How to Decide Between a Chromebook and a ‘Real’ Laptop

When Chromebooks were first released in 2011, they didn’t offer anywhere near the same capabilities that they do now—as Google continues to improve upon the Chromebook formula, they’re becoming more and more capable machines. But sometimes a Chromebook just isn’t going to cut it. Here’s everything you need to know to determine which portable computer system will work best for you.

What is a Chromebook?

Before we dive too deep into the comparison, let’s talk a little bit about Chromebooks. For those that haven’t been initiated, Chromebooks are essentially simplified laptops that run off of an OS called ChromeOS. While the Chromebooks of 2024 aren’t as cheap as they were back in 2011, their hardware has improved quite a bit, and their functionality and the apps they have access to has evolved as well. The best way to think of a Chromebook is to think of it as a more budget-friendly laptop that mostly relies on the internet to get things done.

Sure, you can download several different types of apps to a Chromebook, and Google’s support for offline editing in things like Google Docs and Google Sheets has improved. But at the end of the day, a Chromebook is going to rely on apps and your online connection a lot more than a laptop will. It’s also going to run on less powerful hardware, which might not be an issue for many, especially since many solid Chromebooks cost less than $US300.

Recommended products:

• ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34, starting at $US439.99
• Lenovo Flex 3 ChromeBook, starting at $US349

What can I do with a Chromebook?

The entire Chromebook system is built on the Android and Chrome browser ecosystem, which means you’ll be relying on the Google Play Store for a lot of the apps you download. There is some VMware that allows Chromebooks to run Windows applications, but ultimately, you’re going to lose access to a lot of the full-fledged apps that Windows and Mac laptops offer. But if you don’t need them, that shouldn’t be an issue.

Ultimately, you can do most basic computer tasks on a Chromebook. Microsoft has all its products online, and the option to use all of Google’s free office apps is always there, too. You can browse the internet, write things in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, you can download a lot of apps through the Play Store, and anything else that requires you to access it through a browser.

In fact, you can even play games on a Chromebook now, thanks to the increased access to cloud gaming with programs like Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

What can’t I do with a Chromebook?

So, if you can do the basic stuff a laptop requires on a Chromebook, what can’t you do? Well, if you need to professionally edit videos or photos, then you’re going to have a tougher time on a Chromebook. That’s because most of your professional-grade apps aren’t going to work on a Chromebook natively, and most Chromebooks aren’t going to have the amount of RAM that you need to be able to run those programs well. Sure, there are some online systems that will give you access to pretty popular photo-editing features, but they often come with expensive subscriptions and limited options.

If you want to play games without an internet connection, you’ll also find that your options are limited. No Chromebooks released yet offer the kind of graphical or processing power needed to play most PC games these days, and even if they did, none of those games are designed to run on ChromeOS. As such, you’ll need to rely on cloud gaming to take advantage of gaming on your Chromebook.

If you need or want to do any of those things, then going with a Chromebook might not be your best bet. Instead, you could go for a great budget laptop instead.

Chromebook vs. laptop: which should you pick?

If you’re deciding between a Chromebook and a laptop, the main thing to ask yourself is, “what do I need to do on this thing?” If your answer is simple online tasks, then a Chromebook is going to be the best fit. But if you think you’re going to need to access more professional-level apps, or if you want to be able to download full-fledged Windows apps, then a laptop is going to be your best choice.

But don’t let the more limited nature of a Chromebook throw you off. Just because they are cheaper doesn’t make them a bad choice. A lot of more budget-friendly laptops are going to deliver subpar performance compared to your top Chromebooks, and since very few Chromebooks reach above $US1,300, you’re going to have a lot more options in the budget-friendly range.

What are some good Chromebooks?

At the end of the day, most Chromebooks are going to offer at least some kind of appeal to various people, whether that’s the more premium look they come with or their really cheap price tag. But if you don’t want to settle for the cheapest, slowest performing Chromebooks on the market, then there are a couple of really good options to look at.

The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is one of my personal favorites. It’s got a sleek and refined looking design that offers a 14-inch 1080P display. It is really easy to work with, and the included i3 processor should be more than powerful enough for all your basic computing needs. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS storage, which isn’t the greatest, but it should keep you going so long as you take advantage of cloud storage, too. There isn’t any touch capability—not a big deal in my book, but some people prefer it—and it’s rated for Wi-Fi 6 and has a durable MIL-SPEC-certified design. It also often goes on sale for under $US300, though it usually runs around $US499.99.

If you want to stick to a tight budget, then the Lenovo Flex 3 ChromeBook is a solid option. It’s got a responsive 12.2-inch touchscreen and is really lightweight and compact. It typically retails for $US349, but often goes on sale. That price tag does come at a cost, though, as the Lenovo Flex 3 has a slower Intel N100 and only 4GB of RAM. It is also limited to a 64GB eMMC storage system, though that should still be enough with cloud storage in ChromeOS.