[richardpetersen]

The reason I purchased mine today is that I will never purchase a Windows 8 machine because I hate them and I can't afford a Mac. So the only other OS and that is supported and is cheap is ChromeOS. Its all well and good saying Linux, However you have to buy a Windows 8 laptop before you can even put Linux on it.

[jseliger]

I can't afford a Mac

Consider buying used, either from Craigslist or a dealer; three-year-old Macs are still very nice and cost about half to a third of new ones (I know, because I sell my firm's old Macs on Craigslist).

If you're proficient with hardware, it's also possible to dramatically improve performance by installing a cheap SSD.

[richardpetersen]

I did - I got a PowerPC G4 or G5. The problem was I couldn't upgrade it past os 10.5 and the latest version of chrome at the time wouldn't run on anything less than 10.6 or something like that so nothing would work properly.

[o_s_m]

They have opened up there BIOS, and putting Linux on it is just as easy as any other laptop. Been using one for 1.5 years now.

[richardpetersen]

what in chrome or windows 8?

[judk]

Chromebook. See Crouton.

[richardpetersen]

Wow love it :-)

[davidgerard]

Yep. I'm on work's Windows 7 laptop right now and hating it. (Linux Toshiba brightness bug is too annoying to live in Ubuntu.) Next netbook I buy will likely be one of these.

[jotm]

Or go with a 'Hac' - get a cheap laptop that can run Mac OS X, they work surprisingly well, updates and all...

[CSDude]

You could object and get your Windows(~$200) money in pre-Windows 8 era. Not sure about how it works now.

[freehunter]

No OEM is going to pay $200 for Windows, so they're not going to refund you $200 for Windows. $40 is more realistic.