CHROMEBOOKS Can they replace my Windows PC

If everything you do is online, yes it can replace a PC, if you need specific software like Photoshop, Office etc... no it will not replace a Windows PC

[marcsheinberg]

MS needs to be careful. I see many of my medical practioners reducing their Windows use and using ChromeBooks and IPads as front ends.

[DreiKiekensGaming]

I switched all my work and private from windows to chromebook, you are right that not all apps are available but most have alternatvives, I use appscript, bigquery and other online tools to replace powerquery for example. Love the simplicity of a chromebook and the ease of use.

[TheGodzilla]

I just got the Acer 314 Spin 2 in 1 Chromebook with 8gb ram 128gb storage and 6000 intel celeron processor. I like my Chromebook because I can use it as a tablet and a phone. I don't really use photo editing software or game on my laptops. I'm enjoying my new chromebook.

[kimxgamer]

Since Windows 11 is technically to counter the increase in chromebook sales, shouldn't Microsoft take the competition more seriously when developing Windows 11? It isn't helping that they are pissing off people to gravitate to Linux and the others...

[MurseTech]

I prefer a Chromebook over a Macbook or a Windows laptop. I'd say 99% of what I do is in the browser and the other 1% is gaming which I'm moving to GeForce Now cloud service. PWAs are the future. Windows just feels unnecessarily heavy.

[dave_w]

Chromebooks are perfect for those with limited tech skills and are prepared to live in the google eco system, and have a reliable internet connection. Security has never been an issue for me in the last 8 years. Monthly updates just work and have never been a problem. I would warn against buying cheap one's unless you are strapped for cash - the displays can be disappointing and can be a bit sluggish in performance and often come with poor track pads. You get what you pay for.

[JimE]

That was helpful and cleared that up. But it brought up the question, is an iPad the same as a Chromebook and how do they compare. Please excuse my lack of geekness. Thanks. JimE

[rmkofmd]

What I'd like to do is get rid of my desktop and laptop and just have a phone which I can dock with a large monitor and keyboard & mouse as necessary. Is that feasible today?

[jennymontague]

WIsh there were an opportunity. I like the way things are now. I have Chrome as well as Microsoft, but I use Google much more. Why can't I have both on the same maching. Mostly, I want to keep my Chrome browsers, and Gmail and ease of use. Most of Microsoft 11 stuff is way over my head. I don't even underhand the language. Can't they make a simple to use Windows computer that us non-tech people can operate and a more sophisticated one for the tech people????

[ThatVinylChannel]

I replaced both my laptop and desktop with ChromeOS and it's all good. I have never used Photoshop but I do use Gimp and it works great with Crostini (Linux on ChromeOS) as well as Libre Office Suite which is much like MS Office and can do about anything MS Office can do, I have i3-11th gen Chromebook picked up refurbished for $250 and works great. Much cheaper than a Windows laptop. There are actually many Linux apps that run fine on this so it does not need to be always online. Olive is a great full-featured video editor and that works great, too. I can install Android apps for other things I need and they work fine. I also picked up an i7 11th gen Chromebox for $300 and works great, as well. Both devices sync well together and when you install an Android app on one it automatically installs it on the other. I'm enjoying the ecosystem on ChromeOS. They both play well with my Pixel 7Pro,

[mdluk]

Chromebooks can do more than Android tablets. I much prefer Chrome OS over windows

[Marcel-ddch]

How many people actually need the advanced features of MS Office or Photoshop?
Office 365 online, Adobe Express (Web) or Canva, Lightroom Web, Photoshop on the Web (Beta) or their Android versions provide more features, than normal people need.

ChromeOS is my main system. I'm a Content Creator. I only do my video editing (Premiere Pro) and some very tricky image editing (Photoshop) on my MacBook Air M1. I only turn on my fast AMD Ryzen Notebook to play some Diablo 3 or to explain how to do something you can do on Windows on ChromeOS or how to migrate or integrate something.

As a power user, you can, if you want, activate Linux. I maybe put 5 commands in the terminal, e.g., to install my FIle Manager and graphical app store of choice. I like to download AppImages or portable versions of programs like Firefox and Thunderbird, put them on my external USB-C SSD and start them from there with one click, like Portable Apps with Windows. No, terminal or Windows command shell hacking required.

I use Chrome, Google Workspace, Wordpress, Melon App, LanguageTool, Grammarly, Notion (YouTube video workflow), Toggl Track, (Asana & Todoist not actually necessary, stopped using it), Adobe Express, Lightroom Web, Photoshop on the Web Beta, GIMP, LibreOffice, Softmaker Office Pro, Google Drive & Mega (DriveSync & MegaSync Android Apps or Insync, MegaSync, rClone), Cryptomator. I think, these are my most important tools. I use many more for small tasks.

I will try out Lumafusion beta, the famous iPad video editing app, which is in development also for Chromebooks, sometimes. I can't use KDEnlive or OpenShot for Video Editing, because all of my Chromebooks are way too slow. We will see, what's possible in the future. Perhaps Davinci Resolve Linux. Today, if you have an actually speedy Chromebook, you can run Windows in a VM, if you miss some software.

For some gaming, I like Geforce Now (Game streaming). It also runs on slow Chromebooks and you can play many famous AAA games from Stream on it.
Stream Beta (locally installed) is available for some high end Chromebooks. The first Chromebooks with an integrated GPU seems to be in development.

[grantchallinor]

I use MS Office 365 online (on my Windows 10 PC) - could this be used with Chrome OS / Flex?

Personally I think Windows updates (and the fiasco/problems they often cause) are a factor - pushing personal PC and business users away from Microsoft.

I run a high-quality, carefully maintained Windows laptop which experienced one problem after another at the very end of last year - solely caused by buggy MS updates. In the end I reinstalled Windows (updating to 22H2 in the process) and everything runs buttery-smooth again.

Never having had to reinstall an OS before, I did so with Chrome OS Flex installatation media loaded on a USB on hand - just in case everything went

I'm happy to remain on Windows 10 (which won't get "tinkered" with by MS like Windows 11 will be) and it will be interesting to see what happens in 2025. I think many PC users (in huge numbers) will make the jump to Chrome OS or other Linux-based systems if MS don't further extend the support of Windows 10.

[vijay.devotional]

Can I buy stand alone Microsoft Office Word only? Please help!

[Stickings]

I did wonder about Chrome books as a way to escape Microsoft's obsession with sending out countless updates that wreck our machines. Looks like its a non starter, given what I need to do.

[franciscohorna]

can you use a chrome book without internet connection