Are you thinking about buying a new PC and you‘ve started thinking about getting a Chromebook? A Chromebook is an alternative to traditional laptops that has been designed and released by Google. They’re lightweight, slim devices that easily allow you to work on the go. They’re often considerably cheaper than most traditional laptops, as several models are available for under €300.
Chromebooks run a Chrome operating system which is similar in design to the Chrome web browser that people use. This means it’s very well suited for web browsing, email management, and video watching. These machines are made to handle a light, web-based workload, as the operating system was designed to do.
Chromebook vs Laptop
The operating system is the main difference between a Chromebook and a laptop. Chromebooks run a Chrome OS, whereas laptops traditionally run a Windows OS. Because of this difference, some apps and functionalities available on laptops aren’t available on Chromebooks, as they’re only designed to support a limited number of activities.
Pros
There are several benefits to choosing a Chromebook over a traditional laptop, as demonstrated by its massive success since its launch in 2011. Let’s look at what those are.
- The Price – Chromebooks are often considerably cheaper than traditional laptops. Their compact design and streamlined functionality mean that they’re great value for money if you’re just looking for a machine for web-based work.
- Long Battery Life – The battery life of a Chromebook will often last 2-3x longer than that of a traditional Windows laptop. You can expect a good 9-11 hours of use from your Chromebook between charges, whereas, with Windows laptops, you’d be lucky to get 3-4.
- Higher Security – Chromebooks aren’t as prone to viruses as traditional Windows laptops, as they have a built-in antivirus that keeps itself up to date.
- Lightweight Design – Most Chromebooks are smaller and more compact than other laptops by design. This makes them easy to carry around with you and work on the go.
Cons
However, there’s no such thing as a perfect device. There are some drawbacks to using a Chromebook over a traditional laptop, and it’s important you understand what those are before you consider buying one.
- Requires Internet Connection – The Chrome OS is almost exclusively web-based, which means that if you don’t have an internet connection, there’s not much you can do with it. The Google-based office programs are all built into the Google Drive, so you need to have a network connection to even work on your documents.
- Limited Gaming Capabilities – If you want to game on a Chromebook, you’re limited to the games you can find on the Google Play Store or browser-based games.
- No Video/Photo Editing Software – As the Chromebook does not allow applications to be installed on the device, this limits your access to video and photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premier.
Unique Features
The most unique feature of the Chromebook is its web-based operating system. The Chromebook does away with the need for massive processing power and hard drives, as everything is stored in the cloud. More and more products are moving online, like banking, streaming series, playing casino games at Platin Casino and even shopping and Chromebooks could be the perfect device for accessing them!
The Chrome OS has unique compatibility with Android apps, meaning you can easily play Android games and use Android apps from your Chromebook – something that would require an emulator on a regular laptop.
Conclusion
Chromebooks are a cheap, easy-to-use alternative to regular laptops for people who just need a device for their web-based activities. They’re fast, responsive, and have a fantastic battery life, meaning they’re perfect for travelling and working on the move. Some of the best Chromebooks on the market are the Google Pixelbook Go, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. There are many different Chromebook models out there, so there’s bound to be one to suit you – whatever your price range.
Last Updated: July 14, 2022
