Alright, so you have your main computer, a great powerful MacBook or Windows notebook, that can command the power of the gods on demand. 80 gigabytes in your node_modules directory? No problem for this beast.
But sometimes wouldn't it be great just to have just one more computer? Let's say your friend comes over and forgets his computer. So not only are they eating those amazing cookies you got for yourself but also using your damn computer and snooping across your email. Yeah, we've all been there.
I'm often surprised at how often programmers assume they need to spend like a thousand dollars on every computer since that's what they use themselves. In fact, there is a super cheap way you can build a powerful (not slow) Chromebook yourself for around $200 or less.
Here's how you do it!
Get a computer
Go on eBay and find a used business class laptop that's 3-4 years old.
See a lot of big companies acquire Dell, HP, and Lenovo business notebooks in masse. Their employees use the machines for 3 years and then they sell them to wholesalers who retail them as used laptops. These wholesalers clean them up, install a new Windows license, and then sell them at a premium. However, some will sell them as-is without any reconditioning for super cheap. That's what we are looking for. We're also specifically looking at business class laptops since they are way more durable than the consumer class laptops that you might normally see at a retail store.
Here's a good example of one a Dell 5480
The HP EliteBooks are also a good choice. You can see a list of them on Wikipedia. The older the unit, the slower and cheaper.
Install CloudReady by Neverware
Make sure the laptop is certified by Neverware as compatible. This is the Google owned company that makes a version of Chrome OS that can be installed anywhere. Most business class laptops are certified though.
Adjust coffee table to perfect height using laptop as paper weight.
Just kidding, go enjoy your new Chromebook
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