Key Takeaways
- Chromebooks are cost-effective and great for web-based tasks, and they’re highly suitable for office work.
- Chromebooks generally aren’t ideal for heavy creative work due to lower-end hardware on the market.
- You can convert your old laptop into a Chromebook for free, using Google’s ChromeOS Flex platform.
The world of laptop computing is vast, and it’s filled with a wealth of options available to choose from. Choices range from the latest-and-greatest Copilot + PCs running Windows 11, Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineups, as well as a diverse cast of Chromebooks.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop, the palatable low-cost nature of Chromebook devices might already be piquing your interest. If you’re considering making the switch to ChromeOS, here’s everything you should take into account.
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Can a Chromebook replace my outdated laptop?
Yes, depending on your personal computing workflow
Chromebooks run the ChromeOS operating system, which is Google’s desktop equivalent to Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s macOS. ChromeOS doesn’t have the same decades-old pedigree of history that the competing platforms do, which is arguably both a blessing and a curse.
On a Windows-based laptop or a MacBook, the backlog of native software programs and applications extends far back into the past. ChromeOS, on the other hand, having been conceived of as a web-first OS, relies on web apps to get the job done. In practice, this means that if your computing workflow relies on a specific piece of legacy software that’s only available on a Mac or Windows PC, you might not be able to get your work done on a Chromebook.
You won’t have to deal with any of the bloated legacy code that sometimes bogs down Windows laptops.
Thankfully, software is becoming increasingly cross-platform, and a significant number of programs and services are now available via the web. If your workflow consists of office tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet manipulation, email and calendar drafting, or presentation crafting, it’s easier than ever to get the job done using services available directly through your web browser.
And, as an added benefit, you won’t have to deal with any of the bloated legacy code that sometimes bogs down Windows laptops.
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Can a Chromebook be used for creative work?
A Windows laptop or a MacBook is probably still the way to go
Peter Stumpf / Unsplash
If your workflow consists of editing photos, editing videos, or heavy CAD work, a Chromebook likely won’t provide you with an optimal experience.
The primary reason for this comes down to hardware — most Chromebook devices ship with lower-end specifications, as they’re primarily targeted at the education sector. Heavier workflows require the processing grunt to back them up, and most higher-end consumer laptops run either Windows or macOS.
There’s a good chance that higher-end Chromebook hardware will see a surge in popularity if given enough time.
With the advent of running Android software from the Google Play Store on ChromeOS, a number of creative apps can now be launched on a Chromebook. For example, you can download and install the popular Android LumaFusion video editor onto the system, though you might be somewhat hamstrung by the mobile-centric approach to interface design, as well as a relative lack of processing power available to leverage.
If ChromeOS continues to gain consumer market share and more creative apps make their way to the platform, there’s a good chance that higher-end Chromebook hardware will see a surge in popularity if given enough time.
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You can also turn your outdated laptop into a Chromebook without any hardware upgrades
Google’s ChromeOS Flex is a free download
If you’re not quite ready to part ways with your existing PC or Mac laptop, but find the speed of your system to be slowing to a crawl, consider downloading ChromeOS Flex from Google’s website.
ChromeOS Flex is, at its core, the same operating system that ships with new Chromebook hardware. The differentiating factor is that it’s designed to be downloaded and installed on older PC hardware. Specifically, it’s a useful alternative for systems running slow and out-of-date systems.
ChromeOS Flex is an excellent way to test out the user interface and desktop environment that’s native to Chromebook hardware.
Due to the lightweight nature of ChromeOS and the lack of legacy software code holding it back, there’s a good chance that you’ll notice an appreciable speed increase when switching your old laptop over to Google’s Chromebook-adjacent solution. Google describes ChromeOS Flex as a way to “refresh the devices you already own at no cost with a modern, cloud-based operating system that’s secure and easy to manage.”
If you’re at peace with Google’s heavy-handed approach to data collection, installing ChromeOS Flex is an excellent way to test out the user interface and desktop environment that’s native to Chromebook hardware.
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