Laptop vs Chromebook: When Two Worlds Collide
You might have heard of Chromebook and assumed that it was the same thing as a laptop. While the two are similar, they have distinct differences. If you’re in the market for a new notebook, do a little research before making your final decision. Doing so will ensure that you get the exact machine that you need.
On that note, take a look at the content below to learn the difference between a laptop vs Chromebook.
What Is Chromebook?
We definitely do not need to describe a Windows 10 or Apple macOS laptop for you because those laptops have been a staple for years. Chromebooks, however, are a fairly new product segment that many consumers may be inexperienced with—especially if you haven’t been looking in the laptop market for some time.
Chromebooks are actually tablets, which behave much like most external notebooks. But they have some significant variations that make them different from the laptops and desktop computers you may be accustomed to.
Even cheap Chromebooks are entirely capable of all the functions for which Chromebooks are produced, since they are purposely confined to a selection of jobs.
However, you’ll notice more premium Chromebooks for sale. They have nicer builds, stronger processors, extra capacity, and other added features. These luxury Chromebooks are enticing and offer a greater feel.
Laptop vs Chromebook: Basic Contrasts
Chromebooks tend to eliminate a lot of the file-management, program-installation, and other customization factors that make PCs more efficient and flexible. But it’s still more difficult to use. You can also browse the web on a desktop, but you can also install programs, search through and transfer personal files, and play games.
Overall, the Chromebook experience is far more synonymous with how you use a tablet, except in a laptop’s shape. All of your work is supposed to be done through online resources on Chromebooks, and stored in the cloud. This radically shifts how you communicate with the Chromebook as a computer and see it as a machine.
It’s something like a physical console that helps you to reach a group of internet resources that you use to do work or enjoy entertainment.
Laptop vs Chromebook: Interface
Like the way as most of it does with Windows and Apple laptops, your data doesn’t exist solely on the computer. For instance, such options are still capable of using cloud technology, but web application prioritization is inverted.
If you haven’t already, you’ll have to get used to the Chrome browser, because it’s the primary interface on Chromebooks. However, it isn’t particularly difficult, even though you don’t have the same options as on Windows systems. Extensions to Chrome also make the web surfing experience all the more durable.
There’s more than one location as the basis for programs and software to use in a Chromebook. Several programs run directly inside the browser. Others update from the Chrome Web Store, although Google is pushing Chromebooks and the Chrome Web Store away from Chrome OS-specific applications.
And yet most others are applications for Android. They come from the Google Play store, which is the same platform that hosts the vast collection of Android applications for smartphones.
Chromebook and Google Play
Chromebooks initially did not provide access to the Google Play store, but their features changed significantly after that option was added to Chrome OS and updated Chromebooks. You can install a wide variety of store software, and even any app built for Android, on your Chromebook via the store.
Some are designed for specific specifications of a Chromebook screen. On the other hand, a few of them look like they’ve been designed for a phone.
In terms of tech choices, Chromebooks are also not as flexible or as efficient as most notebooks. But you can at least mimic some of the smartphone’s productivity with the latest app stores, and incorporate the efficiency of a widescreen and real keyboard.
A Chromebook can run the right applications with just as much ability as a low-end Windows laptop, but it just depends on the needs of your workload. However, laptops have the maximum power of Windows and years of various and specific applications under their belt.
Laptop vs Chromebook: Functionality
Since it’s not very laborious to run a web browser and apps, Chromebooks typically don’t contain high-end parts. Furthermore, the fact that they are designed for easier workloads means that young people, students, or less technologically savvy consumers who only need to navigate the site are the best customers for Chromebooks.
All these considerations mean that the costs for Chromebooks are usually less expensive than certain Windows or macOS machines.
Another significant point to mention is that Google’s use of the OS doesn’t mean that Google creates all Chromebooks. Many of the big manufacturers make Chromebooks and use Chrome OS.
It’s no different from how Acer, Dell, Asus, HP, and other computer manufacturers build their own laptops that run Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Similar to other laptops, they come in various shapes and sizes, and you can also find hybrid 2-in-1 Chromebooks.
Chromebook Battery and Screen
Chromebooks are almost the same as most laptops. They have screens that come in varying sizes, and the majority are 11 to 15 inches. Also, most of them are completely HD at 1,920 by 1,080 pixels.
Keep in mind that it may not be best to use the smallest Chromebook screen sizes unless you have a small budget. The low-cost Chromebooks use 1,366-by-768-pixel panels, but they’re not the greatest.
By manufacturer and price range, all laptops and Chromebooks provide various frame construction characteristics and components. They also have batteries that can last longer than 10 hours to get you through the day, and simple ports such as USB and HDMI outputs.
Chromebook Processors
Chromebooks use low-power CPUs that fit the less strenuous jobs. The cheap CPUs are the most common Intel Celeron chips in Chromebooks. But you’ll notice some Pentium processors—which are a step up from Celeron and Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors— are most popular on the costly Chromebooks. You can also come across the occasional Chromebook based on AMD. But in their current versions, these are less popular and are low-power alternatives.
On the other hand, affordable Windows laptops typically have Core i3 alternatives as their lowest starting point, with Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 chips providing more popular commercial laptops. One of the better CPU choices on a Chromebook is the Core i3 processor.
However, if you’re a power user or a serious multitasker, it might cause a poorer Windows experience. For a nice sturdy Windows laptop, a Core i5 is normally the basis—for a Chromebook, it’s top of the line.
Chromebook RAM and Storage
Chromebooks most frequently provide 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB or 64 GB of flash memory storage. Compared to the 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB drives that most standard laptops offer, this limited amount of storage seems inadequate. The above quantities can hold a load of documentation without running out of space, as well as larger files like videos and games.
On the other hand, a 32 GB dollop of a Chromebook is just good for a limited volume of local consumer data. You may also use an SD card to extend the storage space of a Chromebook and pass files offline, but it is the standard, not the exception, to have only a little local storage.
Laptop vs Chromebook for Gamers
Chromebooks are not a popular choice for professional gamers. On a Chromebook, basic online games and Android games can run smoothly, but no significant AAA 3D title can be played on one.
Specialized graphics chips are not a Chromebook feature, and most popular games don’t get Chrome-compatible variants because they’re running in a browser. Chromebooks aren’t the best choice for gaming. So, if you’re thinking about choosing one for that reason, think again.
If you’re a gamer or someone who needs a device that’s more durable than Chromebook, there are more options out there. Click the highlighted link to find laptop deals.
Laptop vs Chromebook: A Tough Decision
When deciding between a laptop vs Chromebook, the decision is sometimes difficult. But hopefully, the information listed above helps you understand the difference between the two. The main factors to consider are your needs and what types of work or projects you perform on a regular basis.
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