Chromebook vs laptop pros and cons

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Chromebooks are a very simplified version of typical laptops. The ChromeOS is Linux based and only allows downloads to the cloud and minimal downloads to the actual device itself. There are a few games in the google play store you can download, however, aside from that theres not much you can do aside from using the browser. You can also download pictures and files to your google drive and access them on your Chromebook. However, there are quite a few benefits from having such a minimalist laptop. Here, Ill be discussing the benefits and detriments of having a Chromebook.

Pros

1. Chromebooks are cheaper

Compared to the usual laptop, Chromebooks are quite a bit less expensive. This is due to its compact design. Chromebooks werent built with a large amount of ability to run programs, however, they are good for general internet use and writing if youre storing your writing over the cloud. Chromebooks are more affordable than most other options out there.

2. The Chrome OS is very stable and fast

Chromebooks are able to boot up in a matter of seconds, which is hard to say for many other OSs out there. When you press the power button the laptop will turn on almost instantly and boot up seconds later. While running theres barely any lag time when it comes to opening and closing programs. Occasionally you will get some lag, but the general performance is very fast. Rarely will something crash as well. The OS is incredibly stable and runs very smoothly

3. Chromebooks have a longer battery life

With a Chromebook, you can expect a battery life of between 9-11 hours. Thats compared to a Windows laptop with a battery expectancy of 3-4 hours. This is considerably longer than a normal laptop would last off its charger. That means that Chromebooks are good for using on the go. If you dont have a way to charge your laptop, youre safer using a fully charged Chromebook than a normal laptop.

4. Chromebooks arent as prone to viruses

Chromebooks have a built-in antivirus that is always up-to-date. This means you never have to worry about potentially malicious files get onto your computer.

5. Many Chromebooks are lightweight and compact

This isnt true with all versions of Chromebooks out there, however, most Chromebooks are able to be built smaller than most laptops. They can also be built thinner and lighter because of their lack of taxing operations. The Chrome OS is basically entirely web-based, so the components needed to make the computer run arent high-end and can be minimized.

Cons

1. Minimal local storage

Typically, Chromebooks only have 32GB of local storage available. This means that youre able to save a few images and things like that on the device itself, but not much more. You are able to save things to places like Google Docs and Google Drive, however. The issue is there isnt much storage for anything aside from images and text documents.

2. Chromebooks need to use Google Cloud Printing to print

Although you are able to print from a Chromebook, setting it up to work with your printer may be difficult. Some printers may not even be compatible with your Chromebook which would make it impossible for you to print documents from the device. Printing could be seen as an issue in this case as its much more difficult to print than it seemingly needs to be.

3. Basically useless offline

If the device is offline, theres not much you can do with it. To be able to edit documents, you need access to Google Docs. This can only be accessed with online access. Also, a lot of documents you may need might be saved on Google Drive. That means you cant access these documents unless you have access to your Drive which can only be accessed with the internet. Without internet access, you cant even edit documents.

4. No advanced gaming capabilities

Of course, there are the few games you have access to on the Google Play store, however, there arent really many options outside of that. There are some browser-based games you can play as well. However, there arent any high-quality commonly played games available to play on Chromebooks. The device itself wouldnt even have the capacity to play more high-quality games if it became an option. It would make the price increase quite a bit, and ruin a lot of the benefits of the Chromebook.

5. No video editing or photoshop

Finally, there arent any high-quality video or photo editing software available on Chromebooks. There are some browser-based photo editing options, however, thats the furthest it goes. If youre looking for a device to use to edit or do anything outside of write documents that are saved on a Cloud, then I wouldnt recommend getting a Chromebook. If all youre needing is a cheap laptop to write essays with, Id highly recommend getting a Chromebook.

Conclusion

Chromebooks are easy to use and easy to understand. They are entirely based on Chrome and Google, and utilize all of what Google has to provide. Personally, I enjoy using a Chromebook. In fact, I wrote this entire article on a Chromebook. Its useful as a simple device to bring around places to write without spending a fortune on a laptop with programs youll never use.

If all youre needing is a device to use to do basic things like write essays, do research, watch YouTube, and keep up on social media then Chromebooks are good for you. If youre a hardcore gamer or programmer, Chromebooks would not be your best option.