Comparing Chromebooks to Standard Laptops

Chromebooks are becoming more and more popular. These specialty laptops have a couple of features that make them highly desirable in some circumstances, and poorly suited to others. Let's take a few paragraphs to examine what exactly a Chromebook is..

Explaining the Chromebook
Basically, Chromebooks are limited laptop devices that do significantly less than their utility-packed cousins. However, what Chromebooks do, they do very well.

Chromebooks Compared to the Standard Laptop
While visually they appear to be the same, there are a few vital differences between a Chromebook and your standard laptop that set them apart. These differences are imperative, as they will have an influence over the functionality of each device. You will want to make sure that you select a device that can serve your requirements.

Below we will take a look at the differences between these two options to establish what circumstances each is better qualified for.

Operating System and Software Options
While most typical laptops will usually come with the Windows operating system or macOS installed (or sometimes, Linux), Chromebooks come exclusively with Chrome OS installed. This only makes sense, given their name. This is a particularly critical consideration to make, depending on your usage needs.

If your job requires you to access and leverage solutions that are not supported by Chrome OS, then your best option is going to be to select a laptop that comes with an operating system that supports third-party apps. Still, if you are looking to make a low financial investment in order to purchase what is essentially access to your Google applications - most notably, Google Drive - a Chromebook should work well.

Storage Space
Laptop computers can come with a variety of storage space, which will influence the price and ultimately, utility. This storage space is generally in the form of an SSD, as a laptop can especially benefit from its relative stability when compared to an HDD. On the other hand, a Chromebook usually has no storage-specific hard drive to speak of, except a small SSD to hold the operating system. Otherwise, your saved files are all stored in the cloud. This approach basically eliminates the need for onboard storage space, with the added benefit of streamlining the device’s boot time.

Comparative Prices
Obviously, this factor is always a concern; you’ll not only want to fulfill your computing requirements, but you will want to avoid spending too much. Generally, Chromebooks run for a lower price than a standard laptop, although you should also be able to find a basic laptop for less than a high-end Chromebook may cost..

Make the Pick
To reiterate, your specific needs will strongly dictate whether it makes more sense to invest in a laptop or a Chromebook. If you need additional help balancing your technology needs, reach out to the professionals at Macro Systems for more assistance by calling 703-359-9211.