Party like it's 2005!

Besides the Chromebook update I recently released, I've recently discovered through trial and error that there's a lot of great games that have been ported to Android, and thus, work on my Chromebook or my 2023 Motorola Moto G Stylus. The three in this example, I remember playing or hearing about a lot during my high school years, and when I found out that it was a thing, and scratched a nostalgic itch that had been hard to reach for awhile, naturally, I was ecstatic.

Space Cadet Pinball, on Chromebook

The first one, as seen above, was actually one I had been trying to get for awhile, either through WINE, flatpak/crostini, or any means possible. I then found out that someone ported the Linux version to Android, and aside from not being able to easily change the default flipper controls and having an obnoxious overlay, is otherwise a perfect implementation. 

Geometry Dash (Geometry Wars), Chromebook

Next is Geometry Dash, which, for any of you who owned an Xbox 360 in 2007, will probably instantly recognize as being Geometry Wars. I went ahead got it. It was actually recommended as being optimized for Chromebook in the Google Play Store, and worked like a charm, and I love the game. 

Hexic - Gameplay (Android)

Hexic - Boot, Android

Finally, is Hexic, which after all these years, I actually still have a physical copy of, despite not owning a computer that will run it. I was initially disappointed that it would only display in phone or tablet mode, and not in the resizable orientation that Android on Chrome OS is known for, but it meant that instead I had an experience that high school me would have only dreamed of while browsing pictures of Pocket PC PDAs in the current issue of Computer Shopper magazine. I'd been playing this one a lot over the Thanksgiving holiday, and am having an itch to go back to it even while finishing this article. 

Chromebook Update 2023: Finally Worth Buying!

On a complete whim, I went to Walmart one day and got myself a Chromebook. Since my last review on the subject, They've finally hit the point where I can use them as a daily driver and not feel restricted. I had been watching their development from the "safety" of various Windows and Linux installations, and was always apprehensive. Then all social Armageddon broke loose about four years ago, and suddenly I started hearing about how great they were. 

 Flash forward to now, and I can finally understand why everyone is singing their praises. I have an Android phone as my daily driver, and the fact that I have that synchronized convergence that Microsoft promised back in 2012 actually delivered by Google is a major win. Both allow me to use Play Store applications (as well as side-load my own android apps), and I can handle phone tasks from my computer without having to look over my shoulder as long as Bluetooth is enabled on both devices. 

On those notes, data transfer is a breeze. As it turns out, Bluetooth actually has a function outside of crappy short-range headphones. I'll be on my laptop downloading one app, and when I need it, I can push it to my phone within a click or two - and vice-versa. And, as demonstrated below, unlike the first generation device I reviewed and then donated as e-waste, this 14-inch Hewlett-Packard model has NO proprietary ports, opting for USB A, C, and a headphone jack. As I'm writing this, It's connected to my TV using a USB-C to HDMI cable along with a USB gamecube controller that's technically meant for playing Smash Bros Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch.

  

HP 14a with a Pentium N5030 Processor
Running Snes9x EX+ for Android w/USB Gamepad

I've bragged about it on Twitter and Facebook before, but an additional thing to point out is that this thing can GAME! Being android compatible, I can actually load most android games and emulators and get fairly decent results. In this shot is SNES 9x EX+ with Yoshi's Island running and I've not been disappointed, except that the only controller I can get working with it right now is the PowerA Wired Fight Pad (seen above). In all honesty, though, I can probably chalk that up to hardware quality. It also supports a Linux virtual machine for playing Steam games, but with only (never thought I would use that adjective) 64GB of storage, it's not worth the hassle. Last time I tried it was to get an external blu-ray drive working, without much avail. It and Steam are features better reserved for higher storage capacity models aimed at "cloud gaming."

As stated in the title, I would definitely recommend getting yourself one if you've been living under a rock since my last update. Adieu, homies!

A Loathe Letter to Microsoft

Yes, you read that correctly. I was so close to ready to accept Windows 10 as a viable operating system, when Microsoft's update system pushed a firmware update on me, just as I was about to start this review. Compared with my HP Pavilion with an Intel Core i7-8550U, clocked in at just over 1GHz per core, the Asus TUF series laptop with an AMD Ryzen 5 I recently purchased clocked in at about twice the speed was quite responsive, and even handled most of my tasks better than when my HP Pavilion had Windows 10, but that's a story for another review.

I've had issues in the past with Windows 10 since my days at BYU-Idaho, particularly on refurbished machines. When I bought this system, my first thought was to install some form of Linux from the Ubuntu or Debian families, particularly SteamOS, however, all of the effort I put in was for naught. Eventually, I decided to settle with Windows 10 and a bunch of open source supplement software.

This seemed to be working just fine, especially because tracking down the licenses I got from OnTheHub were more trouble than my time was worth in terms of doing a clean install to remove OEM crapware. However, flash forward to this review with the opening scenario, and I am seriously entertaining a revisit of an Ubuntu or SuSe reformat.

Normally what happens when Windows 10 pushes a major update, all I have to do is reinstall my uncurated software. However, this is the first time Microsoft has pushed an OEM firmware update on me, and if it ever happens again, especially if I get my stuff back, I'm giving them every 1-star rating on social media that I can. I refuse to be their ginuea pig in terms of software testing, regardless of what their P.R. department's twisted review data suggests that it's a brilliant idea.

If I am successful in installing Linux on this beast, there will be a more positive follow-up review to come. Until then, if there are any Microsoft employees seeing this on Twitter, I will direct you to my proverbial #1 foam finger where the middle finger is the single digit extended.

PC in 2019? Don't take (it) stock

A few months ago, I bought a brand new laptop with Windows 10 from my local Walmart. After some trial, error, and feature "updates" that wiped all of my software that wasn't included in the Windows Store, I decided enough was enough, and it was time for Linux. 

At the risk of sounding redundant, this required even more trial and error through various distributions, including Ubuntu, Pop! OS, Fedora, and others, before I finally settled on Zorin. 

This was a sort of last-ditch decision that I have been quite satisfied with, and with the exception of a version upgrade that couldn't be done "in-place," I have been quite satisfied with it. 

A little back-story: this was not my first computer that I received with Windows 10 preinstalled, as I had previously used two other refurbished laptops that came with Windows 10 when they were presented to me. 

However, this was the first one I obtained in a retail setting, and holy crap, bloatware is still a thing in 2019, even with digital distribution. 

This laptop came with a digital license for Windows 10 Home, but I still managed to retain a copy of the Education edition from my days at BYU-Idaho, so I upgraded it. 

This did not really help it much, even after removing said bloatware, so after some careful consideration, I ended up with my current situation.

Picture of laptop not powered on (Razer Phone in background; reviewing later)

This was not a decision that was resolved in one night, because that would be too easy. 

The first distribution I turned to was System76's 'Pop! OS' after a recommendation from a YouTube channel. 

While I had used Ubuntu in the past (which was the distribution's base) the GNOME 3 desktop environment felt very sluggish (this proved to also be true in openSUSE and Fedora, b.t.w). 

I then, per the same YouTube video, tried Arch (or more specifically, its derivative, Manjaro), and that proved to be too complex. 

Thirdly, I tried what was then the newest version of Mint (19). However, after some testing (and after-the-fact research) I found that I had fallen victim to a data-destroying defect in the system kernel, and was back to square one. 

After some inquiries via Facebook, I finally settled on Zorin OS. Besides version upgrades that require me to back up my data first, I am quite satisfied with its performance. 

Thus far it has been able to handle just about every piece of software I can throw at it, with the exception of some Windows 98-era software that Lutris and Wine struggle with, as well as Android compatibility. For the latter, I settled with an alternative dongle that I will expound on in a separate review.

Zorin OS 15 desktop. Quite a striking resemblance to Windows 7.

Now on to the hardware nitpicks: the 8GB of RAM (single stick, I checked) is quite a capable starting point. At some point, I might consider buying a mate for it from Best Buy to double it to 16GB, but at the moment, it doesn't really need it, especially since I killed Windows 10.

Also despite being an i7 processor, there's no dedicated GPU, and unless I was looking at the motherboard wrong, there's no obvious way to add one outside of pulling out either the Optane memory or wireless card. Since I primarily use my laptop for casual gaming, and play more hardcore games on either my phone or the Nintendo Switch (another review for another day), I don't look at upgrade options very often, although I would like to point out the irony that most modern laptops that have Thunderbolt 3 built in also have a dedicated GPU on the motherboard to begin with!

All things considered though, it has definitely been a solid workhorse of a machine, and connects to both my 32" Roku TV (another review) and has Bluetooth capability that will allow me to use the Nintendo Switch's wireless GameCube-style controller somewhat flawlessly (which will also be reviewed separately).

Chromebook 2017: Neverware CloudReady

Over the past semester or two (not sure which), I have been trying to find an OS that will work on the HP laptop I was given without running the risk of overheating and shutting it down or crashing. When it was initially given to me, it had Windows 10 installed. Since then, I have tried both Windows 7 and Ubuntu, and neither have really brought me much relief. At one point, I considered installing RemixOS on it because at some point I considered getting an Android phone, but honestly I wasn't that impressed by the Windows emulator, and figured the real thing wouldn't be much better.

Then I remembered trying ChromeOS at one point and figured I would give it another try. I've read it is supposed to be really good for older PCs and I had recently read an article about an operating system that was nearly identical to it's retail counterpart called CloudReady.

CloudReady UI

Let me just start out by saying that this is not the same OS I used almost six years ago. Besides having an Office365 version (that costs $1/year and needs a corporate account), it also keeps up with its retail counterpart, including Android App Conversion. From personal experience, two apps are needed for this process, and I prefer to install them in the order I list them. They are ArcWelder, and Twerk.

ArcWelder Chrome App

 Again, from personal experience, ArcWelder serves as more of the back-end of the app conversion experience. I tried to use it first, and didn't have much luck. Maybe if I get into more web programming it'll come in handy, but I've only taken one class so far, so we'll have to wait and see.

Twerk Chrome App

Twerk (not to be confused with a certain dance) is, from what I have found, the more front-end and user interface of the app experience. I have also found that it will not convert an app store APK file to Chrome, so your best bet is to download each app individually and run them on a trial-and-error basis.

As far as what it can do, I have found that it'll work nicely whenever I retake WDD100. I have already found a replacement for Brackets that includes its own version of Beautify built in, and it also synchronizes nicely with Dropbox and other web services, such as Office 365 (even though there is a separate Academic version for that). All in all, it is a worthwhile OS. I just can't use my laptop on my lap directly or else it will overheat and shut down.

Windows 10 S: A Horse of a Different Color

By now, the news has spread about Microsoft's new edition of Windows 10. For the most part, this OS behaves exactly like Windows 10. The only caveat is that it cannot run native Windows applications unless they have been downloaded through the Windows Store. Before I switched to Ubuntu LXDE, I had the opportunity to try this edition of Windows 10 thanks to a trial that allowed existing users of Windows 10 Education users to "upgrade" their license to the new OS. 

Windows 10 S error prohibiting installation of software from native EXE files.

Anyway, as noted by the above image and caption, the "S" in Windows 10 S means, in short, that without third-party software, like Citrix, an end user can only install applications from the Windows Store. While, in the long run, this is a very good idea, in the current state of things, it is a horrible situation for the average consumer that thinks they can get a fully-functional Windows PC at a Chromebook price. Imagine if someone's grandparent walked into Best Buy and wanted a new PC at an affordable cost, and expected all of their existing software to work, only to find the above message on their screen. In short, if enough people bought into it, especially without the proper disclosures, there would be a lot of angry returns from senior citizens and otherwise computer illiterate customers wondering why the crap they can't install iTunes or Quicken or where the heck their FreeCell game went.

That being said, it's not that Windows 10 S is a horrible idea, because it truly isn't. In fact, with the Citrix option, it might even make a great Thin Client option. On the surface (not the new laptop that is included with the OS), however, as stated before, the right marketing needs to be handled to ensure that end users aren't blind sighted by incompatibility issues, and that goes the same for its  corporate minded brother.

"I Can't Do That, Dave"

Editor's Note: Hopefully, I will eventually release a follow up review of a small list of apps to download for the device. It is likely it will be in a combination review of UWP apps for Windows 10.

Front and Rear Views of

HTC One M8 For Windows

Okay, science fiction references aside, I finally acquired a new smartphone. After much thought, research, and a sleepless night or two, I ended up settling on the HTC One M8 for Windows. When it arrived from Amazon, one of the first things I did was try to upgrade it to Windows 10 Mobile. Sure, this seems crazy, but it is powerful enough and I was kind of excited about being able to carry a computer in my pocket that I could connect to my television. However, things haven't quite turned out that way. I tinkered around with various tutorials, and still no luck. Even after I took it to the Verizon store across the street from me to have it activated, I still was not able to upgrade the operating system, and at the time, I was feeling rather defeated. However, as time passed, I started tinkering around with other computer projects, and getting to know the device, I realized that this wasn't all bad. One of the main reasons I wanted Windows 10 on my phone was for the Continuum feature, which allows your phone to act like a standard PC.

 

However, after further investigation and tinkering, I found two of the next best things: Office Remote, which is an app for controlling PowerPoint slides from your phone, and the other is called Mouse Remote, and as it suggests, it allows you to control your computer from your phone with a companion app for Windows 10 known as PC Remote Server. While it is true that neither of these get me a genuine "PC-In-Your-Pocket" experience in the same respect as Windows 10, honestly, both are equally decent options.

On another note, (specifically the title of this post) I have found Microsoft's Cortana assistant unusually helpful. I was specifically looking for something to help me with scheduling appointments and other stuff where I could always have it on hand, and so far, this has been it.  The app has been decent enough that I have went and re-enabled it on my Windows 10 Education PC. IE for WP8 is also decent and (don't tell anyone, but) I've also found Microsoft Edge to be quite speedy and lightweight, and I was also able to import all of my bookmarks from my previous browser.