What is a Chromebook and why should buy ?

What is a Chromebook

Whenever I visit family and friends, I expect one question more than any other: "What is a Chromebook?" It's a question I'm getting a lot more now that Chromebooks have invaded the mainstream, giving people capable budget options at well below $500. So, what is a Chromebook? Instead of Windows 10 or macOS, Chromebooks run Google's Chrome OS. 

Originally seen as a platform built around Google's cloud apps (Chrome, Gmail, etc), these laptops have done quite well in the education market. Over time, however, the appeal for Chromebooks has widened, and the best Chromebooks are some of the best laptops overall today. In fact, the demand for Chromebooks spiked during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and Google outpunched its rival Apple by selling more laptops with Chrome OS than MacBooks in 2020 (according to the IDC via Geekwire).

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If you're considering buying one for your kid, our Chromebook drop test gives us a sense of which Chrome OS laptop is the most durable. Students should also check out our Windows 10 vs. macOS vs. Chrome OS guide when the back-to-school season comes around. 

Below is a comprehensive guide for anyone who is considering buying a Chromebook. We've put our collective knowledge together to look at pricing, features, and comparisons with other laptops, including MacBooks and top Windows 10 laptops, to see if a Chromebook is best for you.

Should I buy a Chromebook?

Is this a question you’ve been asking yourself? If you know nothing about this fairly new class of laptops and have been wondering what makes it different from traditional laptops, you’re not alone. Many have asked the same question, which is why we’re here to clear things up a bit for you.

So, what exactly is a Chromebook? In essence, Chromebooks are designed to run a lightweight operating system that’s intended to help you with some productivity tasks, but mostly handle light computing ones like browsing the Internet, streaming videos and playing mobile games. In other words, they are typically some of the most lightweight and among the most affordable laptops around.

So the question now is: are Chromebooks good enough as a laptop replacement for you? Ultimately, it all depends on your computing needs. If your typical computing needs involve several processor-hungry apps or specific software unavailable in the Chrome OS, then Chromebooks probably won’t cut it.

However, if you’re day-to-day computing demands involve browsing the web, working on documents online, streaming videos and playing mobile games, then the Chromebook is a perfect – not to mention, very affordable – laptop alternative

How much do Chromebooks cost?

For the longest time, there was a pretty narrow price range for Chromebooks, and it was on the more affordable end of the spectrum. That is still largely the case; You can pick up the affordable and lightweight Samsung Chromebook 4 — which has an 11.6-inch HD display, an Intel Celeron N3000N CPU and 4GB of RAM — for only $229. For a bit more than that, Lenovo offers the excellent $279 Chromebook Duet.

Other models ask you to go into the mid-range price bracket, such as Google's Pixelbook Go ($649), the business-friendly Lenovo Yoga C13 Yoga, or the $549 Samsung Chromebook Pro, a stylus-equipped 12.3-inch notebook with a 2400 x 1600-pixel display, an Intel Core M3 processor and 4GB of RAM. Now the premium Chromebook market is growing, with laptops like the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook ($999) and its successor, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2, leading the charge. 

Who are Chromebooks for?

Overall, the best way to tell if someone will enjoy owning a Chromebook is if you know they already spend most of their time in the Chrome browser. Those users will take to the notebook naturally.

If you're buying this Chromebook for someone else, you should take a few moments to consider how they're going to use the device. Chromebooks are especially good for younger students, as they are ease to use and are fairly secure. It's also quite easy to update your Chromebook, and even better, these laptops often do that themselves.

Children who are still learning how to use computers may be more receptive to learning how a new operating system works, and while there's no official Minecraft title for Chrome OS, the Android-based Minecraft: Pocket Edition will become available on certain Chromebooks later this year.

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