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I somehow got recruited into setting up a small internet cafe in a third world country. I don't even know how it happened...

The plan is to have two laptops for internet access only, minimal specs required. Other than browsing the web, they should be able to change settings (and password) for the router. And they need to be able to be secured by a cable lock.

I picked up the teeny Asus x205 laptop last winter, and it seems that a Bay Trail processor and 2 GB of RAM are just fine for web browsing even with Windows as the OS. I picked up a handful of them at prices from $100-150, but now they are $190 or out of stock, it appears. And they don't have that slot to attach a locking cable.

Assuming a Chromebook can configure a router without the need of an extra device, Chromebooks are fair game.

What can you find that's cheap, simple, and physically securable?

One possibility with some models is to skip the fancy Kensington-style laptop lock and just loop a small cable lock tightly around the display hinge area, or through an open hinge.

Looping a cable through the hinge leaves the possibility of some idiot closing the laptop around the cable, which would surely damage something.

Does anyone have specific model recommendations? Or even brand recommendations?

You did say "third world country" without specifying which one. If this were my job, I would be more concerned with which models are actually available, affordable, and/or supported by the manufacturer in that country, in case the customer runs into support problems down the road or decides to add more terminals.

Personally, I would tend to stick with Chromebooks if they're up for the task. Less OS stuff available to break or infest with viruses.

Honduras is the destination country. It will just be a pair of computers and a router, pretty simple. My understanding is that their tech down there has a significant markup and extremely limited selection. A family member will be buying my recommendation in the US and bringing it down in luggage.

Yeah, I'm also leaning towards Chromebooks. I've never used one, but I feel they've got to be more user friendly than Windows 8, just as Chrome is more user friendly than IE.

It looks like Asus has the edge on niftiness with BayTrail processors and sleekness and price, but they don't come with the Kensington lock.

Interesting. Do you think that glue will hold?

It will prevent the unit from simply walking away, which is useful, although any cable lock or attachment can be defeated with a bit of patience. On the plus side, someone can't remove this without physically damaging the unit, which would lower its resale value.

I found two units that are getting there:

Here's a Toshiba for $220, looks like it has a Kensington lock. Anything seem off to you guys? http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-CB35-B333 ... CB35-B3330

And here's a Dell for $200. It's not super pretty, but it is supposed to be extra durable and resistant to humidity and possibly spills. And it advertises the Kensington lock: http://www.amazon.com/Dell-CRM3120-1667 ... chromebook


It occurred to me that if Chromebooks are married to a Google account, maybe that's awkward for numerous anonymous users. It looks like Chromebooks have a discrete option to login as a guest from the login page. It isn't obviously placed, but it looks like it should suffice. And it looks like there are language options, so it can be set to Spanish.

The goal is that this particular mini-mart selling snacks next to a soccer field might succeed over the other three if they do something nobody in Honduras is willing to do: give something away for free. The thought is that they'll provide free internet to customers, but change the wifi password every hour or so. I suppose the Chromebooks inside the little shop shouldn't have to bother with the excessive password changes, so maybe a USB to ethernet adapter is in order for each?

Am I missing anything obvious?

Milo Burke wrote:

The thought is that they'll provide free internet to customers, but change the wifi password every hour or so. I suppose the Chromebooks inside the little shop shouldn't have to bother with the excessive password changes, so maybe a USB to ethernet adapter is in order for each?

Am I missing anything obvious?

If you get a sufficiently fancy router you should be able to do something like an unlisted SSID with mac filtering for the chromebooks with a visible SSID for everyone else to connect to.

Any recommendations for the router?

Milo Burke wrote:

Any recommendations for the router?

I would think anything that can run dd-wrt and has a dual band radio would do the trick. So check their list http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices

I recently picked up a very nice Lenovo laptop, Depend your budget, you could try the lenovo G50