THE EIGHT BIG CHROME BOOK QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK
BEFORE YOU BUY, WE PROVIDE THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THAT PROSPECTIVE BUYERS NEED TO ASK VENDORS AND THEMSELVES
Forget any preconceptions – today’s Chromebooks now cover almost the full gamut of form factors and sizes, and your biggest challenge is finding the right one for you. This all depends on how you plan to use it. Are you buying for yourself, for business or for your family? Do you want a Chromebook as your main computer, or as a handy mobile device for browsing or working on the move? Work this out, and any other requirements should fall into place.
1 What’s your budget?
Chromebooks began life as cheap computers, and while there are now high-end models with fourfigure price tags, even sleek, thinand-light professional Chromebooks tend to be cheaper than their Windows equivalents.
Today’s Chromebooks fit into three general price categories. At around £150 to £250, you’re looking at simple clamshell laptops with low-end Intel Celeron processors, basic HD screens and a spec to match. Go up to £300 to £400 and you’ll find models with Full HD screens and stronger specs, or rugged 2-in-1 convertible designs. £450 to £800 will net you a premium model with faster Intel Core processors, high-resolution screens and a high-end build. Beyond them all come Google’s flagship Pixelbooks – and these get really expensive.
2 What’s your style?
You don’t have to splash out over £600 to find a slim, light, metal-bodied Chromebook, so if you want mobility and a little style there are options at all those prices. Similarly, there are 14in and 15.6in Chromebooks to be found for most budgets. As with any laptop, you need to be realistic about what you’re going to use your Chromebook for. Some of the cheap 11.6in ruggedised models work brilliantly as a take-anywhere device for students or as an everyday laptop for browsing and light work. However, while going bigger will impact mobility, you will also get a bigger screen, a larger keyboard and better all-round ergonomics – all vital if you’re trying to get a lot of work done.
Chromebooks have also embraced convertible form factors in a big way and Google is pushing this heavily. With every update, Chrome OS grows a little more touch-friendly, and Chromebooks now install and run Android apps. In practice, you might find you rarely use a Chromebook in its tablet format, but it’s great for watching video or idle browsing – and some of the 15.6in Chromebooks work brilliantly in tent mode with a separate mouse and keyboard, effectively turning your laptop into a pseudo all-in-one.
3 What’s your top speed?
Don’t get too caught up on processing power – Chrome OS is lean and efficient, as are most web-based apps, and Chromebooks aren’t ideal for seriously high-end image editing
or video editing (although you will be surprised at what they can do). It’s more of a case of the faster the CPU and the more RAM you have, the smoother the overall experience is, especially when multitasking.
Even a Celeron Chromebook can work well if you have 4GB of RAM to play with, but if you want to do more than browse, email and edit the odd document then consider moving up to a Pentium or Core i3 model. The premium Core i5 and Core i7 Chromebooks are miniature powerhouses and will do just about anything without breaking a sweat; still, don’t feel the need to push the spec boat out too far.
4 How much storage?
Storage didn’t use to matter with a Chromebook; built for a cloud-first lifestyle, they worked with apps, files and data stored online. This has changed a little, though, firstly because Chrome’s file system has grown more flexible, making it easier to work with offline files, and partly because you can now install and run Android apps. 32GB is still perfectly adequate if you don’t plan to use many apps, but if you do or you want to download, say, video for offline viewing, then 64GB or 128GB looks sensible.
5 What do you want from the screen?
At lower prices you’ll be stuck with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, whether you are buying an 11.6in convertible or 15.6in desktop replacement. Move upwards and Full HD 1080p screens enter the mix and, eventually, QHD displays. The jump to Full HD is usually worth the extra cash, and the higher resolutions add to the premium experience. Resolution isn’t the be-all and end-all, though; a high-quality IPS HD screen can be better than a dull, washed-out Full HD panel.
6 How do you like to work?
The keyboard is as crucial to a Chromebook as any other laptop. A poor feel or a bad layout will keep annoying you for years to come. There is one difference, though: all Chromebooks drop the normal page navigation keys and replace the function keys with a Chrome OS-specific set, giving you instantly accessible controls for volume, brightness, wireless connectivity and more. This seems weird at first but grows intuitive with time.
Touch is the other big factor. In some ways, Chrome OS is more reliant than Windows on multi-finger gestures, so having a good, sizable touchpad is vital. What’s more, many Chromebooks now come with touch-sensitive displays, which makes a lot of sense given the introduction of Android app support. You can happily use Chrome as a hybrid OS, switching from touchpad to touchscreen as needs demand, and it feels surprisingly natural to do so.
7 What connectivity do you need?
Even budget Chromebooks have adopted USB-C as the primary connection, using it both for charging and for basic connectivity. Many no longer come with any specific display output, so you might need to buy an external hub or adapter, and, with no physical Ethernet ports, the same goes for connecting to a wired network. 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are standard, although configurations will vary, and most Chromebooks have at least one USB-A port and a microSD slot. These are handy for both connecting existing peripherals and augmenting your Chromebook’s built-in storage.
8 How long does it need to last?
One of the other big Chromebook selling points is battery life. As they tend to be designed for efficiency rather than performance, they often last between seven and 12 hours on a charge – which is enough for most working days. Some fare better than others, of course, so if you’re looking for a Chromebook you can use on the move, choose accordingly.
“If you want to do more than browse, email and edit the odd document then consider moving up to a Pentium or Core i3”