The Chromebook appeared in 2011, but it was only in the last two years they have gained ground over traditional laptops. This is mainly due to the widespread adoption by schools as well as their simplicity and low cost which are undeniably attractive for home and work.

Despite the design similarities, there are significant differences between the Windows and Mac laptops to which and the Chromebooks, which use Google’s Chrome OS operating system. If you don’t know what type of machine to choose for your daily use, follow the guide!

Simplicity vs versatility

Chrome OS is essentially Google’s Chrome browser, which makes the average Chromebook a little more than a laptop that runs a web browser. Your gut reaction to this might be that a Chromebook just won’t be enough for your needs. The fact is, however, that a lot can be done entirely on the web. Take stock of your daily IT tasks and you may find that there is nothing you can’t do with Chrome. In addition, the autonomy of a Chromebook is generally excellent.

That said, a Windows or MacBook laptop can also run the Chrome browser while installing classic apps. Which brings us to the big question.

Need Windows or Mac software? Forget Chrome

Chromebooks are not compatible with Windows or Mac software. Instead, they use web apps available through the Google Chrome Web Store. Newer models are also compatible with Android applications, which may allow you to use Microsoft Office, for example. And, if you don’t mind tweaking the operating system a bit, you can also load Linux apps on some models.

But generally speaking if you need a specific Windows or Mac application and there is no substitute for a Web, Android or Linux application, forget about Chromebooks.

Also, if you want to do something more than just casual video gaming or basic photo and video editing, you’ll need a laptop. Chromebooks just don’t have the graphics performance you need for demanding tasks or the ability to install Windows or Mac games. This could evolve later this year when Google launches its Stadia streaming game service , but for now, a Chromebook won’t be enough.

More choices or fewer decisions

Whether you want to play the latest games, edit large photo and video files, or simply multitask without slowing down the system, there is bound to be a laptop to meet your performance needs. In addition, they are available in countless sizes and styles.

However, there are far fewer decisions to be made with a Chromebook. The light and small operating system requires minimal hardware and the same goes for web applications. Here is the type of Chromebook configuration we recommend:

  • Intel Celeron or Pentium, Core m- or Core i-series processors;
  • 4 GB of memory or more;
  • 32 GB of storage;
  • Full HD display (1.920×1.080 pixels).

These recommendations are flexible. You can stay at a resolution of 1.366×768, for example, and settle for 16 GB of storage as long as there is a microSD card slot to supplement it. Unlike a regular laptop, a Chromebook relies more on online storage for files and not on local storage.

Connectivity

The problem with a web-based operating system becomes glaring when you don’t have a reliable Internet connection. Google and its partners have worked on this to improve and expand the offline capabilities of Chromebooks. However, you will need Internet access to fully exploit their functionality.

For an ordinary laptop, being offline is much less problematic since we are working on software installed locally. The absence of an Internet connection is therefore not as annoying.