They boot up and shut down within seconds, and generally work very fast. They seldom weigh more than a couple of pounds (1.2-1.5 kg). And surprise surprise, they are actually not expensive – you can get them for as little as Rs 25,000 or even lesser. These notebooks are called Chromebooks and quite simply: they are perhaps the best notebooks anyone on a tight budget can get, provided they do not want to get into high end gaming or computing (but you cannot do that on a device that costs Rs 25,000 – Rs 30,000 anyways).
So if money is in short supply and you need a notebook, here are seven reasons why you should go for a Chromebook:
1. They are incredibly fast
Chromebooks boot up and shut down literally in seconds. And in terms of general usage too, they are very fast. Sometimes that would depend on your Internet connection too, though.
2. They are simple to use
Chromebooks run on Chrome OS, an operating system developed by Google which is based on the popular Chrome browser. If you know how to browse the Internet using Chrome, you can use a Chromebook.
3. They work without a net connection too
Until a few years ago, it was almost impossible to get a Chromebook to work properly without a good Internet connection. That is no longer true. Most Chromebooks do work best when connected to the Internet. It need not be a superfast Internet connection – even a Wi-Fi hotspot created by a phone will allow them to work briskly. But unlike in the past when Chromebooks lost a lot of their functionality when they were not connected to the Net, new Chromebooks can work just as well, even when not connected.
4. They are very lightweight
As they do not need the kind of resources that other notebooks do (a heavy operating system, for starters), Chromebooks tend to be very light and super portable. You will hardly find any Chromebook that weighs more than 2 kg. Most are around 1.5 kg.
5. They will let you do most general computing tasks
They are not super powerful (well, no notebooks in that price range are), but Chromebooks will let you do almost all general computing tasks – word processing (you can even run MS Office on it, although we recommend using Google Docs which is fully compatible MS Office and runs faster), basic image and video editing, blogging (WordPress works!) and you can even play the odd casual game on it.
6. They run Android apps now
Chromebooks come with their own Chrome Web App store. But they can now also run Android apps. So you can have all your favourite apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even games like Candy Crush and Subway Surfer on your Chromebook. Just do not try to play very heavy games on these (doing so on any budget notebook would be silly).
7. They have fantastic battery life
Chromebooks generally have battery life that is close to double figures. Even with heavy usage, you can often get eight to ten hours battery from a Chromebook. And yes, all the new ones charge off a USB Type C – so you can use your phone charger to charge your notebook. How cool is that?
And all that at prices that start from around Rs. 25,000-30,000. A great option we think for anyone looking for a light, fast notebook.
Some Chromebook Options For You
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
HP Chromebook 11A