If you are looking for a portable computer, there are several more options than a desktop one. Besides the Windows devices, there are also macOS and ChromeOS computers that you can choose. The Google oriented device Chromebook is worthy of your choosing but it also has some limitations. In this article we explore which are those and what can you do with the portable device.
A Windows and macOS laptop offers practically the same advantages and disadvantages, but Chromebook is a different story worthy of analysis. The focus of ChromeOS is different and it can be very useful for certain uses.
Chromebook advantages make it worthy
The Chromebook was born a an educational oriented device. However, in the last years there have been some changes to make it home-friendly. The advantages you can find with this device include:
- Price range. Chromebooks are usually cheaper than other laptop alternatives. The price is below 300 USD and it’s an Intel Celeron based processor that runs ChromeOS very smoothly.
- Great variety of apps. The ChromeOS store includes tons of apps to help you with different activities. You can edit images, write texts, chat and a lot more.
- Insurance. You can only install apps from the ChromeOS store. This allows for a more secure environment as all software has to be analyzed by the revision process before being available.
- Google files integration. The Chromebook device is extremely useful and worthy of your choice if you use Gmail, YouTube, Drive and Photos regullarly. All the Google apps are perfectly integrated to offer you a smoothly user experience.
- Touch screen. The main attractive of Chromebook devices is the touch screen that you can use to manage different tools. It is also possible to use it as a keyboard like a tablet.
The disadvantages of a Chromebook device
If you come from a Windows or macOS device there are some negative aspects to consider. The main list to analyse if the Chromebook is worthy of your money includes:
- Limited apps. The Chromebook store has a lot of apps, but there are software solutions incompatible with the system. For example, you should forget about Photoshop, Adobe Premier and similar.
- Limited power. ChromeOS has limited power when compared with other operative systems. That’s the reason why demanding software may not run on the Chromebook.
- Storage capacity. The Chromebook work mainly on the cloud and the storage capacity is very low. You will find 128 GB models in contrast to macOS or Windows that have 256 or 512 GB to start with.
- There’s no caps lock. It can be seen as a silly thing, but the caps lock switch is not present. You can do it with a keyboard combination but it’s not very intuitive.
So, is the Chromebook worthy of your money?
If you are going to use the Chromebook like a big Smartphone or tablet device, it is very useful. You can revise social networks, send emails, watch YouTube and Netflix, and much more. However, if you want to use it as a professional laptop, it may be difficult to replace some of the most popular apps like Photoshop or Adobe Creative tools.