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Comment by halostatue | Hacker News Reader

For personally purchased Chromebooks, you are partially correct. You can set up a Linux sandbox on a Chromebook or you can run sandboxed Android applications from Google Play. You can even side load Android applications via "developer mode" or the Linux sandbox.

For managed Chromebooks, you are incorrect. They are usually configured so that the end-user cannot install additional software, enable developer mode, or set up the Linux sandbox, making them often less useful than Apple iOS or iPadOS devices.

The GGP comment said we should ban PCs [because they're too dangerous for most people to use]. And with Chromebooks or thin clients with virtual desktops, that is exactly what a lot of organizations have done.

None of which you addressed in your knee-jerk response that is about as coherent as "M$" was back in the day (and I did my share of that when I was young and stupid).

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Why partially correct for personally purchased Chromebooks? Apart from what you mentioned, it's also (or at least has been, I haven't tried in a while) possible to install Linux natively on a Chromebook. That's a lot more open than anything running iOS.

You didn't specify managed Chromebooks, but I also didn't know they could be locked down to such a degree, thanks for informing me.

> None of which you addressed in your knee-jerk response that is about as coherent as "M$" was back in the day (and I did my share of that when I was young and stupid).

I honestly don't see why you felt the need to add this last paragraph. Was it "iDevices"? I just used it for convenience. Either way, the snark is totally unnecessary, your comment is better without it.

Partially correct because Linux is running under a sandbox and all applications within Linux are in that sandbox.

My comment about "school systems and corporations" did sort of imply "managed"; there's not a public school system in the world that would give their students unmanaged Chromebooks. Some private schools might, but the private schools are also more likely to have it tightly controlled and install spyware because of the "threat of cyber-cheating" (I wish I were kidding: https://www.eff.org/wp/school-issued-devices-and-student-pri...).

My apologies on the snark — it’s too late to edit it, but I read your "iDevices" as snark itself, since most of this discussion has been populated by people who have reflexive anti-Apple stances with exactly no nuance on their stances, so I let my frustration get the better of me. Mea maxima culpa.

> Partially correct because Linux is running under a sandbox and all applications within Linux are in that sandbox.

No no, when I wrote 'run Linux natively', I meant pure Linux right on the bare metal (on a subset of models). One random hit I got when searching: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to+convert+a+generic+Chrome...

> My apologies on the snark [...]

No worries, and I realize my comment probably comes across differently than intended when in a frustrated mindset. To be honest, that parting shot took me a bit by surprise, and I was about to respond in kind, worsening the quality of discussion. Thankfully, HNs comment guidelines got the better of me : - )

At the risk of running the "partially correct" into the ground, I think that the conversion from Chromebook to "no longer a Chromebook but a poorly-specced Linux laptop" to still be "partially correct." It requires firmware configuration changes which may require some sort of jailbreak (per the article you linked)…and iOS devices have jailbreaks available, too, which allows the installation of other software.

Many things are possible for a suitably motivated person. But such things are unlikely to be done by your average device user (of any sort), because they don't have such motivation and can't even conceive of why they would bother.

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