With the start of the school year quickly approaching, you may need to purchase new laptops for those returning to school. Here’s why you should add the Chromebook to your back-to-school shopping list.
Are you still thinking about? Chrome OS — Is the Chromebook OS too simplistic? I have news for you: what was once considered a simple laptop with a web browser has evolved into something much better. Chromebooks have evolved into user-friendly laptops that can be used quite productively for both personal and business workflows.
Since most of the work we do now is done within a web browser, Chromebook offers a perfect combination of simplicity and ease of use.
Also: How to choose a laptop for college: 4 important considerations (and 10 great options)
The problem is that many Windows and Mac OS users still consider Chromebooks to be little more than a toy with a limited operating system. What they don’t know is that they are!
I’ve been a tech journalist for 30 years and a tech enthusiast for even longer. I’ve tried every operating system and hardware platform, from the ones you already know to the many you don’t. I added Chromebooks to the mix when the first device was released, so I’ve experienced ChromeOS in all its versions.
Based on all my experience, here’s why Chromebooks are the perfect laptops for most people.
1. Chromebooks are cheap
The first reason is indisputable. Since the economy has had a pretty crushing effect on many of our budgets, finding a cheap piece of hardware can be a real advantage for anyone looking to stay productive. That’s not to say that all Chromebooks are cheap. I once paid a premium price for a high-end Chromebook. Chromebook Pixel –and that laptop remains one of my favorites. (The screen and keyboard were best in class at the time.)
There is also the HP Dragonflywhose initial price is around $939. Or the Elite Dragonflywhich sells for $2,177.
Also: Best Chromebooks for Students in 2024: Tested and Reviewed by Experts
That said, you can buy a very respectable Chromebook, such as the ASUS Chromebook Flip C433 2 in 1 with an Intel Core m3-8100Y, 8GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage, for $379, or even cheaper Lenovo Chromebook with an octa-core MediaTek Kompanio 520 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage for $228.
Yes, you can buy one Cheap Windows LaptopBut a similarly specced laptop under $400 with Microsoft’s operating system won’t perform as well as a similarly priced Chromebook.
Since Apple’s cheapest laptop is the MacBook AirStarting at $999, there is simply no comparison when it comes to price.
2. Chromebooks are user-proof
No other portable operating system on the planet can claim to be as user-resilient as Chrome OSSome would argue that this is because there is very little you can do with a Chromebook, but that is totally false, especially considering that your Chromebook can run both. Android and Linux applications.
No matter how user-friendly an operating system is, none can justifiably claim to be as easy to use as ChromeOS. The ease of use that ChromeOS offers is light years ahead of the competition. No matter what your level of experience is, you can sit down with a Chromebook and start using it right away. OS updates are something even grandparents can handle.
Also: ChromeOS finally steals faster multitasking feature from Windows and MacOS
I know users (hello, folks, are you listening?) who have had a lot of trouble using Windows or macOS, but as soon as they move to ChromeOS, the problems disappear.
I’ve seen users continually break Windows and MacOS laptops (and come to me for help). The number of times a Chromebook user has done the same is… zero. Sure, a couple of times someone has asked me, “How do I connect this device to a printer?” That’s about it.
3. Chromebooks are fast
Take two laptops with basically the same hardware configuration, load one with Windows 11 and one with ChromeOS, and see which one performs better. In all cases, you’ll find that ChromeOS is exponentially faster.
Also: This HP Chromebook Made Living Without Windows Easier Than I Expected
It’s not just about how fast apps open (Android and Linux applications (see above), but also the speed with which the machines boot. ChromeOS boots in a fraction of the time it takes any other operating system to start.
If you want a fast laptop at a reasonable price, buy a Chromebook.
4. Chromebooks are reliable
In the 10 years I’ve been using Chromebooks, I’ve only had one device have issues, and that was the original Pixelbook (which suffered from Bluetooth and networking issues). Beyond that, I’ve never had a problem with a Chromebook. It just doesn’t happen. Yes, that’s partly because ChromeOS is “mostly” a web browser masquerading as an operating system, but even with Linux and Android app support enabled, I’ve never had a problem.
Also: 5 ChromeOS settings you should change for an even more secure Chromebook
Even when using the ChromeOS unstable channelI have found the OS to be exponentially more reliable than Windows. Anyone arguing this point hasn’t used ChromeOS enough.
5. Chromebooks are safe
Reliability isn’t just about stability: it’s also about security, and thanks to the Linux kernel, ChromeOS is a very secure optionOn top of that, Chromebooks are protected with boot verification, a read-only operating system that blocks executable files, data encryption, sandboxing, and more.
Thanks to ChromeOS’s built-in security, even older, no-longer-supported Chromebooks are more secure than a laptop running the latest macOS or Windows. Skeptical? In the 10-year history of Chromebooks, Only 45 security vulnerabilities in ChromeOS They have been documented
You won’t need any antivirus or antimalware. Just make sure to apply all updates when they’re available, avoid suspicious websites, and only install extensions from the official Google Chrome store. And you’re good to go!
6. Chromebooks can be easily restored
Speaking of reliability, if you do end up having a problem with ChromeOS malfunctioning (extremely unlikely, see above), you can simply do a “power wash” (a factory reset), log back into your Google account, and you’ll find everything there, minus any issues you were experiencing (and anything you previously saved to the Downloads folder).
Also: 5 ChromeOS settings you should change for a more secure Chromebook – here’s how
No other operating system can compete with ChromeOS’ ability to factory reset and return you to an out-of-the-box working state without losing your data, bookmarks, apps, and more. I’ve never worried about doing anything with a Chromebook, simply because I know I can do a quick wash and get back to work in minutes.
In summary
Chromebooks may not be the ideal solution for everyone (if you try to edit video or record audio on a Chromebook, you’ll quickly become frustrated). But for the average user, a Chromebook is one of the best and most affordable options on the market. If you find that most of your work and entertainment is done within a web browser, you should upgrade to a Chromebook. Your life will be simpler and you’ll be more efficient and effective.