Chromebook or laptop
jns55 -
Hello,
I’m a primary school teacher and my personal laptop is starting to show signs of weakness (slowness, low battery life…).
I’m hesitant about buying a Chromebook on which I would use Google Docs for word processing.
I’m looking for a fast computer to read emails, do internet research, download PDF documents, and do a bit of word processing (but not on a daily basis). For storage, I can use USB drives or cloud storage. And I have a classroom computer that I can use with Windows.
Do you think I can do without a laptop at home and replace it with a Chromebook?
Thank you in advance for your insights.
Anne
4 réponses
Hello,
For the use you mentioned, a Chromebook can be a good choice. It will be cheaper, lighter, and have more battery life than a comparable Windows PC.
So why choose Windows? Because we enjoy the numerous settings, installing various software, games... Out of habit. A Chromebook will be closer to a mobile phone or an Android tablet.
Hello,
The article you’re referring to contains loads of nonsense (but since it dates back to 2013, we can forgive its author who couldn’t have guessed the progress that would be made).
It is true that it is impossible to install Windows applications, but it is possible to install Linux applications on a Chromebook by enabling the Linux virtual machine: the entire Debian software library is therefore available, which means thousands of free and open-source software options like the LibreOffice office suite, for example.
Moreover, all current Chromebooks allow the installation of apps from the Google Play Store, so the Android applications that work on your Android tablet or phone are available.
The main strengths of a Chromebook are its battery life, which is mostly over 10 hours, automatic cloud backup which ensures that you don’t lose all your files if you break the device or it gets stolen, the speed of booting and shutting down, completely automatic updates running in the background, and especially security: at each startup, system files are checked, and any suspicious system file is replaced by its original, making it impossible to corrupt the system with a virus as is so often the case with Windows.
The main problem with the Chromebook is the lack of drivers for USB peripherals (printers, scanners). It is still possible to print with a Chromebook, but only via the network (a printer connected via Wi-Fi or a network printer).
I have been using a Chromebook for nearly 4 years, and I have a regular PC next to it. I admit that I rarely use the PC because the Chromebook perfectly suits my usage: internet, video reading, basic office work.
My recommendation would simply be to avoid the budget devices that have specifications that are now outdated, as Chrome OS is also becoming more demanding with each update.
Hello,
Instead of buying a Chromebook, you could install "CHROME FLEX" on your laptop.
https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeosflex/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=7014M000002BZGPQA4&utm_term=chromeflex&gclsrc=""s
You would have the equivalent of a Chromebook (without the Android apps) that would be tailored to the size of your screen.
Knowing that the price of a real Chromebook varies depending on the screen size.
I installed this at home and I'm satisfied.
Hello,
There is also the Linux solution that works wonders on PCs that have become obsolete under Windows.
It is even much lighter than ChromeOS Flex if you choose the right distribution, and you have a library of thousands of free and open-source software. But it's another world that requires some adaptation.