Posted on 01/25/2022 12:39:06 PM PST by Red Badger
“Should I buy a Chromebook?” is a question that is asked with increasing frequency by individuals, businesses, parents and students looking to reduce their computing costs or work more collaboratively in the cloud. This Chromebook review explores the pros and cons of using Chromebooks and other Chrome OS-based computers, helps you answer that question and highlights a few Chromebooks that you might want to consider using.
Because of the nature of the work I do, and the times we live in, I seem to have ended up using a LOT of different devices.
Depending on where I’m working, I switch between an iMac, a Windows laptop, an iPhone and an iPad — but one thing I’ve noticed about all these devices is that much of what I’m doing on them is now being done in the Chrome browser.
Increasingly, I seem to be neglecting installed productivity apps like Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel in favour of online, cloud-based equivalents (mostly Google products) that run in Chrome.
And the e-commerce apps I use for my business — like Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix and Squarespace — all run happily in a browser too.
This observation, coupled with some adverts featuring shiny computers popping up on Facebook, got me wondering about Chromebooks — and whether I should buy one.
And this, of course, led to me buying a cheap Chromebook and writing a blog post about the whole thing! Hopefully it will help you decide whether a Chromebook is right for you.
Let’s start with a look at what a Chromebook actually is.
What is a Chromebook? A Chromebook is a laptop that you use primarily when you are online, and one that you don’t — generally speaking — save files onto.
Nearly everything — word processing, spreadsheet-editing, note-taking and so on — is done on the web via Google’s Chrome browser, and pretty much everything you work on is saved ‘in the cloud.’
An AMD-based Chromebook An AMD-based Chromebook This means that Chromebooks don’t usually come with much storage, and don’t require a particularly fast processor — which in turn usually makes them quite cheap compared to ‘normal’ computers.
Chromebooks run Chrome OS, a stripped-back, Linux-based operating system which is centered around the Chrome browser.
The Chrome OS interface Chrome OS Although an increasing number of apps that also work offline are now available for it, Chromebooks are definitely geared more towards online use.
Now, there are some really great things about Chromebooks — and some not so great.
Let’s take a look at the good stuff first.
The pros of using Chromebooks Chromebooks can lower your hardware and IT costs Chromebooks have the potential to lower your IT (information technology) costs in quite a few ways.
First, and for the reasons discussed above, they are much cheaper to buy than ‘normal’ computers.
I’m typing this on a machine that cost me just $175 (in a sale, but you can definitely pick a decent machine up for less than $300).
My mid-range Windows laptop cost four times as much as this without — when it comes to using Chrome and cloud-based software at least — being four times as good.
So, whether you’re an individual or a business, there are significant savings to be made by using Chromebooks.
(In particular, if you apply these sort of cost differentials across a large team’s computing requirements, you’re talking about saving a LOT of money — this makes Chromebooks a particularly attractive option for anyone setting up a new business.)
Second, because Chromebooks do not particularly rely on locally-run applications, there is less of a need for an IT department to install software. Or update it. Or support it.
This is because any updates to your Chromebook and the Google software you use on it are carried out regularly and automatically by Google — and, if you’re a Google Workspace customer, you have a 24/7 Google helpdesk at your disposal too.
Third, because there are no moving parts in them, Chromebooks are much less prone to developing mechanical faults, meaning greater reliability and longevity — and a lack of repair bills.
And finally, because Chromebook users generally work ‘in the cloud,’ you don’t need to spend as much money on physical storage to handle networking or backups.
(That said, investing in a third-party cloud backup service to ensure any data in Google Workspace remains backed up is nonetheless a good idea).
Chromebooks can lower your software costs For many individuals and businesses, Google Workspace — Google’s set of productivity apps — is now capable of handling core computing needs — word processing, spreadsheets, email and diary management — perfectly well, and very cheaply (Google Workspace starts at $6 per user per month).
Google Workspace pricing Google Workspace pricing And if you don’t want to work with Google Workspace, there are cheap or even free browser-based alternatives available to you — not least a free, browser-based version of Microsoft Office.
There’s also the entry-level Microsoft 365 plan, which provides you with an email account and cloud storage for a few dollars per month as well as the online versions of Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc.
(Note that Microsoft Access can’t be used on a Chromebook, however.)
Tip: For a detailed overview of when and why you might want to use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you can check out our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace (G Suite) comparison post.
Chromebooks are less vulnerable to viruses Because of the emphasis on cloud-based working, using a Chromebook doesn’t tend to involve much installation of software. This means that it’s quite difficult for users to get a virus on one.
(Note however that you can still get ‘phished’ on a Chromebook, which is something different).
And, on top of that, Chromebooks are viewed as one of the more robust options available from a virus protection point of view — the automatic updates, ‘sandboxing’ and ‘verified boots’ of Chrome OS help prevent infection (you can find out more about what all these terms mean on Google’s Chromebook Security help page).
All this means that if you are using a Chromebook, you can generally forget the costs associated with virus and malware protection software — or paying IT professionals to clear up the mess you made on the network after you opened that dodgy attachment.
The bottom line on security: it’s still important to take general cyber security precautions when using a Chromebook — but it’s definitely one of the safer computing options out there.
They can encourage collaboration and improve productivity Because Chromebooks aren’t really about installing standalone pieces of software on your computer, those using them are effectively ‘nudged’ in the direction of using web apps that allow multiple users to access and edit files together in real time.
This opens up a lot of collaborative possibilities and new ways of working.
Additionally, with a Chromebook, less seems to get in the way of actually doing work. This is because Chrome OS is clutter-free, stable, and free of the ‘bloat’ or ‘lag’ that you often get with other operating systems.
Chromebooks also boot up incredibly quickly (in about 5-10 seconds) and are ‘instant-on’ from sleep. Any system that comes with lack of distractions, delays and crashes has good implications for productivity.
You’re dealing with a robust platform Whether we’re talking about email apps like Gmail, CRM tools like Salesforce, accounting solutions such as Xero, e-newsletter solutions such as Mailchimp or helpdesks such as Zendesk, these all have two things in common:
They are examples of software titles used by millions of individuals and businesses all over the world. They are all applications that run in a web browser. So, if your team accesses all its key tools in a web browser, then why not provide it with system that is designed explicitly for doing that? Even modestly-specced Chromebooks can provide a fast and stable environment for working with browser-based applications.
The same goes for using a Chromebook for personal entertainment. If the main reason you want to get a laptop is to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime shows on the move, there is little point in splashing out on an expensive Apple product or a high-end Windows device when you can access video content perfectly well via the Chrome browser.
Chromebooks are ideal for a workforce that moves around a lot If you travel a lot, then Chromebooks can be an excellent option.
They are generally lighter and thinner than traditional laptops (due to the lack of moving parts) — and this makes them much easier to transport.
The lack of moving parts also means that their battery life is excellent.
The thing to watch out for, of course, is what happens when there’s no internet connection available.
This is less of an issue these days, with phone tethering and ever-improving Wi-Fi available, but it is still possible to hit a black spot (not least when travelling on a plane).
If that happens, there are offline working options available for some Chrome Apps — including, importantly, the Google Workspace apps — but you will have to plan ahead to use them (more on this below).
The integration with Google Workspace is great Over 6 million companies use Google Workspace now — and if you or your business is included in that number, then you will be hard-pressed to find a nicer, more reliable and tightly-integrated way to work with this suite of products than on a Chrome OS device.
Are Chromebooks good for education? For many of the same reasons that Chromebooks can work well in a business context, they are often a great choice in an educational setting too.
The hardware is cheap, key software is free and battery life is very long (meaning that students can usually avoid recharging machines during the school day).
Additionally, Chromebooks work seamlessly with Google Classroom, which in the COVID-19 era can be very useful for the remote learning that students often have to undertake.
The main drawback from an educational point of view is that there are limits to the types of applications that you can install on Chromebooks. This will rule the machines out for students who need to work on very specific, locally installed apps.
But for general browser-based learning, Chromebooks are an excellent, cost-effective and safe choice.
The cons of using a Chromebook That all sounded fantastic didn’t it? But before you rush out and by a Chromebook, there are some significant downsides to consider.
You can’t install the full versions of Microsoft 365 apps on Chromebooks If you are particularly attached to Microsoft apps like Outlook, Word and Excel, you should note that you can’t install the full desktop versions of them on a Chromebook.
Accordingly, a lot of Chromebook users end up making a move to Google Workspace, which, being a Google product, works very well in a Chromebook context.
Google Docs Using Google Docs, the word processing app included with Google Workspace However…
switching to Google Workspace will inevitably bring a learning curve if you’ve never used it before even if you start using Google Workspace, you’ll probably still end up with a need to occasionally supply content to other people or organisations in MS Office format. The good news is that it is perfectly possible to create, save and edit Microsoft 365 files using Google Workspace — but if you’re dealing with more complex documents, you may occasionally encounter formatting problems when you save your files.
You can still use Microsoft products on a Chromebook, however, via the online version of Microsoft 365.
Whilst not providing quite as comprehensive a set of tools as the desktop version of the Microsoft productivity suite, the web-based version nonetheless enables you to access and edit most Word, Excel and Powerpoint files in a browser — and without some of the formatting headaches you occasionally run into when you try to edit Microsoft files with Google Workspace.
Using Word Online You can use Microsoft Word on a Chromebook, but the online version only. So, all in all, if you want to work with Microsoft 365, not being able to install the full versions of the apps on your Chromebook doesn’t necessarily have to hold you back too much.
But if you are a ‘power user’ of Microsoft products, and you can’t live without the installed desktop Microsoft 365 apps, maybe a Chromebook is not for you.
Chromebooks are not ideal for working on multimedia projects If your business is one which deals with a lot of audio or video related projects, then you are probably better off working on a traditional desktop.
It’s not that there aren’t high-end Chromebooks available that could handle this kind of work; it’s more that the software typically used for multimedia projects (Adobe Illustrator, Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro etc.) is not currently browser-based.
That said, basic image editing on a Chromebook won’t pose any problems — there are plenty of simple editors available, both cloud-based and offline.
Similarly, there are some Chromebook options available to you when it comes to video editing — Android apps and/or web-based video editors can provide some good workarounds.
Using Wevideo to edit video on a Chromebook. Although Chromebooks are not the best option for working with multimedia, workarounds exist — for example, you can use Wevideo (pictured above) to edit video. Chromebooks are not best suited to gaming If you’re into gaming — or at least playing the very latest computer games — then a Chromebook probably won’t be the best option for you, because Chromebooks generally aren’t powerful enough to cope with the graphical and computational demands of modern games.
That said, because some Chromebooks allow you to run Android apps, you do have some options when it comes to Android games. Laptop Mag has a good rundown of some good Android gaming options here.
They are not as functional offline Chromebooks are, for obvious reasons, less useful offline than online — but you can still use them to access and edit Google Drive files when you’re not connected to the internet, and you can use Gmail in an offline mode too.
And an increasing number of other apps which work offline are being made available for Chrome OS too.
So, as long as you plan things in advance and make sure you save the right files onto your Chromebook before you go offline, you should still be able to get a decent amount of work done when you are not connected to the internet.
There’s an ‘end of life’ date to worry about (Auto Update Expiration) Chromebooks receive automatic updates to provide users with the latest features and keep their devices secure — but not indefinitely.
Each Chromebook comes with an Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date, after which updates will no longer be supplied for that device, and it may not be advisable to use it (chiefly for security reasons).
Now, this isn’t entirely dissimilar to what happens to other types of devices — for example, Apple won’t always roll out the latest version of its OS to older computers.
And you could argue that knowing exactly how long your device will last for lets you manage future hardware purchasing plans better.
But — as you’ll see from the reader comments below — AUE dates are clearly not popular with some Chromebook users.
How to turn a laptop into a Chromebook Interestingly, you don’t necessarily to buy a Chromebook to get one!
If you have an old laptop that is really struggling to run the latest version of Windows or Mac OS, you might find that ‘repurposing’ it as a Chromebook gives it a new lease of life and turns it back into a useful machine.
This can be done by downloading Chromium OS — an open-source product which is related to and extremely similar to Chrome OS — and installing it on your old machine.
Chromium OS makes much lighter demands on your computer than traditional desktop operating systems, and accordingly can turn a sluggish computer into one that boots up quickly and works perfectly fine as a tool for web browsing, consuming content or working in the cloud.
If this sounds of interest, you should check out Android Central’s guide on how to install Chromium OS on a Windows computer, or 9 to 5 Mac’s guide to bringing an old Mac back to life by installing Chrome OS on it.
What about Chromeboxes, Chromebases and Chromebits? Chromeboxes are basically desktop versions of Chromebooks — compact boxes that run Chrome OS. They look a bit like Mac Minis and Apple TV boxes.
You usually have to sort yourself out with a keyboard, mouse, and monitor when you buy one — but the total spend involved is still usually a lot lower than that associated with buying a regular desktop computer.
A ‘Chromebox’ made by Samsung Example of a ‘Chromebox’ made by Samsung Chromebases are ‘all in one’ computers that run Chrome OS; they look something like of the current generation of iMacs.
A Chromebase - an 'all-in-one' computer that runs Chrome OS. A Chromebase – an ‘all-in-one’ computer that runs Chrome OS. And finally, there’s the Chromebit to consider — a dongle that just plugs into the HDMI port on a television (or computer monitor) and turns it into a computer.
Pretty funky stuff!
The pros and cons of using a Chromebook generally apply to using any of the above Chrome OS devices — assuming Chrome OS meets your personal or business needs, it’s simply a case of making a call on the appropriate form factor.
And speaking of pros and cons…
Summary: pros and cons of Chromebooks So, are Chromebooks any good?
Well, we hope that this Chromebook review has helped you answer that question! But to sum up, and help you make a final decision on that “Should I buy a Chromebook?” question, here’s a summary of the main pros and cons of using one:
Pros of using Chromebooks Chromebooks (and other Chrome OS devices) are very cheap by comparison to traditional laptops / computers. Chrome OS is fast and stable. Machines are typically light, compact and easy to transport. They have long battery life. Viruses and malware pose less of a risk to Chromebooks than other types of computer. Chromebooks can reduce reliance on IT professionals and lower software costs. They integrate very neatly with Google Workspace. They’re a good option if you chiefly use browser-based apps for work or entertainment. Cons of using Chromebooks Whilst you can use Microsoft 365 on a Chromebook (via the online version), some features will not be available. Although you can edit images and video on Chromebooks, they are not the best option for multimedia applications. Working offline on a Chromebook arguably requires a bit more advance planning than using a Windows or Mac OS-based laptop. They’re not great for gaming. If you are extremely dependent on a piece of software that does not run in a browser or on Chrome OS, Chromebooks are not for you. Chromebooks to consider Below you’ll find some popular Chromebooks to take a look at.
Entry level Chromebooks Acer typically does well in the entry level market — take a look at the Acer Spin 11 or the Acer Chromebook 514. If you are on a low budget, the HP Chromebook 11 might be for you.
For a tablet / laptop crossover device, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is worth investigating.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a two-in-one tablet / laptop device The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a two-in-one tablet / laptop device Mid-range Chromebooks In the mid-range department, the Google Pixelbook Go is often a good option; the Acer Spin 713 and the Lenevo Chromebook Flex 5 are also worth investigating.
High-end Chromebooks If you’re looking for a more powerful Chromebook, then some of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebooks are worth a look, as are the Dell Latitude Enterprise and HP Elite Chromebook ranges.
However, high-end Chromebooks tend to be similar in price to high-end laptops — so if you’re considering purchasing one of these, make sure you pay extra attention to the ‘cons’ associated with Chromebooks.
Related reading
Tech Pingy!.............
I wish we had this option for my father 20+ years ago. Keeping my dad’s PC and dialup service up and running was a real PITA.
I use one since I am retired—just don’t need a real computer anymore.
I do keep an old clunker computer around for off-line scanning of documents.
I got one on clearance from Costco for 150.00 brand new. Im using it right now. Seems to work fine. I disable the tracking stuff. Not bad for the money.
Trust the cloud. Trust...the...cloud...
Trust google. Trust...
Isn’t that “cloud” more hackable than your laptop or tablet?
“the online versions only.” Yes. If a user simply needs a nice computer and accepts using cloud based programs, then the Chrome Book is a good option. It’s been around for many years and lots of college students use them.
Aren’t we avoiding anything Google at all costs?
Probably.....................
I’ve giving it a second look for software development work recently. The linux underneath is now more directly accessible (via developer mode) rather than using crouton. I spend the vast majority of my computer time in either the command line or a browser.
It still can’t use virtual box or comparable software and may not be able to for a while so I’m holding out for a bit.
I assume using the cloud isn’t free, but frankly I haven’t a clue.
You know who likes all of your files to be stored in ‘the cloud’? Google...and hackers. Suck it up and get a real computer, then never use the cloud. I knew my thinking was correct on this when Steve Wozniak expressed his opinion on cloud storage.
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One does not need to use google docs with a chromebook. It appears that libre office is available for chromebook download.
Using any G**gle product (without neutering the snitchware first) is as much as begging Big Tech to give you a proctological exam every time you go online.
Chromebooks are a great little web browsing and media streaming device around the home. I’ve used them for years. Wouldn’t want one exclusively for work.
just wait until ALL ya’ll data is in the “cloud” and the “cloud” cancels you! fun times after that, right?
A Chromebook works best when you don’t have any files to be stored in a cloud.
I agree that if you have such files that are important a real Computer is the right choice.
...ditto here....! my first HP Chromebook lasted more than 7 years before it went to Chromebook heaven; am using my second HP C’book now and just love it....am retired so don’t use it for work, etc., but for e-mail and web browsing, it suits me just fine....!!
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