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Ah, I see you all don't really get Chromebooks... Allow me!They are cheap, robust, performant, secure and most importantly, user friendly. Well, more than any other computing device. You can hand out palette loads of these as a fleet to businesses, schools or whatever. These will cost you (a lot) less operationally to maintain, upgrade, secure and centrally manage than anything else.
They are virtually impossible for the users to mangle or abuse - if one actually physically breaks they are cheap and redeployment is as simple as just handing over a new one. The user just signs back in with their usual login and boom: everything's back. Lack of local storage isn't a failure, it's a _feature_. Because all the data is permanently synced online that's fleet-wide backup done, automatically.
Chromebooks don't lack features - they have very specifically opted to remove many functionalities on purpose for a select target audience. For that audience they are unbeatable. No unnecessary crap to confuse undemanding users. They nearly all have touchscreens and it's no accident the Chromebook user interface/experience is basically like an Android phone - again, it's for undemanding users. Even grandmas and Luddites 'get' Chromebooks immediately, it's just like using their phone.
Google know exactly what they're doing which is why Chromebooks are so popular - just don't buy one thinking they are a regular laptop. For undemanding users they are the best thing since sliced bread. From an admin perspective, I absolutely love them.
Now if you're not an undemanding user and you specifically want a laptop, not a laptop-like-thing, you are not the target audience. Neil - you are decidedly NOT the target audience because you are an actual linux nerd. Your wife may be though, depending on what she wants from a PC?
Even if you are a 'proper' computer user or god help us, yet another linux nerd, Chromebooks are still fun 'cos you can pick one up for peanuts, take the back off and install bigger/faster storage, engage developer mode, flash the BIOS and you are away: install actual linux. These days Crostini lets you run linux containers and VMs directly in ChromeOS. If that's not nerdy enough for you remember these things come from Google - once you take the safety locks off these things will keep you busy for ages.
https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs/+/master/containers_and_vms.mdI thought someone had to say something nice about Chromebooks because they are pretty cool, honestly. But just for their target audience.
*DISCLAIMER: Google, sadly, did not pay me to write this promotional post :[ -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG https://mailman.dcglug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq