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Ask HN: Is my child’s Chromebook inhibiting her computer learning/literacy?

4 points by indigodaddy ↗ HN
All, two or three years ago, I found an incredible deal for a used very high spec HP Chromebook and I jumped on it for my now 9 year old.

So it’s still working great, and she uses it all the time for online school and Roblox (via android app capability). However, I feel like it might be holding her back from learning how actual computers and traditional OS’es work. I feel like she can’t really “explore” and do other things on it that she might otherwise do with a Windows or Linux laptop.

Do I need to get her a Windows(/Linux) laptop asap to widen her technical horizons? Not interested in a Mac for cost and other reasons..

11 comments

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bsg75
Some chromebooks can run Linux: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en

There are also several services that let you run windows and Linux desktop sessions on remote hosts, which would be accessible from the Chromebook: https://www.shells.com

I don’t have experience with the latter, but options like that allow someone to explore different operating systems without having to invest in specific equipment.

akerl_
At risk of stating the obvious: does she find that it’s holding her back? There are all kinds of learning that are possible via a Chromebook (as you’ve noted, she seems to be doing just fine using it for Roblox and school). If she wants to dig deeper into customizing her local workstation, you’re likely going to need to supplement the chromebook with something else. Not sure it needs to be a laptop, especially if she wants to understand the interior components.

If she wants to do things like web development / Devops / sysadmin / etc style learning, the local env isn’t hugely important, there’s any number of VPS options or local NUC/RPi/etc options for giving her access to a hobbyist environment that can run Linux/Windows as she chooses.

indigodaddy
No, she seems perfectly happy with it. I think perhaps I feel and _want_ her to explore more, ala the way I used to with Atari 400->C64->A500->Windows 95/2000->Linux/*nix
akerl_
I can understand the desire to have other people (especially your children) explore the same things you explored. That said, I think your best bet is to continue to be attentive to areas where she wants to expand her understanding, and working with those as they appear.
_trampeltier
It depends .. I drive a car and how almost no idea how the motor is working etc. Does this make me a bad driver? I think not ..

Soon all our computers and phones are closed anyway.

It's more a nice to know but does she need it .. maybe, she will choose a job without computer.

quasarsunnix
Some of my fondest memories are of building computers with my dad at a young age or receiving hand me down parts from him and throwing them into my machine as quickly as I could.

I know you said about a laptop, but would a cheaply built desktop be feasible to compliment the Chromebook? Could be a nice way for the two of you to bond, if you think she may be interested.

indigodaddy
Good point. Last year I actually got a cheap HP Elitedesk 800 G1 SFF I5 for myself on the ultracheap ($150 / I5 3.3ghz, 16G, 240G SSD, Win 10 Pro), so could for sure do similarly for her!
salawat
Yes.

So much yes. If you are not giving her the opportunity to learn the difference between locally installed and runnable programs vs. those that require the Network, they are losing out. If they can't get a feel for how a system is really just a carefully lined up set of bits and bobs wired together whose specs just happen to match;they are missing out.

So much tech literacy is lost with these abominations of budget devices.

Don't cripple them. Get them a General Purpose PC. Let them noodle. Help them break and fix it. You will not regret it, you'll all learn something, and it'll give you an appreciation for what we're slowly losing as industry runs away toward remotely arrestable computing.

The PC is Archimedes' lever of the digital world. Don't deprive them of the chance to come to grips with it.

indigodaddy
I have the same thoughts, thank you! The Chromebook that I got was a great deal but I feel that everything you described is on point.