The Chromebook was first introduced on July 11, 2011. What was originally thought of as a simple laptop with a web browser has evolved into something quite significant.
So much so that these user-friendly laptops can be used for both personal and professional activities. Since most of the tasks we do today take place in a browser, it’s a perfect marriage of simplicity and user-friendliness.
The problem is, many Windows and macOS users still see Chromebooks as just a toy for consumers who don’t realize what they’re missing with a limited operating system.
I’ve been a tech journalist for 30 years and a tech enthusiast for even longer. I’ve tried every operating system and every hardware platform, from the ones you’ve heard of to the ones you don’t.
Here’s why Chromebooks are the perfect laptops, in my experience.
1. Chromebooks are cheap
This first reason is indisputable. Since the economy has had a rather crushing effect on many budgets around the world, finding inexpensive hardware can be a real boon for anyone looking to stay productive.
That’s not to say all Chromebooks are cheap. I’ve paid top dollar for a Chromebook Pixel before, and this laptop is still one of the best I’ve ever owned (the screen and keyboard were best in class at the time).
Yes, you can buy a cheap Windows laptop, but hardware with similar specs that you’ll find on a laptop running Microsoft’s operating system won’t perform as well as the Chromebook at the same price point. And since the cheapest Apple laptop is the $1300 MacBook Air, there’s simply no price comparison.
2. Chromebooks are user-proof
No other laptop operating system on the planet can claim to be as easy to use as ChromeOS. Some would say that’s just because there’s very little you can do with a Chromebook, but that’s obviously not true, especially since you can run both Android and Linux apps. But no matter how user-friendly an operating system claims to be, none of them can demonstrate that it’s as easy to use as ChromeOS.
ChromeOS’ ease of use is light years ahead of the competition. And that’s all. Regardless of your experience level, you can sit down with a Chromebook and use it right away. Even operating system updates are within everyone’s reach.
I’ve known users (hello family, are you listening?) who had many problems with Windows or macOS, but as soon as they plugged into ChromeOS, the problems went away. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing how user-proof ChromeOS is.
I’ve seen users continually crash Windows and macOS laptops (and come to me asking for help). The number of times I’ve seen a Chromebook user do the same thing is… nil. Sure, I’ve had a few instances where someone has come to me asking how to connect this device to a printer, but that’s about it.
3. Chromebooks are fast
Take two laptops with virtually the same hardware configuration, load one with Windows 11 and the other with ChromeOS and see which performs better. Either way, you’ll find that ChromeOS is exponentially faster.
And it’s not just about how apps open (even Android and Linux apps, which can be installed on ChromeOS), but also how quickly machines boot. ChromeOS boots in a fraction of the time it takes any other operating system.
If you want a fast laptop at a reasonable price, go with a Chromebook.
4. Chromebooks are reliable
In my 10 years of using Chromebooks, I’ve only had one device with issues and that was the original Pixelbook (which suffered from both Bluetooth and network issues). Beyond that, I’ve never had a problem with a Chromebook.
It just doesn’t happen. Yes, part of that is because ChromeOS is “mostly” a web browser disguised as an OS, but even with Linux and Android app support enabled, I still haven’t suffered from a problem.
Even using ChromeOS’ unstable channel (dev or beta), I found the OS to be exponentially more reliable than Windows. And anyone who challenges that view has clearly not used ChromeOS enough.
5. Chromebooks can be easily restored
As far as reliability goes, if you’re having a problem with ChromeOS, just do a factory reset, log back into your Google account, and you’ll be back to everything you had except the problem you were having.
No other operating system can match ChromeOS’ ability to perform a factory reset and get you back to a pristine state of operation without losing your data, bookmarks, apps, and more.
The competition just can’t compete! I’ve never been afraid to do anything with a Chromebook, simply because I know I can do a quick cleanup and get back to work in minutes.
In conclusion, if you are tempted to buy a Chromebook
Chromebooks may not be the ideal solution for everyone. Try doing some serious video editing or audio recording on a Chromebook and you’ll get frustrated pretty quickly.
But for the average user, the Chromebook is one of the cheapest and best options out there. If you find that most of your work and entertainment is done in a web browser, you owe it to yourself to switch to a Chromebook. Your life will be simpler and you will be more efficient.
Source: “ZDNet.com”