Most people ask if they can use Chromebook for their daily computing needs. Well, the best answer to such a question is actually another question, ‘Does your life revolve around Google?’
You will be surprised at just how many people depend on Google for their day-to-day work and personal duties. Be it Google Mail, Google Apps, Google Drive, and Google Calendar just to mention a few. Even users who have their heads buried inside the Windows or Mac ecosystems, they are using Google apps to carry out most of their tasks.
So for most users, the Chromebook is actually a good choice device, as it is made by the same company (Google) whose applications you rely on heavily for your daily computing needs.
Why you should use a Chromebook
Ø From a general point of view, Chrome OS devices are cheaper than either Windows or Mac OS computers. So if you are working on a shoe string budget, a Chromebook should be your first choice of device as they are generally more affordable.
Ø Do you do all your work within the browser? If yes, chances are high it is Google Chrome browser that you are using; and if not, switching to it will be easy. Well, Chromebook will feel right at home as a good percentage of tasks on these computers are done online. (Now, that we’re on the online aspect of Chromebook, there is this misleading notion that to use these laptops one must always be connected to the internet. That could not be further from the truth; you can do work online, as you would on any laptop, and get online when you need to.)
Ø Tired of the buggy, long, and sometimes unreliable software updates? You know the headache that comes with upgrading Windows and MacOS Sierra, not to mention the long boot times and how much it cost to get new hardware. Well, with Chromebook, the updates are fast, reliable, and hardly ever buggy.
Why you can’t use a Chromebook
Well, there is always a downside to upwards, isn’t it? For Chromebook, or rather Chrome OS, the biggest challenge user faces is using third-party applications that don’t have a web-based equivalent. Take, for instance, an in-house solution your company has created for executing your task, you will most luckily not find many third-party applications designed for Chromebook.
In a nutshell, Chromebook is ideal for applications that also have their web-based alternatives. The platform has not attracted enough third party developers to create many options for users yet. Although this is soon set to change, as Google ports the Play Store onto the platform; yes, right now virtually all Chromebooks can install and run apps from the Play Store. This porting still has some few bugs here and there, but things are looking up nonetheless.
