If you’ve been in the market for a laptop recently, you may have seen a type of laptop called a “Chromebook” It might sound a little weird; after all, isn’t Chrome a web browser? Why are there laptops named after it?
Chromebooks fill a specific niche in the laptop world. If you purchase one expecting something similar to a normal laptop, you may end up very disappointed with your purchase. However, if your needs and wants from a laptop match what a Chromebook does, you may find yourself saving a bit of money in the process!
What Are The Differences?
So, how do Chromebooks differ from regular laptops? Let’s take a look at the main areas where the two are different.
Cheaper Price
On average, Chromebooks are cheaper than their laptop brethren. This is because they’ve been designed in a way that cuts down costs, as we’ll explore later in this article. If you’re only interested in something to carry around and do work on, a Chromebook is an inexpensive solution to a simple problem.
Chrome OS Operating System
You’re probably used to buying laptops with Windows, macOS, or Linux installed on them. Chromebooks don’t have a choice in these, instead coming with Google’s own operating system, Chrome OS. This is the reason why they’re called “Chromebooks.” This means if you treasure the freedom of installing whatever operating system you like, a Chromebook is not ideal.
No Hard Drive
Chromebooks also don’t have a hard drive installed. Instead, they will have a small solid state drive which holds the operating system. This is deliberately done to help keep the cost of the Chromebook down to a budget price.
So if there’s no hard drive and only a small solid state drive, how do you save work on it? The intent with Chromebooks is that you use cloud-based storage, specifically Google Drive, to keep your files. That way the Chromebook doesn’t really need a hard drive; all your storage is in the cloud! If you’re doing all your typing on Google Docs anyway, a Chromebook may be an inexpensive way to take your work on the go.
Faster Boot Times
Because everything on a Chromebook runs off of the solid state drive, this means you’ll get a faster booting time overall. On average, it take eight seconds for a Chromebook to go from completely turned off to active and ready to go. This makes it very appealing for those who want fast, speedy boots from their laptops.
Limited Software
Maybe not limited software, but at least none without using specialist tools! While you can download software just fine, actually installing programs such as Word, Photoshop, and Skype won’t be possible unless you use workarounds. This is often a dealbreaker for people who rely on these tools to get work done. However, before you throw the idea of a Chromebook out entirely, check if there’s an online browser or Android version for your favorite software. For instance, Microsoft has recently been rolling out Office for the Android store for specific models of Chromebook.
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