I often see questions here about which PC to buy and I don't see Chromebooks mentioned much. I am generalizing some but I do think that most here would be very happy with a Chromebook but they don't know much about them.
Just a little background first. When Google came out with their first Chromebooks (CR-48) I was given one to use and evaluate. At the time I thought it was a nice innovation but not powerful enough to use on a day to day basis. A few years later Google shipped me the Google Pixel, their flagship Chromebook to do the same. Sadly, I was not allowed to keep this laptop so had to return it this past weekend. However my NDA has been lifted so I thought I would share my thoughts since I know many here are fed up with Windows and don't want to spend what it costs to buy a Mac.
I was very impressed with the latest version of the Chromebook The Google Pixelbook is overpriced in my opinion but there are cheaper options out there if you are interested in getting a Chromebook. As soon as I returned my Pixelbook I went out and purchased a Chromebook made by Acer. You can find a very good Chromebook for as low as $300 but if you want all the bells and whistles plan on spending around $500 and above.
Why buy a Chromebook over a Windows laptop ? For several reasons. First of all the operating system is not bloated like Windows is. Updates are a breeze and I encountered very few errors when using mine. If you use your laptop mainly just to surf the net, watch movies, check email, word processing, etc then you will not miss anything using a Chromebook over a Windows laptop. Also if you have an Android phone and live in the Android atmosphere, you can use the same apps you like on your phone on the Chromebook as well. And if you are a total geek like I can be, you can now use Linux apps on some Chromebooks. Cost is another major factor. If you mainly use your computer for the things I listed above, you will spend a lot less money purchasing a Chromebook.
Why use a Windows laptop over a Chromebook ? One of the negatives using a Chromebook is that for the most part you need to be online to use it. That point is rather moot in today's world since most things done on a Windows laptop require being online also but it is a consideration. Also, Chromebooks don't have the same graphical power as a Windows laptop so if you do heavy graphical work or edit movies and such then you are better off using a Windows laptop. And there might be certain apps that you have used on your Windows PC for years that are not available on the Chromebook. That might change soon though.
Sorry for being so long winded but in summary, if you are in the market for a new laptop and mainly use your laptop for surfing the web, watching movies, sending emails, listening to music etc, then don't rule out a Chromebook. You get more bang for your buck and some are very stylish. Go online and read the reviews, talk with friends or family who may have one, or go to your local Best Buy and try one out first though.
Oh, one more note. Just because it is a Chromebook doesn't mean you have to use Chrome as your browser. There are many browsers available to use if you don't like Chrome including Firefox, Opera and Edge.
Just a little background first. When Google came out with their first Chromebooks (CR-48) I was given one to use and evaluate. At the time I thought it was a nice innovation but not powerful enough to use on a day to day basis. A few years later Google shipped me the Google Pixel, their flagship Chromebook to do the same. Sadly, I was not allowed to keep this laptop so had to return it this past weekend. However my NDA has been lifted so I thought I would share my thoughts since I know many here are fed up with Windows and don't want to spend what it costs to buy a Mac.
I was very impressed with the latest version of the Chromebook The Google Pixelbook is overpriced in my opinion but there are cheaper options out there if you are interested in getting a Chromebook. As soon as I returned my Pixelbook I went out and purchased a Chromebook made by Acer. You can find a very good Chromebook for as low as $300 but if you want all the bells and whistles plan on spending around $500 and above.
Why buy a Chromebook over a Windows laptop ? For several reasons. First of all the operating system is not bloated like Windows is. Updates are a breeze and I encountered very few errors when using mine. If you use your laptop mainly just to surf the net, watch movies, check email, word processing, etc then you will not miss anything using a Chromebook over a Windows laptop. Also if you have an Android phone and live in the Android atmosphere, you can use the same apps you like on your phone on the Chromebook as well. And if you are a total geek like I can be, you can now use Linux apps on some Chromebooks. Cost is another major factor. If you mainly use your computer for the things I listed above, you will spend a lot less money purchasing a Chromebook.
Why use a Windows laptop over a Chromebook ? One of the negatives using a Chromebook is that for the most part you need to be online to use it. That point is rather moot in today's world since most things done on a Windows laptop require being online also but it is a consideration. Also, Chromebooks don't have the same graphical power as a Windows laptop so if you do heavy graphical work or edit movies and such then you are better off using a Windows laptop. And there might be certain apps that you have used on your Windows PC for years that are not available on the Chromebook. That might change soon though.
Sorry for being so long winded but in summary, if you are in the market for a new laptop and mainly use your laptop for surfing the web, watching movies, sending emails, listening to music etc, then don't rule out a Chromebook. You get more bang for your buck and some are very stylish. Go online and read the reviews, talk with friends or family who may have one, or go to your local Best Buy and try one out first though.
Oh, one more note. Just because it is a Chromebook doesn't mean you have to use Chrome as your browser. There are many browsers available to use if you don't like Chrome including Firefox, Opera and Edge.
