9 reasons why you should buy a Chromebook

Chromebooks are more affordable

With a couple of exceptions, Chromebooks are generally more affordable than their Windows counterparts. You’ll find most premium models in the $600 to $800 range. However, we’ve seen Chromebooks go on sale for under $200, albeit with some significant compromises. Most cost well under $500.

You can point to two reasons right away. First, most buyers prefer a Core or Ryzen chip inside a traditional laptop, just to accommodate the additional performance Windows and its applications require (to run on the laptop, remember). Those chips cost money, more than the Intel Celeron or Arm chips commonly found in Chromebooks. Microsoft also charges for its Windows license, presumably (much) more than the Chrome OS that powers a Chromebook.

Since Chromebooks are purpose-built for surfing the internet, they need less memory and storage than traditional laptops as well.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook

Chromebooks are designed for everyday users

Chromebooks are designed with day-to-day tasks in mind. So, if you use your laptop for just browsing the web and watching Netflix, then you should consider picking one up. As someone who regularly uses a Chromebook for work and leisure, I find that performance is zippy enough for the kind of things I do.

The Chromebook Plus models — such as our current favorite Chromebook, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 — promise better performance and displays as well as new apps and AI capabilities for around $400. In a nutshell, you’re getting better hardware and software, which sets a higher standard for Chromebooks from the get-go. 

Having tested most of the Chromebook Plus models for the last couple of months, I can confidently say that performance is pretty fast across all of the machines. Even with up to 20 tabs open at once, I didn’t notice any lag. The bootup times are lightning fast, too.

Asus Chromebook Plus CX34

Chromebooks are purpose-built for the web

Chromebooks began life as little more than a web browser, in a world where the web was new and worth exploring. That still holds true today: Chromebooks often use the internet to access the same web services that live on your phone as dedicated apps.

That’s perfectly fine. Web developers develop for both scenarios. On a laptop, yes, Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365 opens as a dedicated app, but the apps still encourage you to save to the cloud. However, you can still buy Microsoft 365 and work on a Chromebook instead. The difference is that you’ll be working in a browser instead, which is typically a cleaner interface. And because you’re working on the web, some of the latest features will arrive to you first, because they’re easier to deploy online.

True, not every Microsoft 365 app works on a Chromebook. But these are typically the niche apps you can probably ignore: Visio, Project, and Publisher, among others. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook all work on the web, and thus on Chromebooks.

You can game on Chromebooks now

The first cloud gaming Chromebooks made quite the splash back in 2022. You can play the latest games by streaming them from the cloud. Just make sure you have a stable internet connection.

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE, for example, even has an RGB backlit keyboard with the WASD keys highlighted. Its Intel Core i5-1240P CPU and 16-inch 2560×1600 120Hz IPS display provide the beefy feel you expect from a gaming laptop. The ports: USB-A port, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack offer essential connectivity.

With this class of Chromebook combined with a GeForce Now account, you can get your game on, no problem.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE