What is a Chromebook? Everything You Need to Know

In the The states, Chromebook has a threescore% market share amidst students from kindergarten to the 12th grade. That's quite a meaning number, to begin with. Further, Google is bringing huge improvements to Chrome Os to make it a viable culling against Windows and macOS. So if you are wondering what is a Chromebook exactly, well you have landed at the correct identify. In this article, we are taking a await at every aspect of Chromebooks beginning with its very definition. We have also discussed its operating organization, headline features, the target users, whether you should switch from a Windows PC or not, and more. So having said all of that, let'due south begin the article and learn more near Chromebooks thoroughly.

Everything You Need to Know Well-nigh Chromebook and Chrome OS

1. A Brief History

Earlier learning about Chromebooks, we need to know what powers this automobile and its history of development. Chrome Os is the operating organization of Chromebooks which is adult by Google just similar Windows is developed by Microsoft and macOS is adult by Apple. Chrome Bone may seem like a new operating system in the realm of desktop computers, however, it is now most a decade quondam. It was first appear in 2009 and the first commercial Chromebook was made available in 2011. Information technology'southward a Linux kernel-based operating system and primarily supports web applications rather than native apps. This is one of the reasons why Chromebooks are so fast and lightweight in comparison to other desktop computers.

During its conception in 2009, Chrome Bone was touted to bring a new era of consumer computing where applications and user data will remain in the deject. Withal lately, nosotros are seeing that Chrome OS is slightly moving away from that. We will discuss all these aspects of Chromebooks and Chrome Os in detail beneath, but in unproblematic words, we can say that Chromebook is a lightweight computer that holds a lot of promise for the general consumers.

ii. What are the Best Chromebook Features?

• Performance and Bombardment

I would say the best feature of a Chromebook is that it's not a demanding machine in terms of hardware resource which translates to exceptional performance and battery efficiency. Again, all of this is possible because of the lightweight operating arrangement it'southward running. As I mentioned higher up, Chrome OS intrinsically supports web apps only. So there are no system frameworks hardwired to the kernel except the Chrome browser. A Chromebook boots upwards in seconds and is ready to exist used the moment you lot log in, unlike the laggy mess that is Windows Bone.

Since the operating organization is so lightweight, it does not require much horsepower. You tin can easily do a bunch of tasks like watching videos, writing documents, sending an e-mail on an inexpensive Intel Core M3 processor (for comparison, M3 is ranked much below the Intel Cadre i3). At the same fourth dimension, the battery life remains stellar and you tin comfortably get two days of medium usage in a unmarried charge. Mostly, you don't demand a powerful processor on Chrome OS unless you are compiling thousands of lines of code or creating CAD renders in the browser. Just put, if yous are moving from a Windows PC to a Chromebook, exist fix to be surprised on these two fronts at to the lowest degree.

• Offline Support

Contrary to popular stance, you tin now use Chromebooks offline. You might exist thinking how is information technology possible to access a website, say for instance Google Docs without the internet? Well, Google has adult something called a PWA (Progressive Web App) standard that creates an offline wrapper of a website. It works and feels very much similar a native app, just information technology's substantially a web app created using the browser components. You can comfortably access and employ web apps to the full advantage while being completely offline. Every bit and when, yous volition exist continued to the internet, all your files will be synced via Google Bulldoze.

• Android Apps

In the above section, I mentioned that Chrome Os is moving abroad from its foundational principle and this is what I was talking nearly. Now, you tin can use millions of Android apps on your Chromebook through the Google Play Store. While Android apps are far from beingness perfect on Chromebooks, it shows that Google is trying to bring native app back up on Chrome OS. In example, y'all are wondering how it's washed, Google has broiled in Android Runtime (ART) compiler on Chrome Os. Information technology'south a layer that allows Chrome OS and Android apps to communicate with each other.

In unproblematic words, an Android subsystem is installed on your Chrome Bone which allows you to access Android apps without much friction. Also, at that place is support for Google Assistant which is part of the core Os and not a mere add together-on. So, it becomes much easier to search using vocalisation commands throughout your Chromebook and the web.

• Linux Support

Similar to Microsoft, Google is also bringing support for Linux on Chromebooks. The project is notwithstanding in beta, but the results are quite promising. Yous can nearly run any Linux apps on Chrome Os and that is a huge evolution. In my testing, the Linux Last worked flawlessly and it took but 0.25 seconds to download the Google homepage through the curlicue command. If you compare it with a Windows laptop running the Linux Trounce (almost the same config), information technology took 1.04 seconds which is 4x more Chromebook's download fourth dimension. Other than that, I also installed GIMP through Linux on Chrome Os and information technology went through flawlessly. However, the performance was not up to the mark every bit it was running in a container. Nevertheless, Linux back up on Chromebooks is a nifty stride for bringing students and developers into the Chrome Bone fold and I hope it improves over time.

• Security and Updates

Security and seamless updates are one of the principal aspects of Chrome Bone. From the very beginning, Google has made it articulate that users volition non take to worry about security updates on Chromebooks. Information technology'southward considering Chrome OS has something chosen a Seamless Update Mechanism where users don't accept to manually update the operating system or wait for the updates to be installed, dissimilar the horrendous Windows update organization. Equally and when Google pushes the update and security patches, Chrome Bone will automatically download information technology and install it on another partition. Now, whenever you restart your Chromebook, the boot slots are switched to the new partition and yous become an updated OS without even realizing it. That is for me, ane of the best features of Chromebooks.

3. Chromebook vs Windows PC

If you are considering to motility from a Windows PC to a Chromebook, this section will help yous brand the decision. First of all, the difference between both the operating system is mainly in its objective. While Chrome Os is for a specific fix of users with express utilize-case, Windows is a matured desktop OS with support for innumerable native applications for all kinds of users. Further, Windows is compatible with both native and web apps and enjoys massive developer support from all over the world. Non to mention, Windows OS has almost become the de-facto platform for gaming. Simply put, Windows is for everyone irrespective of whether you are an average or a professional user.

However, Chrome Os's silverish lining is that it's great at delivering operation (even on a significantly slower processor) while maintaining stellar battery life. On both these counts, Windows does not match up with Chrome OS and that's why Chromebooks have carved out a infinite for itself in the desktop market place. Autonomously from that, you are not missing on the gaming front if y'all subscribe to Google's game-streaming service Stadia. You can play desktop-grade games on your Chromebook irrespective of the hardware and that is awesome. Not to mention, we are slowly seeing that Microsoft is following Google's footsteps and decoupling Windows (east.thousand. Windows 10S, Windows 10X) to make information technology flexible and modular like Chrome OS.

All this indicates that both the operating systems take their shortcomings and the companies are trying to improve their platform. However, at this signal, Chrome OS is still nowhere near Windows every bit a full-fledged, desktop-class OS.

• The EOL Conundrum

Each Chromebook has a specific end-of-life (EOL) appointment which generally lasts for 5-6 years. It means that you will go updates and security patches directly from Google just within the EOL period. Also, keep in mind, the EOL menstruum does not showtime when you lot buy the Chromebook, just it gets activated when the product is certified by Google, much before the actual release date by OEM.

In dissimilarity, Windows update is not tied to specific computer models. Every bit long equally Microsoft continues to support an operating system, y'all will get the update no matter what. This is where Google's policy on Chromebook updates gets murkier and it's really disappointing. Basically, afterward the EOL, you will not go any security patches on your Chromebook making your computer vulnerable to security threats. And you can't even install Windows on your Chromebook because the process is extremely complex and out of the mode for any average user. So, if you are going to buy a Chromebook, make sure to check the EOL date.

iv. Is Chromebook For You?

To put it but, if most of your work is washed on a web browser then Chromebook is the best piece of hardware that you can opt for. It'south miles ahead of Windows laptops in terms of both functioning and battery life. You can use it for writing, creating presentations, watching movies and videos and basically every general task that most people do on their calculator. Besides, with the addition of Linux, students can do programming (supports Vim) and a lot more. And in case, y'all are an Android developer, in that location is native back up for ADB (Android Debugging Span) as well.

Having said that, if you have a defended use-example like graphic designing, CAD rendering or video editing, etc. which requires a powerful native application then Chromebook is not for y'all. It has a limited scope and Chromebook is broadly targeted at general users, students, and developers. If you are one of them, you can definitely option a Chromebook without any hesitation.

Are You Getting a Chromebook?

Then that was our deep swoop into the electric current state of Chromebooks. We accept tried to include each and every aspect of Chromebooks so y'all can accept an informed determination. Every bit a user of both Windows and Chrome OS, I experience Chrome Os is not tightly put together which makes it an immature desktop-form Bone. Still, if you are a coincidental user, you tin can hands pick one of the inexpensive Chromebooks from the market. It volition not disappoint y'all for certain. So that is all from united states. If y'all found the article informative, practice comment down below and allow us know.

Source: https://beebom.com/what-is-a-chromebook/

Posted by: keithberch1963.blogspot.com

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