Do you have plans to enroll in college soon? Or is your adolescent attending college this year? A reliable computer is necessary to handle the demanding academic burden. What is the best type of computer, though? Does a Chromebook suffice, or do you require a conventional laptop? I’ll present a detailed Chromebook vs. laptop for college comparison today, highlighting the special qualities of Chromebooks that make them the perfect choice for many college students. I’ll also discuss any areas where a Windows laptop might outperform them.
You’ll be able to decide by the end of this essay whether a cheap Chromebook or an expensive laptop will be the best option for your time on campus.
I use all three of my devices—a Chromebook, a conventional laptop, and a desktop PC—for different things, and I can offer some of my experience to help you decide whether a Chromebook is appropriate for college students.
Here is a summary of what I’ll talk about:
Describe the Chromebook.
Which Is Better for College Students: Chromebook or Laptop?
Chromebooks Offer a Few Useful Benefits
Microsoft Office Cannot Be Installed on Chromebooks
Different Chromebook Models
Price Differences Between Windows Laptop and Chromebook
Recommendations
Let’s get going!
Describe the Chromebook.
Simply described, a Chromebook is a personal computer running the Chrome OS. Using Google Docs, Sheets, YouTube, and pretty much any other software in the Google ecosystem is quick and simple on a Chromebook. If you can do it in Google Chrome, you can absolutely do it on a Chromebook.
To use the Chromebook, you won’t need to install any software or do any upgrades. You may immediately start using it after purchasing it and bringing it home.
While a Chromebook and a Windows laptop have a similar appearance, they differ greatly from one another.
For starters, Chromebooks’ CPUs aren’t as efficient as those in Windows computers. The majority of low- to mid-priced Chromebooks use less expensive processors, which is a major factor in their lower pricing.
If having Intel CPUs is crucial to you and you want to use a Chromebook, there are some more expensive Chromebook models available on the market..
A conventional PC notebook runs Windows and utilizes Windows-based programs. You may take advantage of a variety of capabilities with a Windows PC, including powerful graphics cards.
Because of this, they are more adaptable than Chromebooks.
On the other hand, Chromebooks utilize the Chrome OS. The Google Chrome web browser is the foundation of this operating system.
The ability to run virtually all of the Android apps you may be familiar with and love makes newer Chromebooks more flexible than older ones.
An Innovative Method for Laptop Memory & Storage
Storage on Chromebooks is significantly less than on Windows computers. Typically, a Chromebook will have 16 GB of storage.
On the other hand, Windows laptops often have a lot more local storage. In actuality, 128 GB is regarded as being on the low end of a conventional laptop. That means a typical Chromebook’s storage capacity is 8 times greater than that of an entry-level traditional laptop.
This discrepancy can be attributed, in part, to the fact that Chrome OS (and the apps it will run) don’t need as much storage as a Windows tablet does.
With Windows, you must have that space because you save your files locally. Your spreadsheets and documents are stored in the cloud in your Google Drive account when using a Chromebook, so they are accessible from any device and don’t consume any local storage space on your computer.
This not only frees up local memory on your device, but it also ensures that all of your files are continuously backed up.
A drink spilled on your Chromebook?
No issue; you may still print that lengthy essay or report from any library computer and submit it on time.
The biggest drawback of a Chromebook might be the demise of the “my computer crashed” defense.
Laptop vs. Chromebook for College Students
Which is the wiser decision?
If the student primarily uses their laptop for web browsing, word processing, and streaming audio and video, a Chromebook can be a great option. All of these things can be completed on any Chromebook you purchase without any problems, and this is how I use mine almost every day.
Chromebook vs. Laptop for College
You could eventually need to expand your cloud storage beyond the 15GB you start with, but since it costs about $20 to add 100GB of storage, most users won’t be greatly discouraged.
For saving papers, you may also utilize SD cards and USB devices, but why would you? Baby, keep it in the cloud.
Change the way you perceive conventional features
The fact that Chromebooks don’t have as many capabilities as a conventional laptop may be an advantage for some pupils. Why? Well, when people are working, there are fewer distractions.
Many Chromebook users will write their assignments in Google Docs and then send them directly to their professors or instructors. If your professor demands files in the.DOCX format, you can buy the Microsoft Office suite, but if your teacher is still using paper, Google Docs gives you the option to save any of your works in the conventional format so you can send that enormous college report as an email attachment:
Chromebooks are also good at protecting you from malware and virus issues. Although the majority of young people are very adept at recognizing phishing links and dubious downloads, you may quickly delete and reset your Chromebook if you ever unintentionally install a program that has a virus.
It’s up to you whether you want a Chromebook or a Windows laptop. Why are you even reading this if you want to game? Go get a gaming laptop.
However, either will work well if you’re buying a computer for academics, and you should always base your decision on your demands and budget.
The following are what, in my opinion, you should take into account when making your decision:
Storage
Windows laptops have more storage capacity and versatility, as was said previously, but such advantages are irrelevant if you save everything to the cloud (which you should).
Boot Up Period
Many Windows laptops have the same drawbacks as a standard desktop PC. They take longer to start up, require upgrades, and can be challenging to recover from crashes.
A Chromebook may be opened and is immediately ready to use; in other words, it is waiting for you. In fact, I believe my wife gave it to me for my birthday when I first got a Chromebook. I was astounded at how quickly it “woke up.” Even with the premium SSD in my desktop PC, I had never before encountered that.
Printing
Direct printing may be an advantage for Windows laptops. Due to the fact that Chromebooks are designed with online collaboration and sharing of virtual documents in mind, some users claim that they can have issues in this area.
But to be completely honest, I haven’t had any problems with this. I can Ctrl+P and print to PDF or easily locate my wifi printer.
Viruses and Hacker Vulnerability
Since the majority of viruses are created to target the Windows operating system, a Windows laptop will be more susceptible to hackers.
In order to keep it safe and secure, it will also require more frequent maintenance, and you should install malware and virus protection software like Kaspersky or McAfee. It can just be purchasing licensing or staying current with software upgrades.
In either case, Chromebooks are much more virus-proof and safe. Connecting to insecure networks should be your main concern when using a Chromebook..
Chromebooks Offer a Few Useful Benefits
The Chrome operating system for Chromebooks is very compact. Calendar, Mail, and a Text Editor will all be preinstalled on a Chromebook..
Through the Google Play store, you have access to a huge number of additional apps.
The majority of Chromebook models have a camera that may be used for video conferencing and remote learning (I frequently use mine for telehealth and video conferencing with my daughter’s teacher).
It’s commonly believed that the absence of some internal Windows laptop components, such as a specialized graphics card and a sizable hard drive, makes Chromebooks less advantageous, but I believe the opposite is actually true.
This implies that Chromebooks often have lighter weights and longer-lasting batteries in the real world.
Although a Chromebook will have a lower-performance processor than a Windows laptop, it will nonetheless be far less expensive.
The truth is that you generally don’t need to use such tools and software unless you’re enrolling in college for a degree that calls for them (think graphic design, computer engineering, etc.).
Recently, more powerful Chromebook versions have been released, but these are more expensive, and if you need that extra power, a laptop is still the superior option.
Microsoft Office Cannot Be Installed on Chromebooks
Chromebooks do not support installing the full version of Microsoft Office. Although you can save all of your documents and spreadsheets in Microsoft format if you need to for school, this is a significant disadvantage for some students.
Additionally, you can use the Android version of Office and the web-based Office from Microsoft. These can be found in the Chrome and Google Play stores.
Additionally, using a Chromebook will prevent you from engaging in sophisticated film and photo processing. Basic video and photo editing is possible, but you won’t get the same graphical speed as you would with a Windows laptop.
I advise you to look into the available Adobe programs if you decide to purchase a Chromebook and want to accomplish some of this.
There Are Numerous Types of Chromebooks.
Chromebooks had a fairly identical appearance and feature set at first and up until recently.
However, there are now a lot more variations of Chromebooks. There are several sizes and capacities offered.
Consider carefully what you actually need and pick the best Chromebook if you’ve concluded that a college Chromebook offers everything you need and you don’t need a laptop. Many of the more recent and improved models come with a ton of extra capabilities that you don’t actually need and that will cost you a lot more money than the older Chromebooks.
There are Chromebooks on the market with powerful processors and more RAM. If you require that, be sure to look for it; otherwise, look for it still and disregard those models.
The majority of people generally look for the following features in a Chromebook:
Processor from the Intel Celeron, Core-i, or Core m series
4GB minimum of RAM is required.
a minimum of 64 GB of storage
Regardless of screen size, seek for a full HD display with specifications of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels:
Cost of a Windows laptop vs. a Chromebook for College
When comparing Chromebooks to some Windows laptops, you can frequently get them for several hundred dollars less. For a college student, this is a significant difference that shouldn’t be overlooked.
The cost of each Chromebook varies, and how much you pay will depend on the model and its features. Both of the two I suggest below will cost you $300 or less for the majority of the year. Although it’s possible to acquire used Chromebooks for around $200, if you have the money, I’d suggest paying the extra $100 to get a brand-new one
In contrast to Chromebooks, laptops typically start out more expensive, with the two models I list below as excellent choices costing more than $500.
Chromebooks will develop increasingly sophisticated capabilities over time, which will likely increase the cost. Google’s Pixelbook, for instance, was the first Chromebook to ever include Google Assistant.
(Final thoughts) Chromebook vs. Laptop for College
Both Chromebooks and Windows laptops have a lot to offer, but when you begin your college career, you should consider investing in a laptop that will be dependable and enable you to complete all of your homework.
The best option for college students will depend on their specific requirements and preferences, but in my opinion, a Chromebook will work for the majority of students and is the better option unless you’re majoring in a field like graphic design, computer programming, or a related field that requires specialized software and more processing power.