"If I decide to take the plunge again, I'll spring for the 'Fiesta Red' Samsung model."
Well, guess what. I now have a Fiesta Red Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. I did some reading and compared the 2020 model with the 2021 model. The original model came with 256G storage, an Intel i5, a 4K AMOLED display, and a built-in stylus. Many reviewers said that it was too expensive to sell well, so Samsung came out with a stripped-down version for 2021 - QLED display, no included stylus, only one camera, no fingerprint reader, 128G storage vs. 256G, and an Intel i3. The weaker configuration meant better battery life (8 hours vs. 6) but that seemed to be the only advantage over its predecessor. Retailers dropped the price of the older model to get it out of inventory, but this put the newer model at a disadvantage. The older, more powerful model was now cheaper than the newer one, making it more appealing. More machine for less money? Sign me up! I got mine from Amazon; the base price was $500 but I had some credit from the previous Chromebook that I returned, so my end total was about $250.
Now, I can already hear people saying, "It's a Chromebook. It should be cheap." Yes and no. Chromebooks are rather specific in their tasks. They are intended for productivity, and they are meant to steer you towards using the Google Suite of applications (Docs, Sheets, Drive, etc.) That doesn't mean you can't play games on it - there are games that work fine, but most of them are Android tablet games (some newer Chromebooks can run Android apps.) You're not going to be playing Call of Duty on a Chromebook any time soon. I look at it more like "I'm tired of working on my report, I want a diversion for a few minutes" type of games. I guess it's kind of the same argument used when someone brings up Mac vs. Windows. Games are written for Windows (and consoles.) Companies like Aspyr brought a few games to Mac, but by and large, Macs are for getting work done and Windows PCs are for entertainment. Not to say that you can't be productive on a Windows system, but if you're a gamer like me, Windows is where it's at. (Add to that the lack of future support for Mac now that Bethesda and Activision Blizzard are owned by Microsoft.) Still, this is a pretty decent computer in its own right. I'm not sure how well it would run Windows, as it only has 8G of RAM, but it does have Debian Linux built-in which lets it run emulators like Crossover (Wine) and Parallels Desktop for Chrome.
My main reason for going with a Chromebook is for work. I work for a school, and like many other schools, we use Google Workspace (nee G Suite.) I have a MacBook Pro at school that does everything I need to do my job, but if I am at home and need to get something done, I use my personal MacBook Pro if it requires VPN and MDM work, or my iPad if it's just e-mail or writing documents. The problem I keep running into is that an iPad is intended for one person - one profile. Using my iPad for personal stuff and work stuff means two Google accounts, and my iPad keeps confusing the two. When I open up Google Drive, it always seems to be the wrong one. Trying to link things together using Google authentication almost always fails. I suppose I could drag my school MacBook Pro back and forth, but that's extra weight in my backpack that I don't need. I am already carrying around my iPad plus other electronic doodads. I like to travel light, especially when I am driving my Slingshot. Less is more. Should I really provide my own device to do my job? If it was a large company they might have the money to get me a device for use at home but this is a school. Schools are notorious for having no budget. If I can help by spending a bit of my own money to make sure I am productive, I am okay with that. Maybe it's a testament to how much I like my job, I dunno.
For its small form factor, this thing has a lot of power. It helps a lot that it looks really cool. Unlike the previous Chromebook I tried (Asus CM3,) this is an actual laptop with a full keyboard. The keyboard does not detach, but it does flip 360 degrees to convert to a tablet. Some say this is just a gimmick, but I have found it useful. I've used the Chrome version of Nebo to take notes, and it takes up less desk space when using it to watch training videos. Some of the online safety courses required to be a school employee are mostly "watch the video, answer the multiple-choice questions." That works fine on a tablet, so I put the Chromebook in tablet mode. I usually have quite a few laptops running on my workbench, so being able to save some space is a bonus.