TechComputers & PCsLaptops3 reasons to buy a Chromebook for school, 2 reasons to avoid – and which to buyShould you buy a laptop with ChromeOS for your studies?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechComputers & PCsLaptops3 reasons to buy a Chromebook for school, 2 reasons to avoid – and which to buyShould you buy a laptop with ChromeOS for your studies?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Should you buy a laptop with ChromeOS for your studies?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Xavier Lorenzo)
(Image credit: Xavier Lorenzo)
Jump to category:Reasons to buy a ChromebookReasons not to buy a ChromebookThe best Chromebooks to buy in 2023
Jump to category:Reasons to buy a ChromebookReasons not to buy a ChromebookThe best Chromebooks to buy in 2023
Before you knuckle down for another academic year, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got all the right kit to help you get the work done, which is exactly the reason forT3’s Back to Class month.
Over the whole of August, you’ll be able to pick up ideas and recommendations for all the best laptops, tablets, headphones, office accessories and fitness equipment that you’ll need in the coming months.
One of the first things any student will need is a laptop, and if you’re on the lookout for a new portable PC then you might be wondering whether one of thebest Chromebookscould be the way to go instead of one of thebest Windows laptops.
There are plenty of reasons why I think you should take the plunge and buy a Chromebook – not least being the typically lower price, and I’ve highlighted three top buys at the end of this article – but there are also a couple of reasons why some people should probablynotbuy one. Let me explain…
Reasons to buy a Chromebook
1. They’re more affordable
(Image credit: Brooke Cagle Unsplashed)
(Image credit: Brooke Cagle Unsplashed)
The main reason to buy a Chromebook is that more often than not, they’re a fraction of the price of any other type of laptop. Part of makes them so affordable is that they don’t tend to pack in lots of storage space. Instead, Chromebooks store your apps and files in a secure space online, and they often leave out some more advanced features such as a touchscreen or a fingerprint scanner.
You can buy a decent Chromebook, like theLenovo Chromebook Duet, for as little as £200/$300 if you’re willing to sacrifice some power. Or if you’re looking for a bit of a workhorse, more powerful Chromebooks are still cheaper than a lot of Windows laptops. For example, thisAcer Chromebook 516 GEis speedy enough for gaming but will only set you back about £750/$500 which is a lot cheaper than any of thebest gaming laptopsout there!
2. Your work will be backed up to a cloud
(Image credit: Acer)
(Image credit: Acer)
You’re pretty unlikely to ever lose any of your hard work if you use a Chromebook because everything will be backed up to yourGoogleDrive as you go, as long as you’re connected to the internet that is (otherwise it’s saved on the machine itself, too, so no worries).
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Each Chromebook comes with 100GB of online storage space with Google One, which will be plenty for those who plan to write essays and coursework or do research on their laptop. You’ll be able to use that to backup your photos from your phone too. And if you were to run out of storage, there are options to expand it up to 1TB or 10TB (but it costs extra, of course).
What’s also great about them being cloud-based is that you’ll be able to easily and automatically access all of your work from your other devices, without the hassle of having to tweak your device’s settings or manually upload your files.
3. Chromebooks have great battery life
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Chromebooks use ChromeOS, a light but speedy operating system which doesn’t rely so heavily on the CPU and RAM, so the battery life tends to be better. That’ll come in handy for anyone who needs to use their laptop out and about like on the train to school, in the library or during on-campus lectures.
Because Chromebooks don’t need as much hardware under the hood, it’s easy to find lightweight options too. Again, that’s something a lot of students will benefit massively from.
Reasons not to buy a Chromebook
1. You need to be connected to the internet
(Image credit: HP)
(Image credit: HP)
One major drawback of using a Chromebook is that you’ll need to be hooked up to an internet connection to access everything it has to offer. It’s no longer essential toalwaysbe connected (which was required on day one when the products launched), as you can save work on the machine, but noteverythingis available without a connection.
Of course, you can still use some apps offline, including most Google apps including Docs and Sheets, but a lot of others won’t be available. And because everything is stored on your Google Drive, you won’t be able to back up or open your files without a connection either. That’ll just be a case of waiting for a connection for your work to then backup though.
2. Chromebooks have limited apps and software
(Image credit: HP)
(Image credit: HP)
When you set up your Chromebook, you’ll choose which apps and software you’d like to use from the Google Play Store, which means that you won’t get as much choice as you would on a Windows PC (you can’t install an EXE file on a Chromebook, ultimately).
Some popular apps and services simply aren’t available for ChromeOS – including a lot of photo and video editing apps like Adobe Photoshop. You won’t be able to find a lot of popular games either.
The best Chromebooks to buy in 2023
1. Best for most students: Google Pixelbook Go
Most students looking to buy a Chromebook will be happy with the Google Pixelbook Go. It makes sense that ChromeOS would work best on Google’s own device and this one proved to be more than capable for everything from word processing toNetflixstreaming when we tested it out. Find out more about it in ourGoogle Pixelbook Goreview.
Today’s best Google Pixelbook Go deals$450View$490ViewNo price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Google Pixelbook Go deals$450View$490ViewNo price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
2. Best premium Chromebook: Acer Chromebook 516 GE
If you’re willing to splash out a little then the Acer Chromebook 516 GE packs in plenty of power – which will be a blessing for students with heavier workloads, or for those who intend to play a few games when they’re avoiding deadlines. In ourAcer Chromebook 516 GE review, you can read more about how we got on with this gaming-focused laptop.
3. Best budget Chromebook: Lenovo Chromebook Duet
Students with a smaller budget should consider the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. It’ll be perfect for those who don’t spend too much time typing, as its 2-in-1 nature means you can use it as a tablet too, and so who don’t need a top-performing PC. In theLenovo Chromebook Duet review, we thought it did exactly what we needed it to, saying: “it’s well-priced, has a good screen and works well as a tablet too”.
Today’s best Lenovo Chromebook Duet deals1 Amazon customer review☆☆☆☆☆$299.99ViewNo price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Lenovo Chromebook Duet deals1 Amazon customer review☆☆☆☆☆$299.99ViewNo price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Lenovo Chromebook Duet deals
1 Amazon customer review☆☆☆☆☆
1 Amazon customer review☆☆☆☆☆
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No price informationCheck Amazon
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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