboard shortcuts SHOULD make the choice of which to use on which device more easily automatic. RantWoman thinks this. Now RantWoman gets to try this.

--Note to Amazon: Remember RantWoman has sort of high gift card balance so RantWoman is buying through Amazon.  RantWoman MEANS IT about out of the box screen reading. RantWoman is buying a Chromebook to procrastinate about Windows 10 and Assistive Technology software upgrades. So STOP TRYING TO SELL Windows 10 devices when the first thing RantWoman has put in the search bar SEVERAL times is Chromebook!

--Screen real estate. More screen real estate that RantWoman's phone for sure. MAYBE sometimes enough screen real estate for those on the fly moments when RantWoman wants to interact with some kind of map. Maybe. (Note: this means RantWoman will deal with browser-based screen enlargement for things like map reading. Stay tuned about why or why not a good idea.)

--Keyboard. Keyboard. Keyboard. RantWoman does in fact have a Bluetooth keyboard for her phone but RantWoman does not use it very much. $20 one day at walgreens on a whim was not a terrible bet but the keyboard is not foldable and is a little cumbersome to tote around. RantWoman has used it enough to think a better keyboard might be useful with her phone, but RantWoman wants a Chromebook for a bunch of other reasons.

--Tonight after poking around on Amazon, RantWoman decided it really makes sense to find the exact list of Chromebook models that will also run Android apps.
https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/7021273?hl=en

Fantasy functionality RantWoman has not even checked out: RantWoman frequently looks at websites in two languages she has officially studied and sometimes fakes it about trying to read some other languages. It would make RantWoman absurdly happy to have the option of leaving the default operating system US English and to have Chromevox autodetect and switch to reading content in other languages. RantWoman means to research this but is listing the question here in case someone already knows whether what RantWoman has in mind is possible...

And modest reality check from Forbes
Forbes article on Android apps and Chromebook

Step 2: The P-p-purchase
Now, RantWoman has in fact been seduced. RantWoman chose an HP C4 14" with THREE USB ports to satisfy her work offline requirements. RantWoman was not deterred by the listed weight 5 POUNDS; RantWoman HOPES that maybe the right device will reduce her need to carry around other things. Stay tuned.

RantWoman also got a sleeve that comes with a pouch for headphones, charger, etc. Then RantWoman chose the kind of free shipping that will get the machine in a few days. RantWoman for some reason cannot quite bring herself to sign up for an Amazon Prime trial and 1-2 day delivery. One of these days maybe.

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