The latest Chromebooks now have access to the Play Store and with the introduction of Android apps their capabilities have been increased. Chromebooks have become affordable and offer decent performance. It is now very easy to update Chromebook, and most of the times they getting updated on their own.
The demand for Chromebooks increased during the corona virus pandemic and Google sold more laptops with Chrome OS compared to Apple MacBooks of 2020. Chromebook is an affordable option for computer users who are willing to use Google’s Chrome OS instead of MS Windows.
How Much Do Chromebooks Cost?
There is a wide range of Chromebooks from different brands providing affordable Chromebooks for students and business enterprises. The best and affordable Chromebook is the lightweight Samsung Chromebook 4 and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet.
Other Chromebook model in the mid-range price bracket includes the Google’s Pixelbook Go and the business-friendly Samsung Chromebook Pro. With a working Internet connection, Chromebooks can be used optimally.
Chromebooks run on the Chrome operating system from Google, therefore they feature Google’s suite of applications such as Google Docs, GoogleChrome and Google Sheets.
What is Good about Chromebooks?
Chromebooks are best solution for schools and businesses making them excellent family computers. Each member of a family can have separate Google accounts and signing in gives access to personal accounts only. Use of Google Family Link is recommended to manage accounts for children.
It is seen that Chromebooks do not get attacked by viruses or malware. Chrome’s Powerwash feature can be used in a couple of minutes to keep the system clean and fresh. Google keep updating the OS from time to time for security reasons and addition of new features and installs are easy and quick.
Google announced several new tools and updates to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Android users are recommended to choose Chromebook. Google has also added the Phone Hub feature that makes it easier for two devices to work together.
Android Apps on Chromebook
The Chromebook was initially optimized only for Google apps like Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. However, with time to time updates every modern Chromebook available today has access to the Play Store.
The latest version of Chromebooks comes with supported Android apps which gives it access to games, productivity options and other apps making it more versatile.
Chromebooks for Offline Use
Though Chromebook is designed to rely on the Internet, there are hundreds of offline Chrome and Android apps that can work without Internet connectivity which includes apps like Gmail, Pocket and Google Drive and can be used offline.
Chromebook Games
Chromebooks have limited graphics processing power, so only simple games from the Chrome Web Store can be downloaded. The Stadia platform of Google can stream AAA games such as Assassin’s Creed to any device but only on using the Chrome browser; therefore, Chromebooks are considered to be formidable gaming machines.
Chromebook Special Features
Several special features have been added to latest Chromebook such as the Google Assistant and the on-screen keyboard. The Google Assistant feature was added to the Chrome OS platform in the Pixelbook. Users can activate it with the Pixelbook Pen.
Google has redesigned the on-screen keyboard for touch-screen which is now available to the Asus Chromebook Flip C436. The on-screen keyboard has a minimalist design that recognizes scribbles and gives choices of text to input.
Chromebook Battery Life
Not every model of Chromebooks offers exceptional battery life. An average of 9 hours and 15 minutes of endurance on the Laptop Mag Battery Test has been calculated which also includes continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi. It has been seen that most of the affordable Windows 10 notebooks offer amazing battery life.
Things You Can Do with a Chromebook
- Use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook
The Microsoft Office suite is compatible for Chromebook and can be downloaded as Office Online on the Chrome Web Store. Several entry-level Chromebook model can create, view, and edit Office documents in the Chrome browser.
You can make PowerPoint presentations with features like animations and slide transitions. OneNote can be used to build teamwork skills, and Microsoft Sway is preferred for creating attractive websites and presentations.
- Play Games on a Chromebook
Chromebooks supports all the Android games and the best Chromebook for gamers is the HP Chromebook 14 because of its Full High Definition (FHD) display.
- Work Offline, Play Offline
Many applications in Chromebook such as Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Calendar, now allow you to store working versions of your files for offline use.
- Tap into Your Desktop PC with Chrome Remote Desktop
Download Chrome Remote Desktop to a Personal Chromebook, then leave it running, and then you can run any program you like straight from your Chromebook. It includes apps such as Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, and Microsoft Office suite.
- Use Photoshop on a Chromebook
You can use Chrome Remote Desktop to run any apps on Chromebook. Adobe has also released a group of Photoshop Android apps that are compatible with Chromebooks.
- Watch Movies on a Chromebook
You can also store movies and shows to your Chromebook and watch them later using the Google Play Movies & TV Chrome extension.
- Use Android Apps Like Skype and Google Assistant
Chromebooks supports many of the Android apps. It can run Google Assistant which can be used for reminder-creating, and smart-home-control.
You can use Skype for remote meetings with friends, family, and co-workers. Other social media apps like Facebook and Instagram are also supported on Chromebooks.
- Edit Video on a Chromebook
You can use Video Editor and Video Maker Android app for video editing. You can also use Adobe Premiere on a Chromebook for robust video editing experience.
- Use It Like a Tablet
With the launch of Chromebook models like the HP Chromebook x360 14 G1, you can also use it as a tablet. You can fold your screen around to work in tablet mode and also pop it into stand mode for watching videos.
- Go Where No Laptop Has Gone Before
One of the best things about a Chromebook is that you can take it where you would not bring a laptop.
Conclusion
Chromebooks boost up faster than most laptops and are also available with excellent battery life. Chromebooks go light on hard drive size as they store most of their data in the cloud. Chromebooks are also suitable for younger students because they are easy to use and are fairly secure.
