Chromebook Vs A Regular Laptop: What’s The Difference?
The most significant distinction between Chromebooks and laptops is the operating system.
While Windows is the most popular operating system on PCs Chrome OS which is a modified version of the Chrome browser with certain functions added runs on Chromebooks.
Chrome OS is very different from Windows and other operating systems because it is designed to live in the cloud.
The entire file system lives online and anything that you download remains on a Google server until you delete it – this design feature was made with battery life in mind as well as security.
Chromebooks are built for anyone who needs a portable computer that can be taken anywhere but still requires a full keyboard and enough power to play games or use high-performance applications like editing software.
The other main difference between regular laptops and Chromebooks is the price.
Many people buy cheap laptops from big stores where they don’t give out information about what kind of processor or hard drive you’re getting but instead make promises about how many hours the laptop will run.
Chromebooks are more expensive because they are designed with better hardware so you can actually use them for work school or play without worrying about the battery dying after 20 minutes of watching a movie.
These laptops also cost more because they are marketed to everyone who needs a portable computer that is inexpensive but ready for anything.
While some people still only want the cheapest laptop possible others need something with an operating system that is very secure and doesn’t take up space on their hard drive — which is exactly what Chrome OS does.
For these reasons many schools now use Chromebooks instead of regular laptops or even iPads in their classrooms.
Can a Chromebook do everything a laptop can?
Almost!
Literally all you can’t do with a Chromebook that you could do with a laptop is use Windows software.
If there’s something you want to install on your Chromebook check Google for an app or extension that will let you do the same thing — it might already be available.
For anything else even if it isn’t an online service one of the many apps built into Chrome OS will probably take care of it.
Is a Chromebook better than a regular laptop?
If you don’t want to spend hours managing your files backing stuff up or figuring out how to encrypt your data so no one can steal it when they hack into your laptop then you might prefer the simplicity of Chrome OS.
However if you need certain programs that aren’t available on Chrome OS just yet (or ever) then a full laptop is probably your best bet.
A Chromebook is great for someone who doesn’t love computers but needs something they can use every day at school or work — after all most people only really need laptops for typing and surfing the internet!
If you decide to buy a Chromebook make sure it has 4GB RAM at least and an Intel chip inside.
