Things to consider before buying a Chromebook

The decision to purchase new tech that you aren't familiar with can be daunting and confusing. If you are in the market to buy your first Chromebook I have put together some information that should help you make an informed choice.

How much do you know about how Chromebooks work? (Hint, they are a bit different to Windows devices) 

Chromebooks (CB) are laptop computers that use the Google Chrome Operating System.  It is an OS that allow users to do basic things like surfing the internet, banking, gaming, viewing media and using office applications in a web browser, although you can also install many of the same Android apps similar to those that you might have on your phone.  Being web-based you do need an internet connection, although you can work offline with the right apps. You can save documents to your Chromebook disk drive to edit when offline and download movies to watch at any time.  If you need to use the CB away from your internet connection, you can use your mobile phone as an internet connection. 

While you can do all of the above with a Windows laptop, including installing apps, you're likely to need one with higher specifications and more expensive than a CB.

 What do you want to do with your Chromebook?  

CBs have been very popular with students, due to their small size and speedy performance.  Many schools in Australia have issued CBs to their students to use at school and home so they definitely have a place in education.  CBs are also popular as working from home machines, provided you don’t need to run proprietary apps.  I can’t use mine to WFH, as I have to log into a remote desktop and there isn’t an available solution for this provided by my employer.  Many people use them as their secondary PC.  They can access work files outside of the work environment and update on the fly without having to be chained to a desk.  Due to their simplicity, a CB is quick and easy to launch and is ready to use as quickly as turning on your mobile phone. 

What features do you need (think dealbreakers)

 I have a thing about keyboards!  The keyboard on my current CB (Lenovo C340-11) is not up to my standards.  I find it very rubbery and hard to press the keys, so I either have to type much more slowly than I’m used to, or just make many more mistakes than I do with almost any other keyboard.  My hands and lower arms also start to ache and tingle if I type for more than about 15 minutes. You may want the brightest, highest definition display for watching media, or if you listen to podcasts and music you may demand high quality speakers.  In my opinion, all of these things can be had for a price, but I’ve yet to find the perfect CB that I can afford.  Having said that, I've only been able to test CBs in stores and like you, have relied on reviews from users and professional reviewers.  You won’t know until you try some out, so I strongly recommend that you visit a trusted electronics store and try out as many as you can and compare side to side if that’s possible.  Hopefully, these stores will have their demo models running and connected to the internet to help you test each one in the way you intend to use it.  

How much do you want to spend?  

You can spend from a couple of hundred dollars right up to around 2k for a premium model.  One thing I like about CBs is that you can often find a model that has really good specs for much less than you would spend on a Windows or Mac laptop.  I’m all for squeezing as much value as you can from my devices.  If this sounds like you, I would recommend that you give them a good look.  

Do you have another device that you can use instead? 

If all you need to do is web browsing, banking, emails and watching media then you might want to look at a tablet.  I have owned iPads, Android and Windows tablets and if I was recommending a tablet to a new user who doesn’t have or need a good knowledge of IT, then I'd steer you toward an iPad every time.  The on-screen keyboard is adequate for occasional typing, battery life is legendary and the iPad ecosystem is very secure and mostly resistant to viruses and malware.  If you have an old Windows laptop that just isn’t cutting it anymore – slow, glitchy and just feeling old and outdated, you can actually reset the laptop to factory settings and install Chrome OS and voile!  You have a nice new Chromebook!  

Because the CB runs well on a much lighter set of specs than Windows, you may find that converting to a CB does the job.  If it all goes phoom and you weren’t using the laptop anyway, you haven’t wasted your money and if it works you will have saved yourself hundreds.  While it's not an overly hard thing to do, if you don't have a bit of experience with computers, I would recommend that you enlist the help of someone who has some knowledge of resetting laptops to help you get your old laptop working as a CB.  

Specifications to look for

Now that you've decided to try out some Chromebooks with a view to buying, you'll want to look out for the best bang for your buck. Have a look at this list of specifications so you can compare models - 

·      RAM – Memory – 4gb minimum, I recommend 8gb or above

·      Storage size– 32gb minimum, I recommend 64gb or above

·      Storage type – SSD or eMMC. I recommend SSD as these drives are faster.

·     Processor – Intel Celeron or Core i3 or above, I recommend Intel Core i3 or above. Non-intel may not perform as well, although there are a few AMD Ryzen 3 and above versions around which also work well.

·  Display Size – range from approximately 10 inches to 15-16 inches and are almost always touchscreens. I can’t recommend a particular size as this is a personal preference. Display size is measured diagonally from corner to corner of actual display and doesn’t include the bezel (frame) area.

·    Display resolution – without going into technical explanations like ppi and nits, you are looking for an HD display. Look for the terms HD, FHD or 1080p as a minimum. The best way to test this is to load up images and videos on the store models if you can. You might be surprised how much the quality varies.

·    Tablet Mode – if you want to use your Chromebook like a tablet you are looking for a CB with a touchscreen and the ability to fold the keyboard back like a book, or with a removeable keyboard.

·     Keyboard backlighting – Putting this here as it is a dealbreaker for me! Backlighting allows you to type in low/no light situations. It does have an impact on battery life but it shouldn’t be a huge drain. After much research, I've found that unless the Chromebook (or Windows laptops for that matter) have an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processor, you aren't going to get this feature. You can buy little USB LED lamps to plug into a free port which is something of a compromise.

·    Battery life - most Chromebooks run for at least 6-8 hours of continuous use. This depends on what you are doing, ie, watching movies will use more battery than basic browsing and word processing. If you crank up your display brightness and use that all important (!) backlit keyboard, your battery life may also be affected.

·    Webcam - Resolution ranges from 720p which will do an adequate job. If you can get a higher resolution, for instance 1080p or above and it's important to you, go for it.

Conclusion  

Chromebooks are lightweight, fast devices that are very portable and can be a lot of fun to use.  They are less complicated than Windows or Mac devices and in most cases, run as well as the big guns without costing you an arm and a leg.  All you need to do is open the lid and all your browser tabs open exactly where you left them. Startup is almost instant and the learning curve is pretty shallow, so you can spend more time doing and less time learning how to use it.