The first line of defense is auto-updates. Google continues to tout security as a major differentiator for Chromebooks, and I think it’s definitely a factor worth considering. You can also use some Android phones as a security key for your Chromebook or instantly tether your laptop to use mobile data. You can get most of the same apps that are on your phone on a Chromebook and keep info in sync between them. Yes, any computer that can run Chrome can do that too, but the lightweight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and stable platform.Īs I mentioned before, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so if you’re an Android user you’ll find some nice ties between the platforms. As you might expect, they also work well with Google services like Photos, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Keep and so on. Browsing, streaming music and video and using various social media sites are among the most common daily tasks people do on Chromebooks. Between Android apps and a general improvement in web apps, Chromebooks are more than just a browser. For example, you can install the Netflix app and save videos for offline watching other Android apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly capable. The quality varies widely, but it means you can do more with a Chromebook beyond just web-based apps. Google has also added support for Android apps on Chromebooks, which greatly expands the amount of software available. Unless I need to edit photos for a review, I can do my entire job on a Chromebook.

But there are also plenty of people who do the vast majority of their work in a browser.

Not being able to install native software can be a dealbreaker if you’re, say, a video editor or software developer. Of course, the simplicity is also a major drawback for some users. There’s no bloatware or unwanted apps to uninstall like you often get on Windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you can completely reset to factory settings almost as quickly. If you didn’t know, it’s based on Google’s Chrome browser, which means most of the programs you can run are web based. For me, the simple and clean nature of Chrome OS is a big selling point. There are plenty of inexpensive Windows laptops on the market, so why bother with Chrome OS? Glad you asked. That’s probably the number one question about Chromebooks. What is Chrome OS, and why would I use it over Windows?

Lenovo chromeos